Don’t let the word “vegetarian” scare you off. This chili is amaze-balls. Even my meat loving husband likes it! That should tell you a lot. Although when I make it, I steal all the leftovers for myself… Mhua-ha-ha-ha-ha! 😋
We eat a good amount of chili in my house. Beef chili, turkey chili, venison chili, white bean chili, chicken chili, veggie chili… chili with cornbread, chili on baked potatoes. I’m starting to sound like Bubba from Forrest Gump and his beloved shrimp. But my general rule is that I wont make it unless its fall or winter. I have nothing against chili year around, but to me chili is so much more comforting when its cold, and since we have a solid 6 months of cold here, why not save this hearty winter wonder meal for those months.
Over the last few years, we have made a lot of meat packed chili recipes with either beef, chicken, turkey or venison. But as we try to incorporate more meatless meals into our weekly dinners (this is my secret mission to keeping the hubs healthy), I have started making more vegetarian (even vegan) friendly chili. My absolute favorite is this Quinoa Vegetarian Chili.
The ingredients for this recipe are almost always in my pantry. It’s the type of meal we have on standby for nights or weekends when we don’t want to go to the grocery store and need to throw something together effortlessly. Fancy it is not, but man is it good.
The smoky complex flavor of the tomatoes, vegetables and spices mixed with the nutty texture of the quinoa make you completely forget that it is meat-free! Don’t even worry about your protein intake because the quinoa and beans team up to make a protein power-house to leave you full for a while. And to add to all of this goodness, the quinoa packs 27 Science Backed Health Benefits, so this Chili has you covered. In less than an hour, you can have a healthy hearty dinner that will feed 6-8 hungry people or leave you with delicious leftovers.
So grab your sour cream, cheese, tortilla chips and other favorite toppings and give this Quinoa Vegetarian Chili a try.
Quinoa Vegetarian Chili {Gluten-free + Vegan}
Serves: 6 – 8. Inspired by Two Peas and Their Pod’s Vegetarian Quinoa Chili recipe.
*Notes: To speed this recipe up use canned beans. However I love making dried beans on the weekend and then throwing them into my chili when I make a batch. I use about 2 cups of cooked kidney beans and 3 cups of cooked black beans.
- 1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed
- 1 cup of water
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion or half a large one, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 medium carrot, peeled and chopped small
- 3 celery stalks, chopped small
- 2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed*
- 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed*
- 2 (28 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne (optional if you like spice)
Optional toppings: avocado slices, cheese, hot sauce, tortilla chips, green onions, sour cream, Greek yogurt, etc. For my vegan and gluten sensitive friends, make sure you are using toppings that fit your diet.
Rise quinoa. In a medium sauce pan, combine the quinoa, water and bring to a boil over high heat. Then lower temperature to medium heat cooking until water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Set cooked quinoa aside.
Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions, carrots and celery. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring to ensure everything browns evenly. Add garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
Pour in crushed tomatoes, beans, quinoa and spices (chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, paprika, cayenne and salt). Simmer on low for 25-30 min.
Serve with your favorite chili toppings!
Originally posted 2016-01-25 09:00:52.
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