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Vegetarian Chili Recipe
This easy vegetarian chili is made in one pot with red lentils, kidney beans, corn, and smoky chipotle. Thick, hearty, and ready in about an hour for an easy, plant-based weeknight dinner the whole family will love!
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Cooking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Units
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- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon diced chipotles in adobo
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 12 ounce bag frozen corn
- 1 cup uncooked split red lentils
- 2 (15 ounce) cans dark kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 15 ounce can light kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 4 cups V8 or tomato-based vegetable juice
- Kosher salt
- fresh cracked pepper
GARNISH
- tortilla chips or easy homemade tortilla strips
- shredded cheddar
- fresh chopped cilantro
- sliced green onion
- sour cream
Instructions
- SAUTE AROMATICS. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add diced onion along with a couple pinches of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.
- ADD SOME SPICE. Add tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, dried oregano, chipotles in adobo, and a couple large pinches of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes.
- DEGLAZE. Stir in soy sauce and scrape all the yummy bits off the bottom of the pot.
- BULK IT UP. Add frozen corn, uncooked lentils, dark kidney beans, light kidney beans, V8, and a couple large pinches of salt and pepper.
- SIMMER. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 35-40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- SERVE + ENJOY. Serve with tortilla chips, shredded cheese, cilantro, green onion, and sour cream. Enjoy!
- SHARE THE LOVE. If you loved this recipe, please leave a 5-star rating and review below!
Notes
- Stick with split red lentils. They break down as they simmer, and that’s what makes this chili so thick and hearty. Brown or green lentils hold their shape and take longer to cook, so you won’t get the same texture.
- Give it a stir every so often. Lentils love to sink and stick to the bottom of the pot, especially in the last 10 minutes or so.
- Make it as spicy as you like. One teaspoon of chipotles is smoky and pretty mild. For more kick, add another teaspoon or swap in Spicy Hot V8.
- Fix the thickness in seconds. Too thick? Stir in a splash of V8 or water. Too thin? Take the lid off and simmer for a few extra minutes.
- Freeze the rest of that can of chipotles. Scoop them into a small freezer bag, press it flat, and break off a piece whenever a recipe calls for a little.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/8 of the chili
- Calories: 292
- Sugar: 7.3 g
- Sodium: 575.9 mg
- Fat: 4.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 50.5 g
- Fiber: 11.4 g
- Protein: 16.1 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Find it online: https://midwestfoodieblog.com/vegetarian-chili-recipe/
