Vegetarian Three Bean Chili

Vegetarian Three Bean Chili is the ultimate meatless dinner even the carnivores in your family will love.  This easy veggie chili is filled with black beans, red kidney beans and chickpeas.  This healthy vegetarian chili is packed with flavour and is the perfect comfort food during winter. 

We've been trying to incorporate a few meatless meals into our meal plan each week and this vegetarian three bean chili has been a hit!  It's super easy, full of flavour and you won't even notice there's no meat!

I love to serve this veggie chili over a baked potato with a dollop of Greek yoghurt and cheese on top.  It's also great over rice and I wouldn't say no to serving it with a side of corn chips.  In fact, that's probably mandatory.

This chili freezes beautifully so be sure to stash away a serve or two for an easy lunch or dinner at a moments notice.

WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS RECIPE...

• Full of flavour.
• Great meatless alternative.
• Easy to put together.

WHAT ARE THE BEST BEANS TO USE FOR CHILI?

I love to use black beans, red kidney beans and chickpeas for this three bean chili.  I almost always have cans of these beans in the cupboard and they bulk out this meatless recipe well.

I'd recommend always keeping black beans and red kidney beans for that authentic chili taste, but feel free to substitute chickpeas for your favourite can of beans.

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE THIS CHILI

Don't be thrown off by the longer list of ingredients.  The bulk of these are things you'll already have on hand, and things you may not have (like the spices) can be used again in countless recipes.

Here's what you'll need (full measurements listed in the recipe card below)...

• Olive Oil
• Carrots
• Celery
• Onion
• Garlic
• Red Capsicum / Bell Pepper
• Frozen Corn
• Tinned Black Beans
• Tinned Red Kidney Beans
• Tinned Chickpeas
• Tinned Diced Tomatoes
• Tomato Paste
• Vegetable Stock

Spices

• Paprika
• Cumin
• Garlic Powder
• Onion Powder
• Cayenne Pepper
• Salt & Pepper

Optional Fix-Ins

• Greek Yoghurt or Sour Cream
• Coriander / Cilantro
• Shredded Cheddar Cheese
• Corn Chips

HOW TO MAKE THREE BEAN CHILI - STEP BY STEP

Heat oil in a large pot or dutch oven on medium heat. Sauté onion and garlic, stirring regularly, until softened.

Add carrot, celery and capsicum to the pot and sauté for 3 minutes, stirring regularly, until softened.

Add spices and mix together with the vegetables, then add tinned tomatoes, stock, tomato paste, beans and corn. Stir well to combine, then let simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. If you find the mixture getting too thick as it simmers away, you may want to add a little more stock.

Transfer 1.5 cups of chili to a blender and blend until smooth. Pour back into the pot. If you don't have a heat-friendly blender you can alternatively use a stick blender to blend the chili slightly. This step helps thicken the chili and gives it a more authentic consistency.

Serve over rice or a baked potato with your favourite toppings!

WHAT GOES WELL WITH CHILI?

I love to serve chili over a bed of rice or on top of a baked potato, but a side of corn chips to scoop the chili up doesn't hurt either.

Feel free to pick and choose your favourite toppings - sour cream, greek yoghurt, cilantro, cheese or chopped avocado all work well!

CAN I FREEZE THIS?

Absolutely!  This vegetarian chili freezes so well.  Just pop any leftovers in an air tight container and freeze for up to 3 months.

TOP TIPS

• Stick with the black beans and red kidney beans but feel free to substitute chickpeas for another bean if you'd prefer.
• I like to blend a cup and a half of the chili to help thicken it up and give it a more authentic consistency.  If your blender isn't heat-friendly, be sure to either wait for the chili to cool OR use a stick blender to just blend a small portion of the chili until you get your desired consistency.  Of course if you have neither blender you can skip this step - your chili may just be a little of the thin side but still delicious.
• Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

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• Healthy Guacamole
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• Shredded Mexican Beef
• Healthy Chilli Con Carne
• Vegetarian Mexican Pizza
• Mexican Chicken Salad
• Healthy Chicken Tacos

If you’ve tried this Vegetarian Three Bean Chili I’d love to hear how you enjoyed it! Pop a comment and a star rating below!

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