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Onto the chili recipe! I have been mostly plant-based most of my life.  Hubs has adopted a mostly plant-based diet just in the last few years, but he is all in.  He loves the way he feels when he eats mostly plant-based and I am noticing more and more of our friends are cutting back on animal protein and trying more whole, plant-based proteins.  I have many chili recipes both on my site and in my cookbooks and they’re all really different!  I have a new one for you that is absolutely outstanding! 

Why you’ll love this recipe

• it’s plant-based but savory and hearty;
• meat lovers will not miss the meat:
• low calorie, high-fiber meal:
• a crowd-pleaser and lends itself well to batch cooking, meal prep, and freezing:
• perfect for Halloween and game days!

Ingredients

The list looks long, but you probably have most of the ingredients and a few of them are spices!

• Mushrooms: are full of fiber and antioxidants and make a wonderful sub to meat-based dishes. I like using cremini, shiitake, and maitake, but you can use any kind you like. Since mushrooms are like sponges, I prefer to wipe them clean with a damp paper towel. 
• Onion: makes the base of most of my recipes. I prefer to use yellow onions in this recipe. 
• Garlic: I love using fresh garlic in soups. I have a garlic jar in my fridge that I peel myself. It helps recipe prep go by so much faster during the week. 
• Carrots: have a nice sweetness and make the base of most of my soups. You can also use a medium sweet potato instead. 
• Beans: are delicious in chili. I love using a combination of cooked black, pinto, and kidney beans.  
• Poblano peppers: are mild and super delicious when charred. I do this over a gas flame and char them until the skin blister. 
• Bell pepper: are not spicy at all and add a nice sweetness to this dish (if you use a sweet one). Charring the skins will enhance their flavor. You can char them over a gas flame or under the broiler for a few minutes. Otherwise use jarred roasted peppers. 
• Tomatoes: I like to use Jovial jarred diced or crushed tomatoes, but you can even use last of the season fresh tomatoes (blanche, skin and seed them.) 
• Tomato paste: my favorite is Bionaturae that comes in a glass jar. 
• Chili powder: is the key ingredients in chili. Chili powders are made from a combination of different peppers, so their flavor will vary from brand to brand. 
• Cumin: has an earthy flavor. So good in soups and chili. 
• Smoked paprika: is different than regular paprika, which is made from a dried bell pepper. The difference with smoked paprika is that the bell pepper has been smoked. 
• Soy sauce: adds a nice umami flavor, especially when paired with mushrooms. Look for a high quality soy sauce, such as shoyu, tamari (if you’re gluten-free) or coconut aminos (for a gluten-free and soy-free option).  

How to make it?

1. Preheat a large skillet (I used a 13-inch) over medium high heat. Add 3 Tablespoons of olive oil and mushrooms, saute mushrooms until they are golden brown (about 10-12 minutes) stirring occasionally. Set aside.
2. Preheat a large soup pot (I used a 5.5 quart) on medium high heat. Add remaining 2 Tablespoons of olive oil. Saute onions in olive oil for 10 minutes, until they are tender and translucent and starting to brown. Add in garlic, cook for 2 more minutes until fragrant. Add the rest of the ingredients and the reserved mushrooms. Bring to a boil and lower to a simmer. Partially cover and cook over low heat for at least 30 minutes, or up to an hour for richer flavor. Serve with desired accompaniments.

Tips

• Sauté the mushrooms in a large skillet before adding them to the soup pot. This step helps build flavor and get rid of the excess moisture in mushrooms. 
• Use a large enough pot. I use a 5.5 quart pot. 
• Use cooked beans, not dried.  
• Make sure your spices are fresh!  10-year-old spices are lacking flavor.
• If you want to make this in a slow cooker, I would sauté the mushrooms, onions and garlic in a pan before adding them to the slow cooker with the rest of the ingredients.  Cook on low for 4-5 hours.

Substitutions 

• Mushrooms – ground meat, lentils, more beans, crumbled seitan
• Carrots – one medium sweet potato
• Poblano peppers – use hatch chiles or green bell peppers
• Soy sauce – tamari (has soy, but it’s gluten-free) or coconut aminos (soy-free and gluten-free)

Other Healthy Chili Recipes You Might Like

• Vegetable Chili
• Slow Cooker Vegetarian Chili with Sweet Potato (stovetop version too)
• Deer Valley-style Turkey and Black Bean Chili 
• Chipotle Turkey Chili from Kitchen Matters
• Instant Pot White Bean and Chicken Chili from Quicker Than Quick

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Pamela Salzman (@pamelasalzman)

If you give this recipe a try, snap a pic and tag @pamelasalzman so I can see your beautiful creations. I also really appreciate readers taking the time to leave a rating and review! Subscribe for free to my site for the latest recipes,  updates and things I’m loving lately.  If you enjoy this recipe, I taught it last year in my online class!  Give me an hour a month, and I’ll make you a better, healthier cook!

Mushroom Veggie Chili

Pamela

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe

Servings 8

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 5 Tablespoons unrefined cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 18 ounces mushrooms use any kind you want, wiped clean with a damp paper towel, chop them fine or pulse in a food processor
• 1 onion diced
• 4 cloves garlic chopped
• 2 carrots diced or 1 medium sweet potato
• 3 cups cooked black beans pinto beans, and/or kidney beans, or 2 15-ounce cans, drained and rinsed
• 2 poblano/pasilla peppers charred, skins peeled, seeded and diced
• 1 bell pepper charred, skins peeled, seeded and diced, green or sweet bell pepper or jarred roasted red pepper
• 1 18- ounce jar diced or crushed tomatoes
• 2 Tablespoons tomato paste add more to make it sweeter
• 1 Tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 2 Tablespoons tamari shoyu (soy sauce) or coconut aminos
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 cup water or stock of your choice
• Serve with: something rich like avocado sour cream, Greek yogurt or cheese, tortilla chips or cornbread, and/or more heat like sliced jalapenos

Instructions

 

• Preheat a large skillet (I used a 13-inch) over medium high heat. Add 3 Tablespoons of olive oil and mushrooms, saute mushrooms until they are golden brown (about 10-12 minutes) stirring occasionally. Set aside.
• Preheat a large soup pot (I used a 5.5 quart) on medium high heat. Add remaining 2 Tablespoons of olive oil. Saute onions in olive oil for 10 minutes, until they are tender and translucent and starting to brown. Add in garlic, cook for 2 more minutes until fragrant. Add the rest of the ingredients and the reserved mushrooms. Bring to a boil and lower to a simmer. Partially cover and cook over low heat for at least 30 minutes, or up to an hour for richer flavor. Serve with desired accompaniments.

Notes

if you like the smoky and spicy flavor of chipotle, feel free to add chipotle in adobo to taste or chipotle powder. Cut back on the smoked paprika or it might get too smoky.

To roast peppers (poblanos and bell pepper): place peppers over a gas flame. Using tongs to hold the peppers one at a time, blacken the skins lightly (don’t char the living daylights out of the flesh.) Place the blackened peppers in a bowl and cover the bowl for a few minutes to help them soften. When cool enough to handle, peel the peppers (I like to use a paper towel), discard the seeds and coarsely chop. Do not rinse the peppers under water or you’ll rinse off the flavor.

To roast peppers in the oven: Preheat the broiler to HIGH and position a rack 6 inches below the heat source. This is usually the second level. Place the whole peppers on a baking sheet (do not line with parchment or it will burn) and broil until blistered and blackened on all sides, turning every couple of minutes. Set aside in a bowl and cover for at least 15 minutes, or until cool enough to handle. Remove the skin and seeds.

This recipe can be made in advance and transferred to a slow cooker on the warm setting to keep warm for a few hours.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!