Looking for the best healthy chili recipe?! This Veggie chili recipe is a dish you won’t want to miss. It’s packed-full of veggies but not short on flavor. This 5-Star recipe is a sure family hit for any weeknight!
Honestly this is the best healthy chili recipe…
This healthy veggie chili recipe gives my healthy turkey chili recipe a run for its money but honestly, I think it tastes even better! This coming from a soup and chili connoisseur after all….
What makes this veggie chili recipe so awesome? Well first of all, it’s packed-full of vegetables (sweet potato, carrots, corn, pepper etc…). Second of all, it’s a great source of lean protein from high-fiber beans. Sure, you can make healthy chili recipes with ground turkey or even ground beef but I honestly believe the flavors in this healthy veggie chili are even better.
This healthy veggie chili is fully vegan and vegetarian. It’s also gluten-free! You definitely don’t want to skimp on the toppings though! Because let’s be real they may be the best part…
Ingredients in Veggie Chili
- Olive oil – for cooking veggies
- Onion – I like to use a yellow onion but a white onion also works great.
- Garlic – Ideally fresh and finely minced
- Red Bell Pepper – any color bell pepper will work but I tend to prefer the sweetness of red bell pepper
- Sweet Potato – my healthy chili recipe secret ingredient! The sweetness of sweet potato pairs beautifully with the savory spices.
- Carrots – for added nutritional value and delicious flavor.
- Corn – you can use canned, frozen or fresh kernels.
- Spices + herbs – chili powder, cumin, oregano, smoked paprika + salt and pepper
- Black Beans – be sure to rinse and drain your black beans. I prefer to use canned but you can use fresh.
- Kidney beans – be sure to rinse and drain your kidney beans. I prefer to use canned but you can use fresh.
- Diced tomatoes – a large 28 ounce can!
- Vegetable broth – or chicken broth if not vegetarian and that’s all you have
How to Make Veggie Chili
STEP 1: COOK VEGGIES + SPICES
Heat a large pot over medium-high heat and add olive oil and onion. Cook for 3-5 minutes or until translucent. Add in garlic cloves, bell pepper, sweet potato, carrots and corn kernels and cook for an additional 3 minutes. Top with chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano and salt and pepper and stir for 1 minute.
STEP 2: SIMMER
Pour in black beans, kidney beans, diced tomatoes and vegetable broth. Bring mixture to a boil and then lower to a simmer, uncovered for 30 minutes. If healthy chili recipe is looking a little thick you can add in additional vegetable broth, simmering until desired consistency is reached.
STEP 3: ADD TOPPINGS + SERVE
Divide into bowls and top with desired toppings.
Healthy Chili Toppings:
The toppings truly are endless when it comes to healthy chili but here are my go-tos:
- Tortilla Chips – Tortilla chips are always a good idea on chili!
- Cheddar Cheese – I like to use shredded cheddar cheese but Monterey Jack or any preferred cheese works.
- Avocado – Cubed or sliced!
- Sour Cream or Greek Yogurt – I find the two are interchangeable but use what you have.
- Jalapeños – Pickled jalapeno peppers would also be great!
- Cilantro – Feel free to skip if you don’t like cilantro or go ham if you do!
- Limes – give a squeeze of lime juice onto each bowl.
- Corn bread– technically not a topping but every healthy chili recipe needs a side of cornbread! Might I suggest this healthy pumpkin cornbread?
Easy Swaps + Substitutions
Make in the Slow cooker – You could easily make this veggie chili recipe in your slow cooker. Just cook on low for the 6 hours or high for 3 hours.
Replace the Veggies – butternut squash in place of sweet potato or any color bell pepper. Hominy is also a great substitute for corn.
Swap the beans – not a fan of black or kidney beans? Feel free to sub in your preferred beans. White beans, pinto beans or even chickpeas would be great.
Add a kick – prefer a spicy chili? Add a kick to your dish with a little cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes.
Storage Instructions
Refrigerator: store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Freezer: store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in fridge or on countertop for several hours.
Reheat leftovers in the microwave or on the stove top.
More Chili Recipes:
- Sweet Potato Turkey Chili Recipe
- Buffalo Chicken Chili
- Green Chili Recipe
- Ground Beef and 3-Bean Chili
- The Best Quinoa Chili
- Instant Pot White Chicken Chili
Healthy Chili Recipe
Looking for the best healthy chili recipe?! This Veggie chili recipe is a dish you won’t want to miss. It’s packed-full of veggies but not short on flavor. This 5-Star recipe is a sure family hit for any weeknight!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Cook
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded + diced
- 1 large sweet potato, peeled + cubed
- 2 carrots, peeled + chopped
- 1 cup corn kernels (frozen, canned or fresh)
- 2 tbsp mild chili powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 x 15 oz can Black Beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 x 15 oz can Kidney Beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 x 28 oz can Diced tomatoes
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
Instructions
- Heat a large pot over medium-high heat and add olive oil and onion. Cook for 3-5 minutes or until translucent.
- Add in garlic cloves, bell pepper, sweet potato, carrots and corn kernels and cook for an additional 3 minutes.
- Top with chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano and salt and pepper and stir for 1 minute.
- Pour in black beans, kidney beans, diced tomatoes and vegetable broth. Bring mixture to a boil and then lower to a simmer, uncovered for 30 minutes.
- If chili is looking a little thick you can add in additional vegetable broth, simmering until desired consistency is reached.
- Divide into bowls and top with desired toppings.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days. See freezer instructions above.
Keywords: healthy chili recipe, veggie chili recipe, vegetarian chili recipe
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