Best Vegetarian Chili

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An easy quinoa chili that comes together in less than 1 hour! Easy, delicious, super healthy and so satisfying!

Course Main

Cuisine American

Diet Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 45

Total Time 55

Servings servings

Calories 217

Author Kim

Ingredients

1 medium yellow or white onion diced
3 small or 2 large sweet potatoes diced (about 1 pound)
1 teaspoon sea salt + more to taste
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons chili powder
3 teaspoons cumin
4 cups low sodium vegetable broth divided
1 cup quinoa uncooked and rinsed as needed
1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans drained and rinsed
1 (15 ounce) can black beans drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups corn kernels frozen or canned and drained
1 cinnamon stick optional

Optional for serving:

lime juice, avocado, fresh cilantro, sour cream and/or cheese, as preferred, and plenty of corn bread

Instructions

In a large pot over medium heat, sauté diced onion in about 2 teaspoons oil until translucent and soft. Add diced sweet potato and spices (all are optional). Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
Add 3 cups vegetable broth and bring mixture to a low boil on medium high heat, then lower heat to medium-low and simmer. Add quinoa, beans, corn and cinnamon stick; cover and cook for 30 minutes more and until the sweet potatoes are fork tender and the chili is thick. Once chili is done cooking, stir in additional cup of vegetable broth. Taste and add more seasonings as needed.
As with all chili and soup recipes, this is best when prepared the night before or has time to sit before serving for a few hours so the flavors can really shine.
Remove cinnamon stick and serve with fresh cilantro, lime juice, avocado slices, guacamole, chips, sour cream and/or cheese, as preferred.

Video

Notes

*The quinoa will soak up the liquid of any leftover chili. Before reheating leftover chili, I would recommend adding more vegetable broth or water to thin the chili back out.

*See full blog post for slow cooker and pressure cooker instructions.

Storage + Freezing:

Make ahead. This is a great recipe for meal prep or as a make ahead meal, and reheats very well. In fact, I think it’s even tastier the next day!
Leftovers. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to about 5 days.
Freezing. Once it’s completely cooled, place it in freezer-safe containers or resealable gallon-sized freezer bags. It can be frozen for up to 3 months. To thaw, transfer the chili to the fridge and store overnight.
Reheat. When ready to serve, reheat it on medium heat on the stovetop. You will most likely need to add more liquid to the chili because the quinoa will absorb the liquid.

Nutrition