Go Back
Print Recipe

Vegetarian Chili

Author: Lisa Le

Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 large onion diced
  • 3 cloves garlic peeled and minced
  • 2 cans diced tomatoes
  • 1 can black beans
  • 1 can red kidney beans
  • 1/2 cup pearl barley
  • 4-5 cremini and white mushrooms washed and quartered
  • 1 red bell pepper diced
  • 1 green bell pepper diced
  • 1 jalapeno pepper minced (keep the seeds if you like a little spice)
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1/5 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 2 tbsp flour
  • 2 tbsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp crushed chili flakes
  • 1 tsp salt this may depend on how you like the taste. I suggest tasting your chili before adding the appropriate amount of salt
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • To garnish:
  • Vegan Sour cream
  • Vegan cheddar shred
  • Cilantro chopped
  • Saltine crackers crushed
  • Other vegetables that taste great when substituted in this chili:
  • Zucchini
  • Carrots
  • Sweet potato cubed
  • Butternut squash cubed
  • Parsley chopped

Instructions

  • In a large pot over medium heat, cook onion, garlic and olive oil until onions are transparent and garlic is fragrant.
  • Add mushrooms and cook until softened.
  • Pour can of diced tomatoes into the pot and let simmer. Rinse and drain beans and add to pot.
  • Add red, green and jalapeno peppers and pearl barley, stir to incorporate.
  • In a separate bowl, mix together the spices: cumin, cinnamon, garlic powder, onion powder, flour, chili powder, chili flakes and pepper. Add to the pot and stir. Let cook for 3-5 minutes and give it a taste. Add salt to taste.
  • Lower the heat to 2 or 3 and let chili simmer for 30-45 minutes. You'll see all the vegetables cook and meld together and become some sort of uniform stew. The barley will need about 30 minutes to fully absorb the liquid. Stir occasionally to keep any of the ingredients from burning at the bottom.
  • Spoon out and enjoy! Chili gets better the next day because all the spices settle into everything. It makes things much more delicious.