However, that’s not all, here are a few more reasons why this vegan chili recipe is awesome: Need more inspiration for more easy vegan chili recipes? If so, be sure to check out my Vegan Chocolate Chili and Vegan Quinoa Chili recipes.
For Umami Rich Plant-Based Meat: This simple vegan chili recipe uses a mixture of walnuts and dried shiitake mushrooms to mimic the flavors of meat. Later, mixed with umami-rich tomato paste and soy sauce, the flavors get so similar to regular chili that no one can tell that this is a no meat chili.
Chili Ingredients: For deep flavor, I used vegetables like onions, celery, garlic and jalapenos. For additional creaminess and additional earthy flavors, I used Cannellini and black beans (pinto beans or red kidney beans would also work). I used canned beans (one of each kind) as I wanted to be able to make this dish in under one hour.Bulgur Wheat for the meaty texture: For added chewy texture, I used medium-coarse bulgur wheat. If you are new to cooking bulgur, be sure to check out my detailed post on Types of Bulgur Wheat and How to Cook Bulgur Wheat to learn more about it. I recommend this brand of bulgur (affiliate link), if you can’t find it in your grocery store.While I know that some of you might think of Vegan Chili with Bulgur to be an unusual combo, I assure you that the added texture of bulgur brings this veggie chili recipe together.
Spices: In terms of spices, you will need ground cumin and chili powder. Optionally, you can also add in a pinch of spanish paprika, cayenne pepper or even red pepper flakes.Toppings: In my version of vegan vegetable chili here, I opted for chopped red onion, sliced avocados, fresh corn, chopped cilantro, and thinly sliced radishes. The vibrant colors coming from the toppings turn it into what my niece calls, a rainbow chili.
Substitutions and Recipe Variations
Use quinoa instead of bulgur: While I highly recommend using bulgur (and think that a quick trip to the store is worth it), you can use a cup of uncooked quinoa in place of bulgur, especially if you are after a vegan gluten free chili recipe. The end result will not be as chewy, but it will still be a delicious vegan chili.Other vegan meat substitutes: If you prefer not to use bulgur (or quinoa), you can try store bought soy or tofu crumbles or crumbled tofu. Impossible Ground Beef, Beyond Meat, and Hodo Mexican Crumbles are a few popular supermarket plant-based meat substitutes I recommend.Dried Shiitake Mushrooms: If you can’t get your hands on dried mushrooms, you can use fresh thinly sliced mushrooms instead. If you do so, you can add them into the pot while you are adding the veggies and skip the grinding step (with walnuts).Other topping ideas: As it is with any chili, any of your favorite toppings would work here. If you want them to be all vegan, consider using vegan sour cream, vegan cheese, a squeeze of lime juice, and tortilla chips as toppings. Or, if you don’t mind turning it into a vegetarian chili, you can top it off with cotija cheese or crumbled queso fresco as well.
Storage: Bring the leftover chili bean soup to room temperature, place it in an airtight container, and keep it in the fridge upto 4 days. When ready to serve, heat it in a saucepan. If it is too thick, feel free to add ½ cup of vegetable broth or water.Freezing Instructions: Place the chili in a freezer-safe container after it fully cools down. Freeze for upto two months.Thawing Instructions: Let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Next day, transfer it into a saucepan, add in a little bit of vegetable stock or water, and heat it over medium heat until it is warmed throughly.
Savory Cornbread MuffinsCorn Tortilla RecipeVegan Cornbread Spinach QuesadillasVegan ColeslawOlive BreadMexican Street CornAlmond Flour Biscuits – GF option for bread
To make this recipe in the Instant Pot: To make this recipe in the Slow Cooker:
Chicken Chili RecipeHealthy White ChiliPumpkin Turkey ChiliTurkey Bean Chili
Other Mexican Inspired Recipes You Might Also Like:
Mexican Stuffed Peppers RecipeMexican Quinoa RecipeMexican Corn SaladMexican Street Corn Pasta Salad Recipe
Other Vegan Soups Recipes You Might Like
Lentil SoupPumpkin Ginger SoupJerusalem Artichoke SoupVegan Squash SoupVegan Sweet Potato SoupNeed more? Check out all our Vegan Recipes
I did make quite a bit of change to their original recipe, “The Ultimate Vegan Chili”, mostly to the cooking technique to make it faster, but in general, I based this recipe on the ingredients that they used.
