Smoky Vegan Quinoa Chili Recipe

This smoky vegan quinoa chili recipe is packed with flavor from canned chipotle chiles, chipotle powder and fire roasted tomatoes. It’s super satisfying from the protein rich quinoa and beans! Make a big batch for meal prep!

The whole idea of vegan chili was always super appealing to me, as someone who likes to eat more meatless meals, and enjoys recipes that are meal prep friendly. But time and time again, I made recipes that turned out to be a total let down. Bland. Boring. Bleh.

I finally hit a winner with this smoky vegan quinoa chili recipe! The quinoa adds great texture the the chili, and the chipotle chiles and fire roasted tomatoes give it a delicious smokiness. As with all recipes that include chiles, this quinoa chili recipe tastes better the next day when the flavors get a chance to meld together.

Smoky Vegan Quinoa Chili Recipe Adaptions

This vegan quinoa chili recipe is also a great way to work in different seasonal vegetables. I used tomatoes and shredded zucchini, but also feel free to try kale, summer squash, or mushrooms.

There's no need to keep this quinoa chili vegan if you don't want to. I've made this recipe with turkey and chorizo, which was really tasty, and made the chili extra spicy! You can also make it with vegan chorizo, which is actually surprisingly good.

Smoky Vegan Quinoa Chili Toppings

I love to top my chili with tons of different toppings - I call it bling! This smoky vegan quinoa chili recipe is great topped with sliced avocado, lots of chopped fresh cilantro and scallions, diced red onion, sour cream (or Greek yogurt). You could also add shredded sharp cheddar, guacamole or crushed tortilla chips.

This smoky vegan quinoa chili recipe has been updated to give you the best content possible.

Smoky Vegan Quinoa Chili Recipe

Serves 6ish

Adapted from Mark Bittman's Food Matters Cookbook.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 red, yellow or orange bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2-3 canned chipotle chilies, chopped
• 1 ½ tablespoons chili powder
• 1 lb zucchini, shredded on the large grates of a cheese grater
• 2 14-ounce cans fire-roasted tomatoes, undrained
• 4-6 cups vegetable stock
• ¾ cup quinoa, rinsed
• 2 14-ounce cans kidney or pinto beans, drained
• Optional for serving: sliced avocado, sour cream, cilantro, scallions, chopped red onion, crumbled feta or cotija cheese or shredded cheddar

Instructions:

1. Heat olive oil in a large pot on medium-high heat. Add onion, peppers and garlic with a pinch of salt and sauté until tender, about 5-7 minutes.
2. Add tomato paste, chipotle chilies, and chili powder and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes.
3. Stir in zucchini, tomatoes and 4 cups of broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes until vegetables are cooked through. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
4. Stir in quinoa, cover and cook 15 minutes until quinoa is tender. Stir in beans and cook an additional 2-3 minutes until warmed through. Let sit for 5 minutes, season with salt and black pepper to taste, then serve chili garnished as desired