Vegan Chilli – A recipe that’s easy and hearty

Made using Kidney beans and corn, this recipe for a wholesome, vegan Chilli is always a flavour-packed, crowd-pleaser.

Easy & Hearty Vegan Chilli

To me, very few things are as comforting as a big bowl of this vegan chilli on a cold, wet day. If I’m being honest, I can devour a bowlful of this any time of the year.

If you’re someone like me, who enjoys a good chilli, you really should try this recipe. For a recipe that is as simple as this one is, it is packed with flavour the recipe makes a fairly big batch. That’s always a win in my book, because that means leftovers.

Let’s talk about the beans, shall we?

I’ve made this vegan chilli quite a few times and I’ve even tried it with a bunch of different beans. Today, I’ve kept it simple and used kidney beans, but in the past I have made this with black beans and even a mix of both. Every single time, this recipe turns out delicious. There is a slight change in the overall flavour when you use a different variety of beans, but the chilli still turns out really well.

I prefer cooking my beans from scratch. I use dried beans, soak it overnight and pressure cook it the next day. But you can just as easily use the tinned variety. I find that the flavour of dry beans cooking from scratch a lot better.

How “hot” is hot?

When you look at today’s recipe, you’ll see that I’ve used a bunch of different chilly options. That being said, this still doesn’t turn out too spicy. Each chilly element lends a different type of heat to the dish and it balances the flavours really well.

Obviously, you can adjust the amount of each of them to suit your taste and make it as hot as you’d like it, or not. ?

With all those details dealt with, this recipe is a super simple one. Even if you’ve never cooked before, you’ll easily pull off this recipe. You end up with a big batch of chilli that is packed with flavour and it’s so much better than anything you can find in the stores. Go ahead! Try it.

I served up my chilli with some homemade Jalapeño cornbread (recipe coming soon), coconut yogurt, some avocado, some freshly sliced jalapeño and some fresh coriander. And to taste, I sprinkle some red chilly flakes, salt and lemon juice. These toppings take this already amazing chilli up a notch. This is the kind of stuff I love with my chilli. What sort of toppings do you like? Leave me a comment and let me know.


If you’re looking for more recipe inspiration using beans, check out these recipes –
Black Bean and Corn Tacos
Black Bean Burgers

Easy & Hearty Vegan Chilli

Recipe by Trisha VazCourse: MainCuisine: MexicanDifficulty: Easy
Servings

6

servings
Prep time

20

minutes
Cooking time

40

minutes

Made using Kidney beans and corn, this recipe for a wholesome, vegan Chilli is always a flavour-packed, crowd-pleaser.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups cooked Kidney beans (make sure they’re cooked till just about done)

  • 1/2 large onion, finely chopped

  • 1/2 green capsicum, finely chopped

  • 1 carrot, finely chopped

  • 1 stick of celery, finely chopped

  • 1 tbsp oil

  • 1 tsp garlic paste

  • 1 tsp chilly powder (a mild variety)

  • 1/8 tsp extra hot Cayenne pepper powder

  • 1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika

  • 1 tsp cumin powder

  • 1 tsp oregano

  • 1 cup passata or 1 can diced tomatoes

  • 1 tsp Vegetable stock powder (or 1 litre of vegetable stock)

  • 1 tsp Vegemite

  • Salt, to taste

  • 1 tsp sugar

  • 1 litre hot water (leave this out, if you’re using liquid stock)

  • 1 cup corn kernels

  • Chopped coriander, to garnish

  • Toppings –
  • Coconut yogurt

  • Sliced jalapeño

  • Sliced avocado

  • Jalapeño cornbread

  • Red chilly flakes, to taste

  • Salt, to season the avocado

  • Lemon juice, to taste

  • Fresh coriander, chopped

Directions

  • Heat a large pot on medium heat. To the pot add oil and onions and sauté till the onions have just started to soften.
  • Add the chopped capsicum, carrot and celery and stir well. Let the veggies cook on a medium heat for 5-10 minutes till they sweat and start to soften.
  • Add garlic paste and stir well. Fry it off for about 30 seconds.
  • Now, add the chilly powder, cayenne pepper powder, smoked paprika, cumin powder and oregano and stir to coat all the vegetables with the spices.
  • Add the passata and let it cook off for about another minute.
  • To this, add the vegetable stock powder, Vegemite and salt. Stir well. Add 1 litre of hot water from a recently boiled kettle. Stir through.
  • Now add the cooked beans and bring this to a boil. Cover the pot, lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes, stirring a couple of times in between.
  • Add the corn and sugar. Check for seasoning and add more salt, if needed. Stir well. Cover and cook for another 10 minutes or till the corn has cooked through.
  • Garnish with some chopped fresh coriander (leaves and stalks).

    Serve hot!
  • Serving suggestion –
  • Ladle some chilli into a bowl.
  • Dollop 1-2 tbsp coconut yogurt (You can also use vegan sour cream).
  • Sprinkle some red chilly flakes, to taste.
  • Top with some thinly sliced jalapeño, to taste.
  • Place some avocado slices on top.
  • Sprinkle some chopped fresh coriander.
  • Season the avocado with a little salt.
  • Squeeze some lemon juice over the avocado and the chilli.
    Serve up.

.Recipe Video