Easy Vegan Chili, super yumilicious!!
Put sweet potato and vegan chili together, add a hefty dose of yumilicious, and I’ll be your bestie for ever!! 🥄😋 (Add some fluffy, tender sweet cornbread, and I’m only kinda, sorta kidding about the easy vegan chili bribe 😂)
I LOVE homemade chili and cornbread (as if you couldn’t already tell), and the first hint of crispness to the air has me craving them big time.
Ok, a little confession here, but I adore chili year round. My Slow Cooker White Chili is perfect in the hotter summer months, because it’s lighter but still has that kapow yumminess!
This easy vegan chili keeps my taste buds hopping though, because it is always a different flavor sensation. Sometimes I’ll add a variety of beans or add-ins. I love the umami flavor of minced mushroom, and mushrooms add a meatier texture too. My husband really doesn’t really like them, but he loves them in this chili.
The great thing about this recipe is you can customize it to your own taste. This time I added sweet potato, corn, and vegan meat crumbles and let it simmer in my slow cooker all day. Oh it is sooo good to come home and have this aroma greet you when you walk in the door! The cornbread has a touch of sweetness from the maple syrup and tastes so good with the chili. I’ll have to write down the recipe for that and share it in another post.
Let me know if you share my Easy Vegan Chili Instagram Post by tagging me @simpleplantbasedlife
This may sound kind of strange, but my pumpkin cider donuts have an option to make them into cornmeal donuts. They taste fantastic with the chili, and you can see what I mean in the white chili post I linked above.
I hope you enjoy this as much as my family does!
P.S. I have a new chili recipe- Chunky Espresso Chili. It is delish!
Easy Homemade Vegan Chili
Print RecipeIngredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, cubed (optional)
- 1 large sweet onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes or 3 cups homemade
- 1 to 3+ tablespoons chili powder*
- 1 to 3 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 to 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- couple pinches of hot chili pepper powder, optional
- 1 (14 oz) can black beans, drained or (1 1/2 cups cooked)
- 1 (14 oz) can kidney beans drained or (1 1/2 cups cooked)
Instructions
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the sweet potatoes (if using) onions and bell peppers and cook, stirring occasionally for 7 to 10 minutes until onions are tender. Add in the garlic and continue cooking for about a minute more, or until fragrant.
Slow Cooker: Add the tomato sauce, and then stir in 1 tablespoon of chili powder. Taste and add in more as needed. Stir in the cumin, salt (my homemade tomato sauce and beans contain no sodium, so I add more), oregano, smoked paprika, and a couple pinches of hot chili pepper powder if using.
Taste and add more seasonings if needed. Everyone has different tastes, so the measurements given are just a guideline. Stir in the beans, and then scoop the chili into the slow cooker. Turn it to medium heat and cook for 4-6 hours, or until the sweet potato is tender. Taste again before serving and adjust seasonings if needed.
Stop Top: Add the tomato sauce, and then stir in 1 tablespoon of chili powder. Taste and add in more as needed. Stir in the cumin, salt (my homemade tomato sauce and beans contain no sodium, so I add more), oregano, smoked paprika, and a couple pinches of hot chili pepper powder if using.
Taste and add more seasonings if needed. Everyone has different tastes, so the measurements given are just a guideline. Stir in the beans and lower heat to low. Simmer at least 30 minutes so the chili has time to mellow and the flavors mingle. Stir occasionally and taste to make any adjustments to the seasonings.
Scoop into bowls and top with non dairy shredded cheese, sour cream, chopped onions, avocado, or cilantro if you like. The chili also tastes great served over rice or spaghetti, along with a large slice of corn bread.
Notes
*If you use a milder chili powder, then add 3+ tablespoons. If you use ground chipotle chili powder though, then start with 1/2 to 1 tablespoon and add more as you like. It's always best to take a tiny taste of the chili powder first to see how potent it is.
You can change up the beans or omit them. Add in corn or anything else you like. If you use vegan ground "beef" or minced mushrooms add them in after you've cooked the veggies in the skillet and before adding in the garlic. Mushrooms will only take about 3 minutes to cook. Cook the meat according to the manufacturer's instructions.
