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A white bowl with a slice of lime on the rim, filled with smoky chipotle vegetarian chili, sour cream, and topped with green onions.
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4.88 / 8 votes

Smoky Chipotle Vegetarian Chili

Smoky chipotle vegetarian chili is so satisfyingly tasty because it's full of peppers, tomatoes, zucchini, squash, and three kinds of beans. Add in some cheese, avocado, tortilla chips, and green onions and you're set.
Prep Time45 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 15 minutes
Course: Mains
Cuisine: American
Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 297

Equipment

  • Slow cooker (if following the slow cooker method)

Ingredients

For the chili

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 large sweet onions, chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 orange bell pepper, (if unavailable, double on red), chopped
  • 2 medium zucchini, diced
  • 1 yellow squash, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • Stems from 1 bunch of cilantro, (leaves reserved for garnish)
  • One (7-ounce) can mild green chiles
  • 2 or 3 canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
  • 2 cups vegetable stock
  • Three (15-ounce) cans diced fire-roasted tomatoes
  • Two (15-ounce) cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained
  • One (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • One (15-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 2 tablespoons ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • One (12-ounce) bottle dark Mexican beer, (Negra Modelo if you can find it)

For the garnishes

  • Leaves from 1 bunch cilantro
  • 8 ounces sour cream
  • 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
  • 2 limes, cut into thin wedges
  • 2 avocados, seeded, peeled, diced, and tossed with lime juice
US - Metric

Instructions

Make the chili

  • To make the Smoky Chipotle Vegetarian Chili in your slow cooker, see the Slow Cooker Variation below.
    To make the Smoky Chipotle Vegetarian Chili on the stovetop, heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and peppers and sauté until they’re beginning to caramelize, about 8 minutes.
  • Add the zucchini and yellow squash and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes.
  • In the meantime, combine the garlic cloves, cilantro stems, green chiles, and chipotle chiles in a small food processor and process until minced. Add 1/2 cup of the stock and pulse to combine or stir together in a bowl.
  • Add the chile mixture and the tomatoes to the pot and bring to a simmer. Add the beans, salt, chili powder, cumin, oregano, beer, and the remaining 1 1/2 cups stock. Simmer, uncovered, stirring frequently, until the chili thickens and the vegetables soften, about 30 minutes.

Serve the chili

  • Remove the pot of chili from the heat and plonk it on another burner, the countertop, or the table. Place each garnish in a bowl and call your guests. (The chili is best if made the night before and rewarmed gently over low heat. It can keep in the refrigerator for up to a week.)

Notes

Can I make vegetarian chili ahead of time?

Actually, this chili is best if made the night before. Simply reheat the next day and enjoy. It also keeps in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Nutrition

Serving: 1portion | Calories: 297kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 1042mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 10g