Go Back
Smoky Vegetarian Chili with Pinto Beans and Corn- 780 | Umami Girl-2
Print Recipe
4.48 from 23 votes

Vegan Chili with Pinto Beans and Corn

A quick, easy and satisfying dinner that's also great for a small crowd or to take for lunch as leftovers. It's gluten-free, if you're into that sort of thing, and vegan if you don't top it with cheese and sour cream. Great with cornbread muffins.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Stews
Cuisine: American
Keyword: vegan chili, vegan chili recipe, vegetarian chili, veggie chili
Calories: 487kcal
Author: Carolyn Gratzer Cope

Ingredients

For the chili

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion diced small
  • 1 green bell pepper diced small
  • 1 large carrot diced small
  • 2 medium ribs celery diced small
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 6 garlic cloves chopped
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
  • 2 cups good vegetable broth
  • 26 ounces chopped tomatoes
  • 4 15.5- ounce cans pinto beans rinsed and drained
  • 10 ounces frozen corn kernels
  • ½ cup chopped cilantro
  • Juice of ½ lime

To serve

  • Shredded sharp cheddar or jack cheese optional
  • Sliced avocado
  • Minced red onion
  • Sour cream regular or vegan, optional

Instructions

  • In a 5 ½-quart Dutch oven or similar heavy pot, warm the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, green pepper, carrot, celery and 1 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring only occasionally, until vegetables are beginning to be tender and browned, about 10 minutes.
  • Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for one minute.
  • Add tomato paste, chili powder, cumin and paprika and cook, stirring, one minute more.
  • Stir in broth and tomatoes (with all their juices). Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer for 5 minutes. Sauce should be nice and thick.
  • Add beans and corn (straight from frozen is fine) and simmer until warmed through.
  • Off the heat, stir in cilantro and lime juice. Serve with shredded cheese, avocado, red onion and sour cream if you like.

Notes

  1. Chili powder means the American spice blend, not pure ground chilis.
  2. Make this recipe up to 24 hours in advance.
  3. Keep leftovers tightly sealed in the fridge for up to a week.
  4. You can, of course, use beans cooked from scratch if you prefer. The four cans of beans called for in the recipe equal about seven cups cooked beans (from about two heaping cups dried).

Nutrition

Calories: 487kcal | Carbohydrates: 83.7g | Protein: 24.4g | Fat: 9.1g | Fiber: 24.6g