I love chili. I don’t even care if it’s so hot outside that my hair sticks to my face and I can’t breathe if I’m in the sun for longer than 5 minutes.
Chili is another one of my favourite comfort foods. I can eat it all year round. It’s yumminess in a bowl!
Thankfully, this vegan chili is a healthy one. It’s loaded with tons of vegetables, beans and infused with tasty chili seasonings. So go ahead, eat a bowl – or two – and don’t feel guilty about it at all!
I had some leftover vegan nacho cheese, so I topped my chili with that, and a sprinkling of green onions (because green onions make any dish better).
Also? Fresh bread is a must with chili! Although it’s good on it’s own, this chili is extra good slathered on bread. Crushed tortilla chips are also delicious with chili! It gives the dish some crunch, which is nice.
This dish freezes very well, too, so it’s a great meal to make more of than you need. Pop the extras in the freezer and you have a healthy meal waiting for you on a night you don’t have time to cook dinner!
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/3 cup celery, chopped
- 1/3 cup red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 cup onion, chopped small
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- 6 cups diced tomatoes, canned or fresh
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup cooked black beans (if using canned, drain and rinse first)
- 1/2 cup cooked red kidney beans (if using canned, drain and rinse first)
- 1/4 cup cooked chickpeas (if using canned, drain and rinse first)
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
- Add celery, red bell pepper and onions to the pot, and let them cook for about 5 minutes, or until the onions are lightly browned, and the celery and bell pepper are slightly softened.
- Add in the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes or so, until the garlic has also lightly browned.
- Add in the diced tomatoes, chili powder, oregano, cumin, salt and pepper. Mix well. If it looks too thick, add some vegetable broth or water, 1/2 cup at a time. Remember that it will thicken up as it cooks, so you don’t want it to be too thick when it first goes in there.
- Cook for about 10 minutes, then add in the black beans, kidney beans and chickpeas, and stir.
- Cook for another 20-30 minutes, or until thickened to your desired consistency.
- Serve, topped with vegan nacho cheese, vegan cheese shreds, vegan sour cream, chopped green onions, or whatever else you like on your chili!