Vegetarian Chili
Not Your Grandma’s Bean Salad
July 31, 2017
Pomegranate Citrus Cabbage Salad
November 16, 2017
If you are interested in trying a vegetarian, plant-based meal, this Vegetarian Chili is a great recipe! It uses staple ingredients including onions, carrots, celery (staples for making soups, stews and chilis), as well as staple pantry ingredients such as canned tomatoes, tomato paste, canned beans, rice and spices.
Remember, recipes are guides. They list ingredients and the cooking technique for putting the ingredients together. Use what you have and make substitutions as necessary. For example, this recipe calls for mushrooms. I did not have fresh mushrooms, but had some dried mushrooms, so used these instead. The results were awesome!
My whole family, including my kids, gobbled this Vegetarian Chili up. Enjoy for supper or for pack in a thermos for lunch.
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium-sized yellow onion, diced
- 2 stalks of celery, sliced
- 2 peeled and sliced carrots
- 2 cups mushrooms
- pinch of salt
- 2 cloves garlic
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- Spices
- o 1 Tbsp chili powder
- o 2 tsp cumin
- o 1 tsp oregano
- o 1 tsp cinnamon
- o ½ tsp smoked paprika (use regular paprika if you don’t have smoked)
- 1 – 28 ounce can of tomatoes
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- ½ cup uncooked short-grain rice (if you don't have short-grain, use the rice you have)
- 1 bottle, beer
- 2 Tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
- 1 – 19 ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- Toppings:
- Shredded cheese
- Lime wedge
- Dried or fresh apple
- Heat a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Add oil, onions, celery and carrots. Sauté until softened. Season with salt. Add in mushrooms. Continue to sauté until mushrooms are browned.
- Add in garlic, tomato paste and spices. Cook for another minute, or until fragrant.
- Add in canned tomatoes, vegetable stock, rice, beer, soy sauce and kidney beans. Reduce heat, cover and allow to cook for about 30-45 minutes or until rice is done and chile is thickened. Add water if chile becomes too thick.
- Serve in a bowl with shredded cheese, lime wedge, and/or apple slice (shown here).
