I Can’t Believe It’s Meatless! Chili

Ah, chili…. A hearty winter staple sure to please almost every palate. 

I’ve tried a lot of meatless chilis over the years. Mostly, I’ve found that they just have too many vegetables for chili (who puts zucchini and carrots in chili?!), and I’ve never found one that quite hit the spot — until I made this. 

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Over the years, I’ve tried ALL the meat substitutes, and frankly, none of them are spectacular. They can be especially chewy — or downright disintegrate — in a dish like chili, not to mention that they can be expensive and highly processed. I’ve found a few meatless hacks over the years, but this is one of my favorites: quinoa in lieu of ground beef. 

Quinoa

Quinoa is an ancient South American grain that’s high in protein and easy to digest. I add it in when cooking oatmeal, put it in meatless loaves, and use it in tacos. The thing I love about it in chili is that it maintains its texture. 

Alone, quinoa does not taste like beef (at least not from what I remember), but in chili? You’d be hard-pressed to find someone who could tell the difference between the meaty and meatless versions — especially if you use red quinoa, so the color isn’t the tell. It even passed my meat-loving midwestern father. 

Spice

Besides the quinoa, the other key ingredient in this chili is the chipotle chili powder. It provides a powerful kick in both spice and flavor depth. If you don’t love a lot of heat, err on the side of caution when adding it. If you dig a lot of spice, add the full recommended amount and put in two jalapenos. 

Hack: I do most of my shopping at Aldi, which only sells bags of jalapenos. I slice and freeze them for later so I always have some on hand.

Optional Add-Ins

There are two items that I’ll occasionally add in if I’m feeling it — celery & corn — but never both at the same time. Maybe it’s that too many vegetables thing again….

Celery

I’ll add celery into my chili if I happen to have it fresh (freezing celery is one of my favorite soup-making hacks). Fresh celery in chili really does add a lovely, unexpected crunch. If it simmers a little too long, it can reduce the effect, but still adds that bit of fresh to the flavor, none-the-less. 

Corn

My husband whole-heartedly disagrees with me about corn in chili, but if the chili has a big kick, the sweetness makes a nice counter. Toss in a drained and rinsed can of niblets or (even better!) fresh, summertime sweet corn.

Now, onto the recipe!

I Can’t Believe It’s Meatless! Chili

Serves 10

2 sweet peppers, chopped
2 medium onions, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
½ c. red quinoa
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 – 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 – 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
4 c. vegetable broth
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1 ¼ t. cumin
2 t. chili powder
1/4 t.  -1 t. chipotle chili powder (depending on spice preferences)
2 T. olive oil
1 c. corn (optional)
2 ribs of celery, chopped (optional)

1. Cook quinoa in 2 c. of water for by bringing to a boil, then simmering for approx. 12 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
2. In a 6 quart or larger pot, saute onions in olive oil until translucent. Add in sweet peppers and saute for about 2 mins.; add in jalapenos and garlic, saute additional 2 minutes. Add in cumin, chili powder, and chipotle chili powder.
3. Add in the tomatoes, broth, beans, and cooked quinoa. If adding celery or corn, add in at this point. Bring to a boil, then simmer for approx. 20 minutes. 

Serve with any or all of the following: shredded cheese, avocado, sour cream, cilantro, lime wedges, saltines, tortilla chips, chopped onion, and jalapenos!

Enjoy! And I’d love to know if you think you could spot the difference between meaty and meatless. 🙂

— Funky Crunchy Mama