With a well-stocked pantry, this veggie chili is an easy weeknight meal! Let it simmer while you set the table, empty the dishwasher or relax on the couch. Loaded with beans, tomatoes and spices, it’s a great addition to your chili rotation.
BE PICTURED IN; CHARACTERIZED IN:
Vegan chili is my favorite pantry food. I know that no matter how hectic my day gets, I always have condiments, canned beans, tomato sauce, and an onion lying around the house to turn into an easy chili for the night.
For this recipe, I take easy vegan chili up a notch by adding quick-cooking bulgur wheat found in health food sections at grocery stores and chopped mushrooms. The combination of bulgur and mushrooms mimics the texture of ground beef.
- don’t like mushrooms No problem. Omit the mushrooms and double the amount of bulgur.
- Do you have a wheat allergy? Simply omit the bulgur and double the amount of mushrooms.
- Do you like or can’t eat? How about brown rice? (You’ll probably want to skip the quinoa, though — it just won’t hold up to the liquids in this recipe and will end up being too mushy instead.)
- Want to make your beans from scratch? Here’s how to make them on the stovetop or in a pressure cooker!
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Don’t skip the toppings!
The best thing about chili is that it tastes great when it’s made from the most basic elements, but it gets even better with toppings like chopped red onion, fresh cilantro, and avocado.
A word about cleaning mushrooms
What is liquid smoke?
I called out Liquid Smoke in this recipe. You can usually find it in the spice or vinegar section of your local supermarket. It adds that hint of smoky flavor you would normally get from smoking meat for hours.
It’s just a little extra and is commonly made with hickory smoke flavoring, vinegar, and sugar. If you don’t have it or can’t find it, don’t worry. The chili will still be delicious.
How to store or freeze vegan chili
Great for a weeknight pantry meal, vegan chili is highly adaptable and can satisfy even the most dedicated meat eaters among us.
Leftovers will keep in the fridge for five days, and I’ve been known to freeze them for up to 3 months.
Check out these other great chili recipes!
- Spicy Vegetarian Chili – Chunky!
- Minced Chili
- Pressure Cooker White Chicken Chili
- Chili con carne
- Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken Chili
Easy vegetarian chili
ingredients
- For the chili:
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1 tablespoon olive oil
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8 ounces baby portabella mushrooms, cleaned and quartered
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1 teaspoon kosher salt
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3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
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1 medium yellow onion, peeled and quartered
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1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
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1 jalapeño, seeded and chopped
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3 large garlic cloves, chopped
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1 1/2 tablespoons mild chili powder
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1 1/4 teaspoons oregano
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1 1/4 teaspoons ground cumin
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1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
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Pinch of cinnamon
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1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon brown sugar
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1 (15 ounce) can fire roasted tomatoes, drained
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1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
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3 cups vegetable broth or water
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1/2 cup bulgur wheat
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1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke, optional
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2 (15-ounce) cans of kidney beans (light or dark, or a combination), drained
- For the toppings:
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1 handful coriander, chopped
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1/2 small red onion, chopped
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1 avocado, diced
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lime wedges
special equipment
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food processor
method
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Prepare the mushrooms and start cooking:
Place the mushrooms in a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Pulse until smaller than a pea, about 30 seconds.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms to saucepan with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper.
Cook until the mushrooms release some of their liquid and turn a darker color, about 7 minutes.
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Cooking vegetables and spices:
Place onion in food processor (no need to clean) and pulse until onions are the size of a small cube, about 6 to 8 times. Add the onion to the saucepan along with the chopped green peppers, chopped jalapeño peppers, garlic, chili powder, oregano, cumin, smoked paprika, and cinnamon.
Cook until onions are translucent and green peppers are just softening, about 8 minutes. Stir in the brown sugar. Cook for about 1 minute just to incorporate.
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Let the chili simmer:
Add the fire roasted tomatoes (and all their juices), tomato sauce, and 3 cups of broth or water. Stir to combine.
Cover the pot and bring the chili to a boil. This should take about 4 to 5 minutes.
Once the chili is boiling, stir in the bulgur, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer the chili for about 12 minutes until the bulgur is cooked. It should be chewy and tender.
Add the drained beans to the beans and liquid smoke in the pot. Stir to combine. Simmer on the stove for about 10 minutes.
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Season and serve:
stir. Taste and add salt or pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls and garnish with cilantro, red onions and avocado. Serve the lime wedges next to the bowl.
