Hearty Vegan Chili Recipe

By request here's my first vegan recipe for you: a delicious hearty vegan chili!

I’ve made chilies before, but what I love about this rendition is how filling and healthy it is while still tasting like the rainy day comfort food that chili should be. It has the complex carbs and sweetness of the sweet potato, the protein of the various beans (lentils would also be delicious in this recipe), and of course all the veggies you choose to add. I add spinach (you could also use kale) because it’s so nutritious and I ALWAYS have some leftover if I buy it from the store. I’ve started growing it at home so I can reduce my food waste by only chopping off what I need. 

For those who love to cook, you know that a chili recipe is hard to mess up and that you can sub in and out most anything you’d like. Which is why chilis, like soups and casseroles, are great recipes to help avoid food waste. You just throw in all your leftover bits of veggies and beans from other recipes to give them a delicious new purpose, instead of sitting in your fridge until they’re no good. 

As Canadians, especially in the West, we love to support our local agriculture (namely beef). So why would an Alberta girl promote vegan eating? Well, if you dive into research about plant-based eating you’ll find that reducing the amount of meat and dairy we consume has many health benefits and positive environmental impacts! And honestly, there are some extremely good recipes out there - this one for example!

I’m notorious for just throwing things together and never being able to replicate them, but this time I’ve written it all down for those of you who are most confident cooking with a recipe. 

So let’s get to it!

Hearty Vegan Chili Recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 small sweet potato chopped into 1 inch pieces

• 1 med-large bell pepper, chopped

• 1 medium red onion, chopped

• ½ tsp salt, divided

• 4 cloves garlic, pressed or minced

• 2 tbsp chili powder

• 2 tsp ground cumin

• 2 tsp smoked paprika (regular paprika is also fine)

• 1 tsp dried oregano

• 1 can (28 oz) of diced tomatoes with their juices

• 1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained

• 1 can (15 oz) white Kidney beans (pinto or red kidney beans would also serve), rinsed and drained

• 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

• 1-2 cups vegetable broth (depending on your preferred thickness)

• 1-2 bay leaves

• 250 g of spinach (can be frozen)

• 1-2 tsp Lime juice, to taste (fresh lime juice is always best but I rarely have it on hand)

• Salt & Pepper to taste

Garnish options: sliced avocado, tortilla chips, vegan sour cream, or grated vegan cheddar cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In the largest pot you have over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add sweet potato, cook stirring occasionally for 5 minutes.

2. Add onion, bell pepper, and ¼ teaspoon of the salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and the onion is translucent, 5-10 minutes.

3. In a small dish, mix the chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika and oregano together. Then add seasoning and garlic to the pot. Cook until fragrant, stirring constantly, about 1 minute.

4. Add the diced tomatoes and their juices, beans, chickpeas, vegetable broth and bay leaf. Stir to combine, increase heat to med-high to bring mixture to a simmer. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally and reducing heat gradually to medium-low, maintaining a gentle simmer for 30 minutes.

5. Discard bay leaf. For the best texture and flavor, transfer 1 ½ cups of the chili to a blender, making sure to get some of the liquid portion. Securely fasten the lid and blend until smooth (watch out for hot steam).

Optional: You can blend the chili briefly with an immersion blender, or mash the chili with a potato masher until it reaches a thicker, more chili-like consistency.

1. Once the mixture to be blended is removed, add your baby spinach to the pot and stir well, letting the spinach wilt into the chili.

2. Pour the blended chili mixture back into the pot.

3. Finish with a squeeze of fresh lime to taste and salt & pepper to taste.

NOTES

Know your spice level! If you’re spice averse, start with less chili powder and cumin – you can always add more later. I can't handle much spice but with some avocado or vegan sour cream this recipe didn’t seem spicy to me. If you’re looking for more spice, chili peppers may be a better option for you.

I used leftover veggies and beans/legumes that I had in my fridge at the time. Black beans are a staple in my household - and I always have some leftover after making my black bean brownies. Other veggies that would also taste delicious would be carrots, celery, and mushrooms.

For those who love their meat: I encourage you to try adding one vegan meal a week to your usual eating. If you need recipe suggestions, just give me a shout (they’re not created equal).

What recipe should I post next? What’s your favourite vegan meal? Share it in the comments or send me an email!