Vegetarian White Chili
Dig into a hearty bowl of vegetarian white chili that features tender white beans swirled in a rich tomatoey base.
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 119kcal
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion , chopped
- 1 large red bell pepper , chopped
- 2 medium carrots chopped
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt , divided
- 4 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 teaspoon chili powder , or to taste
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika , or use regular paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 28 ounces diced or crushed tomatoes (if using diced tomatoes, use their juices)
- 2 15-ounce cans white beans , rinsed and drained
- 1 15-ounce can pinto beans , rinsed and drained
- 2 cups water
- 1 lime , juiced, plus more for serving
Instructions
- In a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat (I used a Dutch oven), warm the 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil. Add the chopped 1 medium onion, 1 large red bell pepper, and 2 medium carrots, plus ¼ teaspoon of the ½ teaspoon fine sea salt. Stir to combine and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and the onion is translucent, about 7 to 10 minutes.
- Add the 4 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 2 teaspoons ground cumin, 1 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika, and 1 teaspoon dried oregano. Stir constantly so that the vegetables don't burn for about 1 minute.
- Add the 28 ounces diced or crushed tomatoes, the drained 2 15-ounce cans white beans and 1 15-ounce can pinto beans, and 2 cups water. Stir to combine and let the mixture come to a simmer. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally and reducing heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer, for 30 minutes.
- If you wish, remove about 1 ½ cups of the chili and, using a blender or hand blender, carefully blend it until smooth (alternatively, smash some of the cooked beans against the side of the pot to mash them). Return the blended chili to the pot of chili.
- Squeeze in the juice of 1 lime, and add salt to taste. Serve hot.
Notes
- Go slow. Leave enough time for the chili to simmer so that the flavors have time to come together.
- Adjust the spice. I don't do a lot of spice, so you can definitely add more or less chili powder to suit your taste.
- More veggies. Throw in some sliced mushrooms, diced zucchini, or chopped celery along with the onion and pepper.
- Add corn. I love a cup of fresh or frozen corn kernels stirred into the chili pot a few minutes before serving.
- Don't forget the lime. A little acidity balances the sweetness of the tomatoes in chili, so I recommend always squeezing in the juice of 1 lime (add more to taste and place a bowl of lime wedges on the table when serving). If you don't have lime juice, add 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar.
- Mash it. Don't want to deal with a blender? Use a wooden spoon to stir and mash some of the beans against the side of the pot to create that chunky-smooth chili texture.
- Try broth. For extra flavor, substitute the water for vegetable broth.
Nutrition
Calories: 119kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 412mg | Potassium: 592mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 4959IU | Vitamin C: 44mg | Calcium: 79mg | Iron: 3mg