30 Minute Meatless Chili Recipe

This easy, 30 Minute Meatless Chili Recipe is packed full of flavor! The chili is so thick, chunky and perfect for cold winter nights, you won’t even miss the meat. Plus it’s a perfect “pantry recipe” for those inevitable times you just didnt make it to the grocery store.

Meatless Monday Recipes

Do you ever participate in Meatless Monday dinners?

I’m not exactly sure where the idea of Meatless Monday originated from, but I quite often play along. Not necessarily because I believe in the idea of Meatless Monday, but more based on the fact that I just didn’t make it to the grocery store over the weekend and have no fresh produce or protein.

So our choice for dinner then becomes ether take-out or make dinner from whatever I can find in the pantry. Not making it to the grocery store is actually a frequent occurrence around here so I’ve managed to curate a very nice collection of pantry recipes.

One of our favorites is this Quick and Easy Meatless Chili Recipe.

Why Make this No Meat Chili?

This Meatless Chili Recipe is super easy to make on the stovetop, you only need only a few ingredients that most of us already have in the pantry.  I’ve made this chili multiple times and everybody devours it! The recipe is so thick and full of flavor, you won’t even miss the meat!

Is this Chili Recipe Vegan?

As written, this Bean Chili recipe is not vegan since I use chicken bouillon and chicken broth in the base. If you want to make a vegan version, just replace the chicken products with vegetable and you’ll have a Vegan Bean Chili!

Secret Ingredient for a Thick Chili

The secret ingredient to a thick chili is… (works for almost any chili recipe) Refried Beans!  Yep, this recipe includes a full can of yummy refried beans to thicken it up and to make a substantial no meat chili.

So If your chili recipe is looking a bit thin, a can (or even just half a can) of refried beans will go along way in thickening it up. This trick works practically in any recipe except maybe a low carb no bean chili.

Ingredients

Thinking about giving this recipe a try? Make sure to add these ingredients to your shopping list. (The full printable recipe card, with ingredient amounts can be found at the bottom of the post.)

• Olive oil
• Onion
• Garlic
• 1 15ish oz can of beans (Black or Pinto, or a combo of both. I’ve gotten to where I prefer pinto and it is the bean I used in today’s version)
• 1 15ish oz can of Refried beans (your fave brand)
• 1 14.5 oz can of tomato sauce
• 1 14.5 oz drained can of petite diced tomatoes 
• Broth (I always use chicken, but you could do veggie if you want to make this meatless chili vegan.)
• 1 tsp better than bullion (Love this stuff, but you could use any bullion. This additional bullion gives the soup and extra punch of flavor.)
• Powdered cumin
• Chili powder
• Cayenne pepper (optional)
• Salt and pepper to taste (l always start with a quarter tsp and taste at the end to see if the chili needs more.)

Instructions

1. Gather ingredients. (Full printable recipe card for the meatless chili can be found at the bottom of the post.)
2. Saute onions and garlic.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients to the pot:
4. Stir till combined and simmer for about 20 minutes.

Top with your favorite chili toppings. (We love cheese, sour cream and diced green onions!) And Enjoy!

Ways to Yum-up this Recipe Even More

• Add 1/2 cup corn
• Can of diced green chilis
• Diced jalapenos – only if you like you chili spicy!
• Extra better than bullion – give a richer flavor – just watch the extra salt, you may not need it
• Diced red bell peppers (adds sweetness)
• Chipotles gives the chili a touch of smokiness. (use half a can)

How Long Will this Chili Last in the Fridge?

Stored in an airtight container in the fridge, this chili will last up to 4 days. It does separate a bit when being stored in the fridge, just stir it up again and reheat over the stove (medium heat) or in the microwave.

Can You Freeze this Chili?

Yes, this meatless chili freezes beautifully. Personally, I love to store the leftovers in individual sized reusable freezer safe containers for easy meal prep and reheat-ability.

Just allow the soup to fully cool, add to your container and freeze. When you are ready to eat your leftover chili, you can pull a single container from the freezer the night before and it will be almost thawed by lunch time the next day. Then you can do a quick reheat in the microwave.

Please let me know how this Bean Chili Recipe turns out for you, I love hearing from readers!

Other Quick Dinner Recipes to Try:

• 20 Minute Cheesy Penne with Meatballs Recipe
• 20 Minute White Bean Chicken Chili Recipe
• One Pot Meatball Stroganoff Recipe
• Quick and Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup
• 25 Minute Spaghetti Carbonara Recipe
• One Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs (coming soon)

 

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