Insanely Good Vegetarian Chili Recipe

Chili done the vegetarian way with our amazingly flavorful Vegetarian Chili Recipe.

There are a few things that I can’t get enough of once autumn hits.

The cool crisp air (minus the snow). The beautiful leaves changing before they fall to the ground. An unlimited amount of Pumpkin Spiced Lattes (that I’m totally making at home this year – dairy-free style)!

And of course, hearty bowls of soup and chili to warm my body up.

You see, I may be a fan of the cool crisp air, but when it comes down to it, once I get cold, I have the hardest time warming back up. You have to layer me in about 3 pairs of socks, a long-sleeved thermal, a hoodie, thermal pants under my sweats, and maybe even a scarf. And that’s just indoors! I don’t want to talk about going outside in the cooler months – I pretty much just hibernate.

Thankfully, I absolutely love soup to warm me up. And not just any soup, but a chunky chili full of heartiness, massive amounts of flavor, and of course lots of healthy protein to give you the energy to jump through as many piles of leaves as your heart so desires.

In the cool months, I could not live without my slow-cooker! This is the one I use, and I absolutely swear by it! Of course, it’s programmable, but what I love most about it is that if you aren’t quite ready to eat when your chili is done cooking, the slow-cooker will automatically turn to a warm setting until you turn it off. Total genius. And believe me, the warm feature keeps it just as hot as if it just came off the stove.

No one has to know that you had a screaming child, spilled milk, and a clogged toilet all right before dinner that caused it to be 45 minutes later than you planned. Because this is real life, and real life is never as we plan it to be.

For the longest time, when I started morphing my mom’s chili to-die-for chili into a vegetarian version for myself, I was using meatless soy-crumbles as a meat substitute. And while that was super delicious, I have since graduated.

I am absolutely addicted to eating as much REAL food as I possibly can. Food that I can explain to my son where in the earth it came from. I think I got sick of people asking me what fake meat was made of and not quite having an exact answer.

So the substitution was made in this chili, and I love it even more. Meatless and Fake-Meat-Less chili for the win. The hearty lentils take the place and win by a landslide. Both in flavor and nutrition!

And don’t be scared. Lentils are full of protein and are totally worth introducing into your diet. And with this recipe, you don’t have to be a health-nut master-chef to know how to prepare them. You honestly dump every single ingredient into the slow-cooker, turn it on, and walk away.

Boom. Mic drop.

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3.3 from 36 votes

Amazing Vegetarian Chili

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Total Time45 minutes mins

Course: Main Course, Soup

Cuisine: American

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 293kcal

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 medium onion diced
• 1 medium red bell pepper diced
• 2 ribs celery chopped
• 1 large sweet potato peeled, and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 2 tablespoons chili powder add 1 more tablespoon for more heat
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 15 ounce can black beans rinsed and drained
• 15 ounce can pinto beans rinsed and drained
• 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 2 cups vegetable broth

Instructions

• Add oil to the bottom of a large pot and heat over medium high heat. Add garlic, onion, red bell pepper, celery and sweet potatoes. Saute until the onions begin to turn translucent and the other veggies soften; about 6-7 minutes.
• Add the chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper to the pot. Stir to combine and let cook for another minute while stirring.
• Next add the frozen corn, black beans, pinto beans, crushed tomatoes and vegetable broth. Stir everything together and let it come to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes or until it reaches your desired consistency.
• Garnish with your favorite toppings like, shredded cheese, chopped cilantro or chives, diced avocado, and sour cream or plain Greek yogurt. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 293kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 1234mg | Potassium: 1256mg | Fiber: 15g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 10145IU | Vitamin C: 45mg | Calcium: 155mg | Iron: 6mg

Keyword : Vegetarian Chili

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Holly shares healthy recipes, motivation, and fitness tips over at Happy Food Healthy Life.