Veggie Loaded Chili Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Can I add vegetables to my chili? ›

Yes, please! Plus, adding veggies to a dish like chili can help introduce kids to new vegetables by using a food they already know and love.

Elevate your chili recipe by adding an extra layer of flavor. Cocoa powder, bacon, cinnamon, ground coffee and tomato paste will all add a rich sweet & salty flavors that are sure to surprise and delight.

Raw meat and pot of chili are two things that just don't belong together. If the recipe includes any type of ground meat, bacon, chorizo, or cubes of beef, it should always be browned first. Try this: The first order of business before adding anything else to the pot is to brown any meat in your recipe.

Delicious ways to serve vegetarian chili

Amazing toppings: I love topping this easy vegetarian chili with tortilla chips, a squeeze of lime juice, shredded cheese, avocado, cilantro and a dollop of sour cream or greek yogurt.

Add some orange juice concentrate and some raisins when you puree, it'll boost chili flavor. Add marmite, anchovies, and/or soy sauce to that base as well to boost savoriness. Finish the pot with some fish sauce (more savoriness) as well as some booze, to help aromatic compounds vaporize better.

Gordon Ramsay's recipe for chili con carne includes onion, a red chili pepper, fresh tomatoes, and kidney beans. Ramsay's chili recipe is lengthy — it includes everything from ground cumin and sweet paprika to a cinnamon stick, ground beef or beef mince, and garlic.

If you want more of a smoky flavor, add cumin, Spanish paprika, ancho chili powder, or a combination. If you are looking for more heat, add cayenne, crushed red pepper, or Hungarian paprika. If it's too spicy add a little brown sugar and some sweet paprika.

Sometimes after a long simmer, your chili will taste wonderful be maybe missing one little thing you can't figure out. Try a tad bit of vinegar or a squeeze of lime! The acidity in vinegar & limes bring a good roundness to the pot and binds all the flavors together.

Chili cooks low and slow, so you need enough liquid to tenderize the meat and keep everything from drying out. That liquid should also add flavor to the chili, so use chicken, beef, or vegetable stock, or beer.

Sweet onions are great for caramelizing due to their higher sugar content. You can cook them into your chili, serve them raw over top, or even elevate your chili with a sophisticated caramelized onion topping! Some of my favorite sweet onions are Walla, Walla, Maui, and Vidalia Onions.

Should you put raw or sauteed onions in chili? ›

Like meat, vegetables and aromatics should be sauteed before being added to the chili mixture. This brings out the flavor, making for a more balanced finished dish. Onions should be sauteed until translucent; garlic should be sauteed until lightly browned and toasty-looking.

With only about 1 tablespoon per pot added toward the end of the cooking process, the vinegar will make the flavors more vibrant without overwhelming the dish with its biting tang. Through just a splash, everything becomes a little brighter, and the chili's flavors are more balanced.

Vegetarian Chili that's “meaty” and satisfying – without all the meat! A hearty mixture of walnuts, mushrooms, and carrots as your base, with big flavors of onion, garlic, green chiles and spices.

Cooking chili low and slow is the way to go

Although the internet abounds with recipes for quick-cooking chilis that take as little as 20 minutes (via MyRecipes), this stewed dish truly benefits from a longer cook time that will gently coax all the flavors out of the meat, legumes, vegetables, and spices in the recipe.

Carrots, celery, red pepper, corn, zucchini…they all work! I usually add smoked paprika too. I would roast some poblanos, chop them up and add those, then soak some dried ancho and pasilla peppers in hot water, blend them, and add that as well. Smoked paprika too, if you have it.

Combine tomatoes, onion, celery, carrot, tomato paste, steak sauce, bell peppers, wine, and red pepper flakes in a large pot. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat.

How to choose the right tomato: For a slow-cooked Bolognese sauce, choose whole peeled tomatoes. The long cooking time will slowly thicken the tomato sauce and break down the pieces. If you are making chili that will cook for 30 to 40 minutes, diced tomatoes will work best.