Wholesome Vegetarian Chili
Submitted by fallgirl81
Vegetarian chili with bulgur wheat, kidney beans, chickpeas, and a hearty veggie base. Vegan, protein-packed, and meatier in texture than most plant-based chilis.
YIELD
16 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
1 hrsREADY
1½ hrsWholesome vegetarian chili that holds its own next to any meat version. The secret weapon is bulgur wheat, soaked in hot tomato juice before going into the pot. The bulgur swells into nutty, chewy bits that mimic the texture of ground beef in a chili, so even committed carnivores stop missing the meat.
The base is built like a proper braise. Onion sweated down first, then celery, carrots, mashed tomatoes, lemon juice, and a generous hand of chili powder, cumin, oregano, and basil. Green bell pepper goes in later so it keeps a little crunch. Once the kidney beans, chickpeas, and soaked bulgur join the party, a half-hour simmer pulls everything together into a thick, complex bowl.
The lemon juice in the base is the unsung hero. It brightens the whole pot and keeps the tomato from going dull.
Kitchen Tips
- Pour the boiling tomato juice over the bulgur and walk away for the full 15 minutes. Rushed bulgur stays gritty.
- Bloom the spices in the oil with the onion. Chili powder needs heat and fat to release its full character.
- Stir occasionally during the long simmer. Bulgur drinks up liquid and will scorch on the pan bottom if neglected.
- This is a big batch. Cool in shallow pans, then freeze in single-meal portions for instant weeknight dinners.
- Like all chilis, this tastes deeper the next day.
Variations
- Smoky: add 2 chipotles in adobo or a teaspoon of smoked paprika with the chili powder.
- Quinoa swap: replace the bulgur with cooked quinoa for a gluten-free version.
- Sweet potato: dice and stir in 2 medium sweet potatoes with the carrots for extra body and sweetness.
Ingredients
Directions
Place 1 cup tomato juice in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove from heat immediately and add bulgur wheat. Cover and let stand for 15 minutes.
Heat safflower oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add onion, cook until translucent. Add celery, carrots, tomatoes, lemon jice, and spices. Cook until vegetables are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes.
Add diced green pepper and cook another ten minutes. Add kidney beans, garbanzo beans, bulgur wheat mixture and rest of tomato juice. Stir thoroughly and simmer for 30 minutes over low heat.
If too thick, add water as needed and stir occasionally so the bulgur doesn’t stick.
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