The Best Quinoa Chili

2021-10-06

The perfect vegetarian meal all in one pot with the best vegetarian quinoa chili! This recipe tastes just like traditional chili but with quinoa instead of meat, plus a secret ingredient!

The perfect vegetarian meal all in one pot with the best vegetarian quinoa chili! This recipe tastes just like traditional chili but with quinoa instead of meat, plus a secret ingredient!

As more and more food blogs pop up, the industry is becoming increasingly saturated with recipes. Don’t get me wrong, I’m the first person to applaud there being open access to blogging and providing people who might otherwise not have a platform, a place for them to share their voice. However, it also means that you can get caught in the “innovation trap” instead of sharing what you really want to share.

If it’s all been done before, what’s the point in sharing another vegetarian quinoa chili recipe?

At the end of the day, every audience is different and every voice is different. Sure, it doesn’t exactly win the SEO game, but you know what beats SEO? Authenticity and being true to your passion rather than just trying to stand out and be different.

RELATED: Sweet Potato Turkey Chili

It’s something that I’m trying to keep in mind as I draft my content calendar and figure out exactly what I want to share with you guys. It’s become less about, “how do I stand out?” and more about “how can I be valuable and useful, while also remaining me in the process”.

Sometimes this means sharing things that have been done before, but always in my voice and in my way. It’s been a good learning lesson for me (one of many I’ve taken away from writing this blog) that being unique doesn’t always mean being different. But before I get all carried away in my bowl of chili reflections, I’ll leave you to make this recipe and decide for yourself.

Ingredients in Vegetarian Quinoa Chili

vegetables – onion, bell peppers
quinoa
canned products – tomatoes, black beans, kidney beans and green chili peppers
spices – chili powder, cumin, sea salt and pepper
maple syrup and dark chocolate – not a typo! The secret ingredient to a robust flavored chili. Sorry, it won’t make your soup taste like chocolate.

Tips for Making a Hearty Vegetarian Chili

If you have a meat eater/lover in your life, you know it can be hard to convince them to incorporate a plant based meal into their week. Instead of handing them a plate of vegetables and calling it a meal, make a comforting batch of this soup that will make them forget they’re missing meat.

Pack in the protein. We need protein to feel satisfied so make sure your vegetarian dishes have protein! The star of this chili is obviously the quinoa which is a complete protein (aka contains all nine essential amino acids) without the meat.

…But don’t overdo the quinoa. It seems like 1/2 cup of quinoa won’t be enough, but trust me it is. quinoa expands to 3x it’s size so be sure to follow the instructions on this one.

Flavor is key! How many times have you heard something along the lines of “but healthy food is so boring”?! NOT WITH THIS MEAL! Tons of flavor is packed into one bowl thanks to the vegetables and spices. And let’s not forget the maple syrup and chocolate!

Serve with sides. When in doubt, serve a soup with sides. I love serving this particular quinoa chili with tortilla chips and sliced avocado but it would also be delicious with a hearty bread or side salad.

The Best Vegetarian Quinoa Chili

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Yield: 8 servings 1x

Scale

Ingredients

1 large onion, chopped
2 bell peppers (any color), seeded and chopped
1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
1 28 oz can of diced tomatoes
2 15 oz cans of black beans, drained and rinsed
2 15 oz cans of kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 small can green chili peppers
2 cups of water or stock
3 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1–2 tsp sea salt (to taste)
black pepper, to taste
1 piece of dark chocolate
1 tbsp maple syrup

Instructions

In a large pot add onion and 1 tbsp olive oil
Cook on medium for 3-5 mins or until translucent
Add bell peppers and cook for 2 mins.
Add quinoa, tomatoes, beans, green chilies, water and spices.
Bring pot to a boil and then cover and lower to a simmer for 30 mins.
Remove lid and give it a good stir and cook for an additional 10 mins or until chili has thickened up and quinoa has absorbed liquid.
Add in dark chocolate and maple syrup and stir until melted and combined.
Serve warm with avocado, cheese, sour cream or toppings of choice.

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