Another thing I love about this recipe is that the ingredients are very pantry friendly.
Canned beans, quinoa, veggie stock and spices can be kept in the pantry, and any corn or other veggies of choice can be frozen.
It’s so convenient and the only thing you really need that’s fresh is onion and garlic (if you’re feeling extra lazy, sometimes I even sub these for dried powders so I don’t have to chop anything!).
If you’re looking for a similar recipe, my Vegan Stuffed Peppers are stuffed with many of the same ingredients and baked to perfection!
How to Make Vegan Chili
Cooking the Base
To start making this yummy soup, start by placing the olive oil, chopped onion, garlic and pepper into a large pot over medium heat.
Cook for 5-8 minutes, or until the onion is translucent, stirring occasionally, and that’s your base!
Cooking Vegan Chili
Now add the remaining ingredients all at the same time (except for the corn).
Give it a good stir and cover.
Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low and let it simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the quinoa is soft and has cracked open.
Finally add the corn and cook another minute or two to heat through, and it’s done!
Serving Vegan Chili
This chili is delicious served plain, or you can add toppings like avocado, green onion, dairy-free sour cream, crumbled chips, dairy-free cheese or nutritional yeast for an extra cheesy flavor!
Easy and Delicious Vegan Chili Recipe
This easy soup recipe is a staple in my house, and especially during the colder winter months.
There’s nothing more warming and comforting than a fresh bowl of homemade chili!
Add olive oil, chopped onion, pepper and garlic to a large pot over medium heat. Cook for 5-8 minutes or until onions are translucent.
Add the rest of the ingredients (except the corn), bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until quinoa is tender (you can tell it's done if you see the seed split apart too). Then add the corn and cook for a minute or two until soft.
Enjoy with toppings of choice!
Notes
*If you like your chili nice and thick, serve as is, otherwise you can add a splash of vegetable stock or water to make it more soupy.
**This chili is even better on day two and three after all the flavors have marinated together! I would eat this up by days four and five though for best taste.
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Stir some puréed pumpkin into your chili just after sautéing your aromatics (onions, garlic, etc...) and before adding any liquid. This will deepen and sweeten its flavor, making it a great balance for all the chile peppers and heat.
If you want more of a smoky flavor, add cumin, Spanish paprika, ancho chili powder, or a combination. If you are looking for more heat, add cayenne, crushed red pepper, or Hungarian paprika. If it's too spicy add a little brown sugar and some sweet paprika.
Traditionally, we expect a robust, spicy base, meat and/or beans, perhaps some bonus veggies, and a thick, rich consistency. Unlike soups, which are brothy, or even bisques, which are creamy yet thinner, chili is meant to be more stew-like; it's a definite stick-to-your-ribs creation.
Try a little fenugreek, turmeric, garam masala, or sumac to layer in more complex flavors. Smoky paprika is my own personal favorite. Squash, pumpkin, or sweet potato: Traditionalists would scoff, but soft chunks of slightly sweet butternut squash or sweet potato are delicious in a smoky chili.
Beans and non-vegetable fillers such as rice and pasta are not allowed." If that sounds a bit uptight, the ICS's Homestyle Chili competition defines chili as: "any kind of meat, or combination of meats, and/or vegetables cooked with beans, chili peppers, various spices, and other ingredients.
Most Common Chili Spices. Cumin, Chile Powders, and Paprika are the most common spices in chili followed by garlic, onion, coriander, Mexican oregano, and bay leaves. These ingredients can be combined to create a savory and well-balanced pot of top notch comfort food.
Chili cooks low and slow, so you need enough liquid to tenderize the meat and keep everything from drying out. That liquid should also add flavor to the chili, so use chicken, beef, or vegetable stock, or beer.
With only about 1 tablespoon per pot added toward the end of the cooking process, the vinegar will make the flavors more vibrant without overwhelming the dish with its biting tang. Through just a splash, everything becomes a little brighter, and the chili's flavors are more balanced.
The tomato paste adds color and rich flavor to our chili. Now we have our flavorful base, you are going to finish the chili with pureed tomatoes, beef broth (or chicken broth), and beans. Beans make this chili hearty — I like pinto beans or kidney beans.
Cinnamon. The beauty of ground cinnamon is that it brings a warmth to your chili, without being spicy. It works well with other flavors commonly found in chili (like tomato, cumin and chile powder) so you only need a little bit to achieve the desired balance.
Just start with a tablespoon of the flour, cornmeal, masa harina, or cornstarch whisked with a little water, add to your chili and simmer 10 more minutes or so. If it isn't as thick as you'd like, repeat and simmer 10 more minutes.
Cornmeal does an excellent job of absorbing extra liquids so adding a tablespoon of it to the chili will thicken the final dish. Mix 2 parts of cold water and 1 part of cornmeal, make it a slurry, and add this to the pot. Allow it to simmer for about 10 minutes after you add the slurry.
All-purpose flour and cornstarch are useful for thickening chili, as well as sauces, soups, and stews. However, you'll want to avoid adding these ingredients directly to your recipe, as this will result in clumps.
To enhance the flavor of your chili, brown the meat before adding it to the pot. This step not only caramelizes the meat, but gives your chili more texture, adding a depth that cannot be achieved by simply simmering it in the chili.
We're all about adding some cocoa to your chili, especially in the early stages of cooking when you're blooming your spices, but I like to drop a few pieces of dark chocolate into the pot too.
"Adding fresh ingredients — like diced onions, cilantro, and jalapenos — will take any canned chili to another level," Dunleavy said. "The fresh burst of flavor will brighten and elevate the chili while also adding great texture and crunch."
Spices like black peppers, cinnamon, ginger and cumin add depth to foods. Aromatic vegetables, such as onions, garlic and pepper, add complexity to dishes without adding salt. Boost flavor with fruit, such as citrus juice and citrus zest.
Introduction: My name is Kerri Lueilwitz, I am a courageous, gentle, quaint, thankful, outstanding, brave, vast person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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