Filling, antioxidant-rich, and easy-to-make, our five-ingredient vegetarian chili recipe combines bold flavors and basic ingredients for the perfect plant-based meal.

This vegetarian chili recipe combines all the things I really like about chili – it's hearty, comforting, and super tasty. And since it only requires five basic ingredients, it is also convenient and easy to create any time you’re craving this savory, cold-weather favorite.

Why You'll Love This Fast and simple Chili

It's just 5 basic ingredients. Most of the flavor for the chili recipe develops from a jar of salsa and your chili powder of choice. Flavored salsas are an easy way to include a little zing. Plus, quality salsas tend to include ingredients like onion, garlic, peppers, tomatoes, and different seasonings which will elevate the taste of your chili.

Cooks all in one pot. We're literally dumping everything into a pot to simmer and when it's done cooking, lightly mashing the beans to thicken.

A hearty and nutritious meal. The components within this recipe provide plenty of savory flavor, but they also add a lot of hearty nutrition, too. Red kidney beans are a good source of plant-based protein and therefore are full of antioxidants.

Just As Powerful As Blueberries

I love beans because they’re cheap and nutrient-dense. We quite often don't give beans enough credit when it comes to their nutritional value because we associate lots of antioxidant power with vegetables and fruit. However, beans are among the top 5 foods with the most antioxidants. One study even found that the antioxidant concentration in varieties like red kidney beans is higher than those found in wild or cultivated blueberries! Antioxidants are known to have a handful of health benefits, including cutting your risk of heart disease and certain cancers.

5-Ingredient Vegetarian Chili (Serves 4-6)

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp avocado oil
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 1/2 cup button mushrooms, finely diced
• 1, 16 oz jar salsa
• 1 tbsp ancho chili powder
• 2, 15 oz cans of red kidney beans
• 1 cup water
• Salt and pepper to taste

*Most individuals have some type of oil, water, and salt and pepper at home, so we aren't counting these within the base ingredients.

Instructions

1. Place a large saucepan over medium heat and warm up your oil. Add in onions and diced mushrooms and sauté them with a pinch of salt until the onions have become translucent and also the mushrooms have released their moisture.
2. Add in the chili powder and then stir and sauté for two minutes. Then pour inside your salsa and stir to mix.
3. Pour in the kidney beans and also the water and bring to some boil. Reduce heat to maintain a low simmer and cook for about 15 minutes.
4. Take your cooking spoon and lightly mash a small area of the beans to help thicken the chili. Remove in the stovetop.
5. Adjust seasoning to preference, adding more salt and pepper while you prefer.
6. Enjoy!

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