Try this bold, spicy, gluten-free Vegetarian Chili the next time a chili craving hits. Loaded with great tasting vegetables and spices, it comes together quickly and is almost better the next day!

Vegetarian Chili

Here’s another one of those recipes I talk about in this blog from my Vancouver days. It was that time in my life where I became obsessed with eating all the things and cooking as often as I could.

When I moved to Calgary and met my meat eater and bell pepper hater husband (read between the lines: fussy), our chili nights became variations of meat chili.

I wasn’t deterred however, and still make this chili for myself, freezing it into single serving portions.

How I like to serve my chili

I try to make meals fun for the kids and teach them how to enjoy foods in different ways. There really is no end to my insanity when it comes to new ways to enjoy chili. Here’s a few ways I’ve served chili topped with favourite toppers!

Bread Bowl: Cut the top off a large bun, much like you would a sourdough round for spinach dip and hollow it a bit by pulling out some of the bread inside. Put a good scoop of chili in your new bread bowl!
Baked Potato Bowl: Bake a potato or sweet potato until cooked. Cut the top off and scoop out some of the cooked potato. Add a spoonful of chili and serve.
Waffle Chili: Make a batch of savoury cheese waffles and serve with a spoonful of chili on top.
Chili Taco: Add your chili to a hard taco shell just as you would taco filling.
Chili Nachos: In an oven proof bowl put a handful of tortilla chips. Add a scoop of chili and your favourite nacho toppings like cheese. Broil for a minute or two or until cheese has melted and serve.
Chili Bowl: Topped with sauteed mushrooms and no cheese making it completely vegan.
On top of oven roasted tator tots or home fries topped with a gooey queso cheese sauce!

PRO TIPS

Add in a can of fire roasted, spiced and diced tomatoes for an extra flavour boost.
Add in a small can of black beans or red kidney beans, cooked green beans or roasted red peppers.
Spice it up with red chili flakes, sliced red chili peppers, extra chili powder
Replace cilantro with parsley.
If you can’t find ancho chili powder, just up your regular chili powder amount.

Want more vegetarian meal ideas? Warm up with our Mulligatawny Soup, or spice up the kitchen with these Quinoa Stuffed Peppers with Red Chili. If you are really hungry try our Acorn Squash, Roasted Garlic and Kale Pasta or lighten things up this flavourful Chickpea and Artichoke Salad.

Talk about the Toppers

I’ve always added toppers to my chili, much to my husbands surprise when he met me 14 years ago! It takes a little extra work, but hey we have time to slice and dice while the chili simmers away. Here’s a few of my favourites:

Diced jalapenos, banana peppers or anything spicy.
Hot sauce.
Sour cream to off set the hot sauce!
Crumbled goat cheese.
Diced cucumber or bell peppers.
Your favourite grated cheese or cheese curds.
Fresh chopped herbs.
Fresh chopped onion or scallion.
Diced avocado.

Other Great Chili Recipes

Want a few more chili recipes?! We have them ready to go for you, here’s a few of our favourites!

Roasted Poblano Turkey Chili – a gluten-free option combing ground turkey, white kidney beans (cannellini beans) and roasted peppers.

Slow Cooker Beef Chili is your classic ground beef chili recipe made discussing a chili bar and some of our favourite chili toppers. Cooked low and slow it’s a flavour bomb!

Bacon Turkey Chili features bacon, ground turkey and is topped with a hard boiled egg and kale chips because why not?!

If you made this recipe tag Wanda Baker on Instagram and hashtag it #bakersbeans and please comment below!