Quick Black Bean Chili Recipe | Elizabeth Rider (2024)

This vegetarian chili recipe is a serious crowd-pleaser.

It’s perfect for any gathering, especially tailgates and football parties.

It’s also a perfect make-ahead meal because it freezes so well. Warm up with it on a cold Fall or Winter day.

Black beans might just be the most underrated superfood out there. They’re packed with protein (1 cup has 14 grams!), fiber & good carbs. They’re also loaded withvitamins, minerals and other plant nutrients, like anthocyanins, the same powerful antioxidant compounds found in blueberries and grapes.

Even better, they’re one of the most inexpensivesuperfoodsavailable. I consider them a staple for any healthy pantry.

Spicy Black Bean Vegetarian Chili Recipe

Prep Time: 15 min
Total Time: 45 min
Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 white or yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, shredded (a box grated works perfect)
• 2-3 cloves garlic, pressed or finely chopped
• 2 red bell peppers, seeded and medium chopped
• 3 (14-ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed well
• 2 (14-ounce) cans diced tomatoes (or 4 vine ripe tomatoes, chopped)
• 1 (14-ounce) can tomato sauce
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes or 1 small jalapeno, chopped (omit for a mild chili)
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 1/2 tablespoon chili powder of your choice
• 2 cups veggie stock (or filtered water)
• 2-3 teaspoons sea salt (more or less to taste)
• a few spins of freshly ground black pepper

Recipe:

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the chili flakes, onion, carrot and 1 tsp salt, sauté until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the jalapeno, cumin, paprika, chili powder and garlic, and sauté 2-3 minutes until very fragrant. Add the 2 cans of diced tomatoes, with the liquid to deglaze the bottom of the pan. Stir the bottom of the pot well to pick up all of the spices. Add the beans, bell pepper, tomato sauce, water, salt and pepper. Stir well and let cook for at least 1/2 hour to allow the flavors to combine. You can leave it on the stove on the lowest setting all afternoon to let people help themselves as needed.

This chili can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight glass container for up to 3 days. It also freezes well.

Garnishes:

• Avocado (our favorite!)
• Fresh cilantro
• Organic tortilla chips
• Lite sour cream or plain greek yogurt

Cook’s note:

I used cans here for convenience. Since there are some concerns about BPA levels in cans, drain and rinse the beans well before using. Rinsing them well also helpsalleviate any digestive discomfort or gas you might experience from beans.You can also prepare you beans from scratch, or look for beans and tomato products in boxes or glass jars if available at your market. While there is a small concern about BPA in cans, that concern is outweighed by the health benefits of both beans and tomatoes, so using cans here is still a great healthy (and economical) option that you can feel good about.

Print