Roasted Vegetable Chili
Roasted vegetable chili broils bell peppers, zucchini, eggplant, mushrooms, and tomatoes for char-deep flavor, then simmers with cumin-spiced beans and vegetable juice. Vegetarian chili with serious depth.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
20 minREADY
30 minThe broiler is doing what hours of slow simmering can’t. Roasting the vegetables until their edges char gives this chili the smoky, caramelized flavor most vegetarian versions chase but rarely catch. Eggplant, zucchini, mushrooms, and tomatoes all pick up that bronzed exterior in just five minutes per side under high heat.
The blackened red bell pepper goes into a paper bag to steam. This is what makes the skin slip off cleanly with your fingers, and the flesh underneath turns silky, sweet, and intensely peppery. Skipping this step leaves you with bitter charred skin and a less interesting chili.
Cumin, coriander, red pepper flakes, and a pinch of oregano get bloomed in oil for ten seconds before the beans hit the pot. That brief toast wakes the spices up and makes them taste fresher than spices simmered straight from the jar.
Pro Tips
- Don’t crowd the broiler pan, vegetables steam instead of char when they touch each other.
- Use beefsteak tomatoes as called for, smaller tomatoes lose too much volume to the broiler.
- Let the broiled vegetables cool a few minutes before dicing, hot vegetables release moisture and turn mushy when handled.
- A splash of red wine vinegar or lime juice stirred in at the end brightens the whole pot.
Variations
- Add a chipotle pepper in adobo for a smoky-spicy variation that doubles down on the char.
- Swap white kidney beans for black beans for a darker, more traditional chili look.
- Stir in a cup of sweet corn at the end for textural contrast and a touch of sweetness.
Ingredients
Directions
Heat the broiler.
Place the pepper on a rack 4 inch under the broiler and cook until the skin blackens, about 4 minutes.
Turn and continue to cook, turning every 2 or 3 minutes until the pepper is charred all the way round.
Place the pepper in a loosely closed paper bag and set aside for at least 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, mix the oil with garlic salt and pepper.
Rub the sliced zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes and mushrooms lightly with half the oil and put under the broiler until browned and tender.
This will take about 5 minutes per side.
Remove the skin from the bell pepper with your fingers.
Take out the stems and seeds.
Cut the pepper, zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes and mushrooms into ½ inch dice.
Set aside.
In a saucepan, heat the remaining oil.
Add the onion and cook over medium high heat until soft, about 1 minute.
Add the cumin, coriander, chili powder and oregano.
Cook for another 10 seconds.
Add the beans, reserved roasted vegetables and vegetable cocktail juice and simmer for 10 minutes.
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