This Spicy Vegetarian Chili Stove Top is the type of recipe you want to work into your fall rotation. This chili warms you up and has a super protein punch from the mixture of red beans and great northern beans.

This meal is one will fill you up. It reminds me of the Frito pie I grew up eating during winter. Frito pie usually has meat in it and is a little bit thicker than this recipe. Joel didn’t seem to know what Frito Pie was, so maybe Frito Pie is a southern or South Texas thing. I would bet the Midwest has an equivalent. So let us know what it is in the comments!

Another perk to this meal is that it makes so many servings at a low cost. We can eat this for around 4 days. At a 1.67 a serving, this recipe will keep you warm and full without breaking the bank.

The Chili Pepper

You can use a variety of different chili peppers to enhance or even change the flavor of the chili. Many call this layering the flavors, so that pot of chili is something to behold. This spicy vegetarian chili recipe uses jalapeno’s and poblano chili’s to add a bit of a kick, that’s not too much. Here are some other chili’s to try:

Some Milder chili peppers include Anaheim, poblano, and ancho chili peppers.
Chipotle chili pepper – a bit more spicy, will add a sweeter, smokey flavor to the chili.
Serrano, cayenne, and Thai peppers will add a lot more spice to this chili, so be careful when adding these. You can remove the seeds to lessen the heat or saute them to remove some of the heat.
If you don’t have a lot of options for chili peppers near you, I recommend buying dried whole chili‘s, which can last for months in a dark, cool, dry cabinet. Allowing you to use them just when needed. I can usually find these at a local Mexican or Indian grocery store, which also helps to support your local community.
Also, for practicality, I keep a variety of ground chili powders to help add that special spice for each dish, as you will see with this recipe.

What kind of Beans are best for Chili?

I really like the mild flavor of great northern or navy beans, as they really just compliment the peppers, and other vegetables in this vegetarian chili dish. Both navy and great northern beans can be used pretty interchangeable, the main different is that great northern beans tend to by slightly larger. These 2 beans also go really well in a lighter chili, such as chicken or turkey chili.

Usually chili or red beans are used for some of the meatier chilis, that use a form of ground something or another. This type of bean is usually tougher, and really goes well with the tomatoes.

Serving up a good base for your Chili

While you may think of meat, or beans as your chili base, I prefer to think of the aromatics. These are the onions and garlic (roots), that cooked correctly can take your chili up to new heights. Using 1 to 2 tablespoons of butter, I’ll almost always saute both together until fragrant, followed by the peppers to soften them up. Note – add the garlic after a few minutes to avoid burning it, since it usually will cook pretty fast. Sauteing both before you add them to the pot of chili will enhance the flavors in your entire dish, as well as this will soften the harshness of both, especially if you are doing stove-top where you don’t have all day to soften your veggies.

Spicy Vegetarian Chili Stove top

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Try this quick and easy stove top, veggie chili. Adding in a mix of peppers and seasonings, giving this chili a delicious flavor profile, with a bit of a kick. Combining beans and tomatoes, makes this meal a hearty and filling treat, to enjoy all week long.

Author: Joel
Prep Time: 5 min.
Cook Time: 40 min.
Total Time: 45 min.
Yield: 8 servings 1x

Ingredients

Scale

2 jalapeno peppers (seeds removed and diced) ($0.40)
1 large yellow onion (diced) ($1.63)
1 poblano pepper (seeds removed and diced) ($1.59)
1 red bell pepper (diced) ($0.79)
4 cloves garlic (minced) ($0.20)
4 oz can green chilies (diced) ($1.00)
3 x 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes ($3.18)
15 oz can tomato sauce ($0.69)
15.5 oz can carrots (cut them up in the can using a knife) ($0.99)
15.5 oz can red beans ($0.89)
2 15.5 oz can great northern beans ($2.00)
1 c. water

Seasonings

2 bay leaves
2 tsp paprika
1 tbs cumin
1 tsp cayenne
1 tbs chili powder
salt to taste

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Instructions

In a large sauce pan, over medium heat, saute the onion and garlic in 1 tbs butter until cooked and fragrant (onions will be translucent).
Add in all 3 peppers and cook for another 5-8 minutes, until they begin to soften.
Add in all the canned goods (beans, green chili, tomatoes, carrots), along with the water.
Stir in the seasonings.
Bring to a boil, and reduce heat. Let simmer for about 20 – 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Serve immediately. Leftovers can be refrigerated for about 4-5 days, or frozen for up to a month.