Maybe you’re an avid vegetarian or maybe, like me, you’re just not ambitious or confident enough in your cooking skills to venture into the beef chili zone. Either way, this hearty meatless chili is an easy throw-everything-in-one-pot meal that’s just as flavorful as its meaty cousin (and you don’t have to worry about dealing with raw meat!). With protein from the beans and a wholesome variety of vegetables, this chili is also a healthier alternative to meat chili that will leave you both full and guilt-free.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Servings: 2-3
Ingredients:
1 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
½ cup canned sweet yellow corn
½ 14.5-oz can Trader Joe’s diced and fire-roasted tomatoes with green chilies (or diced tomatoes of your choosing)
¼ cup diced yellow onion
¼ cup diced celery
½ cup roughly chopped button mushrooms
½ cup diced red and yellow bell peppers
½ cup marinara sauce
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and pepper, to taste
Pro Tip: Buy pre-diced veggies to save time (skip the first two steps) and ensure the pieces will cook evenly!
Directions:
1. Dice onions and celery.
2. Dice bell peppers and roughly chop button mushrooms.
3. Heat olive oil in a 1-quart (small) pot over medium heat.
4. Stir in onions, celery, garlic and cumin.
5. Cover the pot, allowing the veggies to simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until they are tender and translucent.
6. Add the bell peppers and mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Photo by Erica Sloan
7. Pour in the diced tomatoes and stir. Cover the pot and simmer for 10 minutes.
Photo by Erica Sloan
8. Add corn, beans and marinara sauce and stir.
9. Cover the pot and allow the contents to cook down for 20-25 minutes. Sprinkle salt and pepper, to taste. Check out this other bean-based chili recipe, too.
Photo by Erica Sloan
10. Serve with rice or tortilla chips and enjoy! Feeling ambitious? Click here to find out how to make your own corn tortilla chips!
Photo by Erica Sloan
Photo by Erica Sloan
Love this chili and feeling inspired? Here are some other hearty and healthy vegetarian recipes: