Vegetarian Chili Recipe
Updated May 02, 2025
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My favorite thing about Vegetarian Chili with Quinoa is how full of flavorful it is. This recipe is vegetarian friendly and can be made vegan by using plant-based shredded cheese and sour cream instead of regular.
If you are looking for a hearty and filling chili with a wild amount of flavor-this Vegetarian Chili is just the thing. This chili is so good that even meat lovers will think it is delicious.
Vegetarian Chili with Quinoa
This vegan chili is packed with quinoa and beans making it a great source of protein even though there is no meat in the recipe. This chili is incredibly filling and no one will miss the meat! I like to serve this yummy chili with cornbread and a side salad to really complete the meal.
If you think this spicy and flavorful chili is good just wait until you try the leftovers. The flavors marinate together after time and become oh so tasty. This chili lasts up to a week and also freezes really well too.
Even though this chili is vegetarian, it can also be non-vegetarian and has been tested several times by my husband with the added ingredients of a pound of ground beef, garlic powder and salt and pepper to taste.
Ingredients
- Vegetable broth
- Uncooked quinoa
- Onion
- Garlic
- Spices: chili powder, cumin, paprika, cayenne
- Tomato sauce
- Diced or fire-roasted tomatoes
- Kidney beans
Recipe Instructions
- Cook the quinoa in 1 cup vegetable broth in a medium sauce pan.
- While the quinoa is cooking, add the oil to a large stock pot over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add the spices in with the onion and garlic and stir until all vegetables are covered in the spices and the spices start to smell good.
- Add in the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, remaining 1 cup of vegetable broth, and the kidney beans, stir to combine and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and then simmer for 15-20 minutes.
- Stir the cooked quinoa into the large pot, then serve and add optional toppings to taste.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! It’s not as hot and spicy as some Indian or Mexican foods, but for being an American dish, it has a little zip! Just leave out the cayenne if you don’t want the heat.
The base of this chili recipe is kidney beans, tomato sauce, veggie broth, quinoa and spices.
If you have an immersion blender you can gently blend portions of the chili to get it a bit thicker and blended more. It will also be thicker the day after you make it as the quinoa will absorb more of the liquid.
It will last about 5-7 days in the fridge and can be reheated in the microwave, or if you prefer to avoid the microwave, it can be reheated in a pot on medium heat until warm.
You can use it as a dip for tortilla chips in the place of salsa, use it as a burrito or quesadilla filling, or use it to stuff peppers, top potatoes, and more!
More Recipes
- Quick and Easy Chili Recipe
- Instant Pot Vegetarian Chili
- White Bean Chicken Chili
- Creamy Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili
- Healthy Lentil Chili
If you’ve tried this Vegetarian Chili or any other recipe on Bless this Mess, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some pictures of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories.
Vegetarian Chili with Quinoa is my new favorite vegetarian meal. It is easy to make, packed with protein and will incite a dance party for your tastebuds. Yum!
Vegetarian Chili Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups vegetable broth, divided
- 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed (see notes)
- 1 tablespoon light oil, such as avocado, vegetable or olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika, smoked paprika preferred
- 1 teaspoon cayenne
- 1 can tomato sauce, (15 ounces)
- 1 can petite diced or fire-roasted tomatoes, (15 ounces), don't drain the juice
- 2 cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained (15 ounces each)
Optional Toppings
- Shredded cheese
- Diced green onion
- Sour cream
- Tortilla chips
- Avocado
Instructions
- Cook the quinoa in 1 cup vegetable broth in a medium sauce pan (place quinoa and vegetable broth in the pot, bring to boil, cover and then reduce heat to simmer until quinoa absorbs all of the vegetable broth, about 15-20 minutes).
- While the quinoa is cooking, add the oil to a large stock pot over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add the spices (chili powder, cumin, paprika, cayenne) in with the onion and garlic and stir until all vegetables are covered in the spices and the spices start to smell good.
- Add in the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, remaining 1 cup of vegetable broth, and the kidney beans, stir to combine and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and then simmer for 15-20 minutes.
- Stir the cooked quinoa into the large pot, then serve and add optional toppings to taste.
Notes
- This recipe will last about 5 or so days in the fridge, but please note the liquid will become absorbed by the quinoa and it will be very thick. Feel free to add a little water or broth when you are reheating it. The really thick chili is great on baked potatoes.
- Some quinoa is already rinsed and ready to cook, just read the package and see what yours says about needing to be rinsed or not.
- You can swap out the kidney beans for any other cooked beans that you like or have on hand, it’s very flexible.
- The nutrition information doesn’t’ reflect any additional toppings.
This vegetarian chili recipe is the BEST! My husband asks me to make it for him all the time!