Best Ever Vegan Quinoa Chili
A mouthwatering blend of flavors in the best ever vegan quinoa chili – the perfect bowl of comfort and yumminess that you can enjoy guilt-free! Thanks so much Bob’s Red Mill for sponsoring this post.
A piping-hot bowl of chili is probably my favorite meal to enjoy during the winter months. There are so many variations and delicious ways to change it up. Plus, a chili meal is a great excuse to enjoy crumbly corn bread!
Recently, I hosted a large group of people with different eating restrictions and I needed to keep things gluten-free, dairy-free and plant-based to accommodate everyone. Bob’s Red Mill quinoa is the perfect whole grain superfood for adding plenty of protein, nutrition and heartiness without using any gluten or meat products. And I must say, even with some pretty great ingredients… sweet potatoes, I’m talking to you!… the quinoa steals the show. It adds such a fun texture, soaking up all the flavors and goodness of this chili.
This best ever vegan quinoa chili is also loaded with kidney beans, black beans, corn, sweet potatoes and just enough seasonings to give you a subtle kick in the pants. Plus, this batch will make enough to feed an army, so it’ll keep you and your family well fed for days! Love when there’s leftovers!
Oh and there’s also a secret ingredient that really sets this quinoa chili apart. In addition to all of the sultry spices and seasonings, the entire time the chili cooks on the stove, a stick of cinnamon is lettin’ out its flavor! If you don’t happen to have a stick of cinnamon and you’re craving this chili asap, go for it. But if you love cinnamon like I do, I would totally recommend the addition. It really adds a unique depth of flavor!
If you are new to quinoa, this is an excellent way to try it for the first time because it doesn’t require cooking ahead of time. Just throw everything into a large pot and your meal is ready in just over 30 minutes! This chili is warm and satisfying on a chilly day! I know you guys are going to devour this meal – it’s:
Savory
Slightly sweet
Cozy
Hearty
Healthy
& ready lickity split!
This recipe works well for freezing and reheating whenever you get that chili craving and/or when you’re feeling lazy and cold. I like garnishing mine with a squirt of lime juice, avocado, fresh cilantro and plenty of corn bread.
I hope you guys love this easy vegan quinoa chili! If you try it, let me know in the comments or take a picture and tag it #kimscravings on Instagram! I’d love to see. Enjoy!
- 1 medium yellow or white onion, diced ( + coconut or olive oil)
- 3 small or 2 large sweet potatoes, diced (about 1 pound)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt + more to taste
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons chili powder
- 3 teaspoons cumin
- 4 cups vegetable broth, low sodium, divided
- 1 cup quinoa, uncooked (you will not need to rinse if using Bob's Red Mill quinoa)
- 1 15-ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 1/2 cups corn kernels, frozen, canned or roasted
- 1 cinnamon stick
- lime juice, avocado, fresh cilantro, non-dairy sour cream and/or cheese, as preferred, and plenty of corn bread
- In a large pot over medium heat, sauté diced onion in about 2 teaspoons oil until translucent and soft. Add diced sweet potato and spices (all are optional). Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add 3 cups vegetable broth and bring mixture to a low boil on medium high heat, then lower heat to medium-low and simmer. Add quinoa, beans, corn and cinnamon stick; cover and cook for 30 minutes more and until the sweet potatoes are fork tender and the chili is thick. Once chili is done cooking, stir in additional cup of vegetable broth. Taste and add more seasonings as needed.
- As with all chili and soup recipes, this is best when prepared the night before or has time to sit before serving for a few hours so the flavors can really shine.
Remove cinnamon stick and serve with fresh cilantro, lime juice, avocado, chips, non-dairy sour cream and/or cheese, as preferred.
The quinoa will soak up the liquid of any leftover chili. Before reheating leftover chili, I would recommend adding more vegetable broth or water to thin the chili back out.
Did you make this recipe?
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Something to think about….
What’s your favorite type of chili? Have you tried adding quinoa to your chili? So yummy and satisfying!
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We love chili. We eat it all year! And this quinoa version looks fantastic. Definitely trying!
I’m a big chili lover too and the quinoa definitely added something special!
This made me totally hungry! Yum!
Haha! Hope you get a chance to cook some up!
Pulling off vegan chili is no easy feat, but this looks super-filling and hearty. I really like the addition of quinoa – great idea! Also your pics are beautiful!
Thanks so much, Bryon! Quinoa WAS a great idea! 🙂
Yum, this looks so good! My daughter is a vegetarian but the rest of my family is not. I sometimes struggle to find something the whole family will like. This looks like a great option for everyone!
Thanks, Emily! Hope you get a chance to give it a try!
I made this last night, and it was DELICIOUS! Thank you so much for this recipe, it is definitely a keeper.
Thanks so much for your comment!! I’m so glad you loved it as much as I do!!
Dear Kim, this looks absolutely delicious. I love vegetarian chili and the quinoa gives this the light, heartiness it needs. A perfect winter dish. xo, Catherine
Thanks, Catherine! Hope you get a chance to give it a try!
I love chili and am especially loving this way healthier version! Love quinoa and never thought to add it to chili! I need to make this!
I love all the textures and flavors you’ve got going on in this chili!
This looks gooooooooood! I’ve never put quinoa in my chili, but it is so healthy I’ve gotta try it!
This looks and sounds absolutely delicious. Pinned to use next week for dinner!
Made this and it was great. However I had to add the liquid much sooner than 5 minutes or it would have burned the potato/onion/spices sauté.
Could you mak this in a crockpot?
I definitely think that would work great. The only thing you might do ahead of time is step #1, cooking the sweet potato and onion. I think this would cook pretty quick in the crockpot maybe just 4 hours. Let us know how it goes!
What is your go-to vegan cornbread recipe?
I haven’t tried this recipe, as I usually use Trader Joe’s cornbread mix, but Minimalist Baker is my go-to for vegan recipes. https://minimalistbaker.com/perfect-vegan-cornbread/
If I don’t have a cinnamon stick, how much cinnamon powder do you suggest using?
You can just leave it out completely. Having the cinnamon stick cook in the chili just adds a little of the flavor, but I don’t feel like it will convert quite the same way with ground cinnamon. I would hate for you to add too much. You could always add a quick dash to each serving. Enjoy!
Sounds healthy, yummy and easy to make. Will definitely cook and enjoy it. Thanks for the recipe 😀
Thanks so much! Enjoy!
Made this tonight. If intending to eat the day of and instead of the next day, I would initially add a lot more seasoning (rather than at the end) as there are a lot of “absorbent” ingredients that benefit from the extra flavor. I also wish the toppings had been added to the ingredient list because I forgot them at the store! I was able to add veg cheese, sour cream and jalapeño which was nice in a pinch. Looking forward to making again with some extra flavor and CORNBREAD! Yum!
Is there a reason it doesn’t include tomato in some form?
All great tips and I will add topping suggestions to the recipe card. Glad you enjoyed!
So how would you transfer this recipe to a simple 4-quart crockpot? I am in college and have had a decent amount of cooking experience growing up but I really don’t want to mess this recipe up. I’ve made this recipe before but not in a crockpot and I added some canned tomatoes for a little bit more of the traditional chili taste. So how would that all transfer to a 4-quart crockpot?
Hi Marianne,
I would stir all ingredients together and cook on high for four hours. I really think everything will fit fine in the 4 quart slow cooker, but I haven’t tried this, so I’m not completely sure. Let us know how it goes!
My Family loved this. They are not quinoa fans, but they loved the flavor of this and did not even notice the quinoa. I think i cooked it a little too high and it needed more than an extra broth. I added a can of diced tomatoes and a can of water. Turned out great.
So awesome to hear! Thanks so much for taking time to comment!
YUM! super good. Came out more like a stew tho. But so good. I only had Cumin seeds tonused a teaspoon of that instead.
So glad you enjoyed and thanks so much for taking time to comment!
I’ve tried your recipe several times, I’ve never added the cinnamon stick but it is awesome without it. This has became my go to chili recipe. My family loves it even though they love meat. Thanks for sharing the goodness!!
Your comment just made my night!! Thanks so much for taking time to leave feedback!
This chili is wonderful. This is my go to chili recipe since I stopped eating meat. Even my meat loving family enjoys it. Thanks for sharing your Goodness. Yum❤️❤️
This recipe is excellent! So flavorful and healthy. I have made this several times and have used the crock pot and stove top. I cook and add the quinoa separately so the broth isn’t absorbed too quickly. I also like adding a can of fire roasted tomatoes. This is in the crock pot as I type. Can’t wait!!
Yay! That is SO awesome to hear! Thanks for the feedback on the quinoa – I love that idea!
Do you think this would freeze okay?
Definitely! You’ll probably just want to add more liquid to it after it thaws, water or veggie broth.