Superfood Vegetarian Chili

Cozy up with a warm bowl of this hearty superfood vegetarian chili recipe. Chock full of vegetables and spices, you’ll surely enrich your health with a flood of healing nutrients. Perfect as a make-ahead one pot wonder that’s also freezer-friendly. Vegan and gluten free.

When I was university, I was quite sick; I suffered from chronic fatigue, body aches and pains, and severe inflammation – so much so that it would be a struggle to get out of bed and walk. It was quite depressing.

It was the culmination of things that I did, to help me get better. And one of those things was manipulating my diet and incorporating foods and nutrients with medicinal properties.

And this nourishing chili bowl is one such recipe that’s bursting with good-for-you ingredients and has been a family favourite for as long as I can remember. Loaded with superfoods, the flavours are bold, earthy and aromatic.

Simply delicious.

The Superfood Ingredient list for Vegetarian Chili that Packs a Nutritional Punch

Turmeric

A humble root, that’s definitely a leader in the superfood world. Turmeric has been valued for thousands of years in Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine. Curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, has only recently received attention from the scientific community for its anti-oxidant, anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties. The low bioavailability of curcumin is greatly enhanced with the addition of black pepper (piperine) in this recipe. Here’s another recipe you will love.

Ginger

This peppery superfood certainly has some high powered potential. Regarded to be a powerful anti-inflammatory, ginger has shown to provide relief from not only nausea and vomiting, but also as an effective and cheap treatment option for menstrual cramps and migraines. A word of caution: ginger may interfere with blood thinners and diabetes medications, so speak with your doctor.

Garlic

Regarded to be one of nature’s brightest bulbs, garlic (with the active compound allicin) has both antiviral and antibacterial properties, shown to help combat viruses and bacteria. Garlic is also rich in antioxidants, which work to combat free radicals to reduce inflammation.

Beans

Let me spill the beans on why this food is so deserving of the title, superfood. They’re nutritional powerhouses, packed with vitamins, minerals and nourishing nutrients to support good health and wellbeing. Fibre, found in beans has shown to help lower blood cholesterol levels and support digestive health. Not to mention, beans are so versatile, cheap and provide an incredible source of plant-based proteins.

Tomatoes

Whether you think it’s a fruit or vegetable, there’s no doubt tomatoes are a nutrient dense superfood we should all be eating more of. Vitamin C and other antioxidants, found in tomatoes may help to reduce the risk of certain cancers. Research in the area of prostate cancer is particularly promising.

Spinach

Popeye was definitely onto something before the superfood hype. Spinach is packed with powerful nutrients. One cup of raw spinach is an exceptional source of vitamins A and K. And, like other leafy greens, it also has folate, iron, fibre, magnesium, calcium and vitamin C.

To say this vegetarian chili recipe is LOADED, would be an understatement. Check out what other amazing ingredients (including a surprising one) make up this mouthwatering dish.

How to Make Vegetarian Chili – Step by Step

1. Prepare all your ingredients and set aside. Add onion, garlic, ginger to a large pot and fry until golden (photos 1 and 2)
2. Stir in carrots, celery, pepper, fennel and cook, stirring occasionally (photo 3). If the mixture begins to stick to the pot, add a small amount of stock.
3. Add turmeric, cumin, black pepper, red chillies and salt. Stir to coat the vegetables (photo 4).
4. Add tomatoes, stock, kidney and black beans, and stir well. Bring to simmer, cover and continue cooking, stirring occasionally and reducing the heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer. Add spinach, stir and cook for 5 minutes (photo 5).
5. For the best texture and flavour, transfer 2 cups of the cooked chili to a blender and blend until smooth. Pour the blended mixture back into the pot and stir (photo 6).
6. Finish with lemon juice and garnish with cilantro

Chili Toppings

Chili is hearty, delicious and super comforting, especially with additional topping. You can opt for some avocado, thinly sliced on top, sour cream (non-dairy varieties are available), cheese (vegan, if you prefer), sliced olives, diced tomatoes, crunchy lettuce or even some salsa. 

You can really top your vegetarian chili with whatever you like and make it your own, it’s fun to set up a chili bar and let everyone choose their own toppings!

Tip: finishing the chili with a squeeze of lemon before serving really brings out all the flavours and adds a delicious freshness so don’t skip that part. It will help to reduce the amount of added salt – even more.

How to Store Leftover Vegetarian Chili

This chili tastes even better the next day, as all the flavors really get a chance to develop. So if you make it in advance or just have leftovers the chili will keep well in the refrigerator for about 3-4 days and in the freezer for 1 month.

Tip: Why not make a double batch and store one in the freezer to make dinner time super easy and quick?

Top Tips for Making Vegetarian Chili

• Make sure to saute the vegetables until soft (around 10 minutes). This part adds a great depth of flavour to the chili so don’t be tempted to add the stock any sooner.
• If the vegetables start to stick to the bottom of the pan before they are soft add a tiny amount of stock to loosen.
• You can adjust the amount of heat by adding more or less chili.
• Add the spinach at the last minute as it doesn’t take long to cook at all.
• If you have any other vegetables that need using up, then feel free to add them to this recipe. It’s super versatile and a great way to use up leftover vegetables.
• Blending some of the chili will give a thicker and creamier consistency. You can follow this recommendations or blend to your own preference.
• If you don’t like coriander (cilantro) you could top the chili with fresh parsley.
• Store leftovers in the fridge or freezer.
• This chili can be prepped in advance and reheated, if tastes even better the next day.

More Healthy Dinner Recipes You Might Like:

• Slow Cooker Black Eyed Beans Curry (Lobia)
• Gluten Free Quinoa Vegetable Pilau
• Grilled Asparagus & Tomatoes with Fried Eggs
• Daal Makhani – Coconut Lentil Curry

If you try this recipe, would love to hear from you! Leave a comment, rate it, or share a photo and hashtag with #desiliciousrd on Instagram, Facebook and twitter!  Can’t wait to see your photos.

Superfood Vegetarian Chili

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe

Cozy up with a warm bowl of this hearty superfood vegetarian chili recipe. Chock full of vegetables and spices, you’ll surely enrich your health with a flood of healing nutrients. Perfect as a make-ahead one pot wonder that’s also freezer-friendly. Vegan and gluten free.

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time30 mins

Total Time50 mins

Course: Main

Servings: 4 people

Author: Shahzadi Devje

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 red onion finely chopped
• 5 cloves garlic crushed
• 2 inch ginger grated, 25 g
• 3 carrot finely chopped
• 3 stalks celery finely chopped
• 1 red bell pepper finely chopped
• 1/2 fennel bulb finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 red chili finely chopped (you can increase or reduce according to taste)
• 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
• 2 cups tomato diced, you could use canned
• 1.5 cups vegetable stock
• 2 cups cooked kidney beans
• 1 cup cooked black beans
• 2 cups spinach chopped

Garnish

• 4 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 cup coriander chopped

Instructions

• In a large pot, on medium heat, warm the olive oil
• Add the onion, garlic, ginger and fry until golden
• Stir in the carrots, celery, pepper, fennel and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the mixture begins to stick to the pot, add a small amount of stock.
• Add the turmeric, cumin, black pepper, red chillies and salt. Stir to coat the vegetables and cook for 2 minutes
• Add the tomatoes, stock, kidney and black beans, and stir well. Bring to simmer, cover and continue cooking, stirring occasionally and reducing the heat as necessary to maintain a gently simmer for 25 minutes.
• Add the spinach, stir and cook for 5 minutes
• For the best texture and flavour, transfer 2 cups of the cooked chili to a blender and blend until smooth. Pour the blended mixture back into the pot and stir.
• Finish with lemon juice and garnish with cilantro

Notes

• Make sure to saute the vegetables until soft (around 10 minutes) this part adds a great depth of flavour to the chili so don't be tempted to add the stock any sooner.
• If the vegetables start to stick to the bottom of the pan before they are soft add a tiny amount of stock to loosen.
• You can adjust the amount of heat by adding more or less chili.
• Add the spinach at the last minute as it doesn't take long to cook at all.
• If you have any other vegetables that need using up then feel free to add them to this recipe is very versatile and a great way to use up leftover veg.
• Blending some of the chili will give a thicker and creamier consistency you can follow my recommendations or blend to your own preference.
• If you don't like coriander (cilantro) you could top the chili with fresh parsley.
• Store leftovers in the fridge or freezer.
• This chili can be prepped in advance and reheated, if tastes even better the next day

Nutrition Facts

Superfood Vegetarian Chili

Amount Per Serving

Calories 600 Calories from Fat 99

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 11g 17%

Saturated Fat 1g 5%

Sodium 1155mg 48%

Potassium 4537mg 130%

Total Carbohydrates 102g 34%

Dietary Fiber 25g 100%

Sugars 14g

Protein 34g 68%

Vitamin A 292.8%

Vitamin C 525.2%

Calcium 90.6%

Iron 178.2%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.