The BEST Bean-Free Vegan Chilli… taking one of my favourite winter recipes but making it higher in protein and bean-free! I’m going to be honest. I really don’t like kidney beans that much. They’re pretty much the worst part of chilli in my opinion, and the reason I shy away from ordering chilli anywhere. I do, however, love red lentils because they’re small and basically undetectable in this recipe! This chilli has vegan meat (I use Beyond brand but use your fav) and red lentils to give each 1-cup serving 14g of protein!
This chilli is a little spicy, due to the chipotle powder, but you can either tone it down or amp it up by adding more or less of it. It really is just the most comforting, hearty, smoky meal. I ate it all last week and I love that it keeps me full from lunch right up until dinner. No upset tummy, no energy crashes and no 3 pm snack attack! So its great for busy days when you don’t have time to take breaks for snacks, or need some extra fuel to get you through!
This chilli keeps well, freezes well and is perfect for meal prep! I hope you love it as much as I do and if you make it, be sure to leave a rating and review below! And, if you’re looking for some topping suggestions (because everyone knows the toppings MAKE it), I put some ideas below.
Topping suggestions:
- chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
- chopped green onion
- diced avocado
- shredded vegan cheese
- freshly ground black pepper
The BEST Bean-Free Vegan Chilli
- Total Time: 45 mins
- Yield: 8 servings (8 cups total)
Description
Comforting, hearty, smoky, vegan bean-free chilli!
Ingredients
- 1 vegan sausage (I use Beyond Meat)
- 2 vegan burger patties (I use Beyond Meat)
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1/2 onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 carrots, chopped
- 28 oz (796 mL) no salt added diced tomatoes
- 1 cup dry red lentils
- 4 cups low sodium vegetable broth
- 2 tbsp chilli powder
- 1 tsp chipotle chilli powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- In a large pot on low-medium heat, add the vegan sausage and beef and cook about 5 minutes, crumbling it as it browns. If you is pre-cooked, simply add to the pot and proceed to step 2.
- Add oil, onion, garlic, and carrot and cook a few minutes until onion becomes translucent and carrots soften slightly.
- Add the tomatoes, lentils, broth, chilli powder, chipotle, cumin, smoked paprika and salt and stir to combine.
- Bring to a low simmer and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes until lentils are tender. Uncover and simmer a few more minutes until thickened.
- Serve immediately, or allow to cool completely and store in airtight containers up to 5 days or freeze up to 3 months.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 35 mins
