Published 9/18/2023 • Updated 9/25/2023 It’s not a fall weekend in the Midwest without a pot of chili simmering on the stove, homemade apple cider, and football. We are huge chili fans and have chili recipes for every palate here at Fit Foodie Finds. This vegetarian chili packs in all of the same great heartiness and flavor of chilis made with meat, but uses black beans and quinoa instead. Everything is cooked together in one pot on the stove, making this a quick and easy recipe with minimal cleanup.
What You Need for Black Bean Quinoa Chili
Even though this chili is made without meat, it has the same great texture and flavor as our classic chili recipe thanks to plenty of beans, veggies, and spices. You need: Veggies: Think typical chili vegetables like green and poblano peppers, onion, and garlic. We like to add hominy to this quinoa chili for color, taste, and texture. Protein: Instead of meat, we use a combination of quinoa (uncooked) and beans for protein. Tomatoes + Broth: This is a tomato-based chili so we use both diced tomatoes and tomato sauce in addition to vegetable broth. Spices: The spice combination is what gives this vegetarian chili the flavor depth you’d traditionally get from a meat-based chili. We use cinnamon sticks for a little spice and sweetness, chili powder, cumin, onion powder, and paprika.
Black Bean Quinoa Chili Substitutions
Customize this vegetarian chili to your liking and based on what ingredients you have on hand. Instead of:
Poblano peppers, try jalapeño peppers or throw in an extra diced bell pepper. Black beans, use your favorite kind of beans like garbanzo, navy, or great northern beans. Hominy, use the same amount of yellow sweet corn. Each individual spice, use about 1/4 cup of homemade chili seasoning to replace the chili powder, cumin, onion powder, and paprika. And, for even more spice, add a can of diced green chiles.
Best Dutch Oven for Soups and Chilis
We cook all of our soups and chilis in this thing and it’s truly the perfect size.
Storage
This recipe makes a lot of chili which is great for meal prep. Let the chili cool completely and transfer into airtight container(s). Refrigerate for 3-5 days. Dutch Oven
Vegetarian Chili Recipes
Vegetarian Chili Quinoa Chili Meatless Instant Pot Chili Vegetarian Beer Chili
When reheating the chili, you may need to add a little more broth or water to thin it out a bit.
Freezer Instructions for Quinoa Chili
Chili is a wonderful meal to keep in the freezer for long, cold days. To freeze chili, let it cool completely, transfer to freezer-safe containers, and freeze for up to 3 months. And, here are all of our tips and tricks for how to freeze soup and chili like a pro!
Serving Suggestions
AKA ideas for chili toppings! Chili isn’t chili without all of the amazing toppings and here are some of our favorite black bean quinoa chili toppings:
Cilantro Diced avocado or guacamole Tortilla chips (for dipping!) Greek yogurt or sour cream Shredded cheese Diced onion Diced tomatoes or salsa Lime wedges
