Easy Vegan Chili that’s fast, low fat, oil free, whole food/plant based, made with common ingredients and DELICIOUS! So tasty, even a meat eater would like it. This recipe Made in an Instant Pot (but easily adapted for a crockpot or even a stove top -just add more liquid).
Recipe:
*1 bag of Trader Joe’s fire roasted bell peppers & onions (or chop 1 onion and 2 bell peppers -red & green or yellow)
*Two 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes (fire roasted ones are the best -with or without chilies)
*Two (or Three) 14.5 oz cans of beans (one each of kidney & pinto -if adding a third either one as the extra will work) -drain & rinse the pinto beans and I leave the red kidney beans’ sauce (if you rinse them, add about 1/4 C more water to the pot)
*One can of tomato sauce
*Two cans of water (use cans of tomatoes to get out the extra pieces that get stuck & don’t come out easily) -video shows using hot water, just be careful you don’t burn yourself-the cans heat up fast!
*1 Tbsp. Better Than Bouillon- Vegetable base (if possible dissolve in the 2 cans of water, but it’s fine to just add in paste form into the pot)
*1/2 C of RED lentils
*1/2 C of quinoa
1.5 packages of McCormick (or similar) seasoning -any level of “heat” you like
**Use salt free canned goods and seasoning for a lower sodium version (the only thing that makes this recipe less than “extremely healthy” is the sodium content -adapt as you need to)
Water sauté the onions and peppers for about 5 minutes (until the onions are beginning to be translucent—less important if you get the Trader Joe’s peppers & onions because they are pre-roasted).
Add in the cans of diced tomatoes, sauce, beans and two cans of water with a tablespoon of the Better Than Bouillon.
Stir in the red lentils and quinoa
Stir in the seasoning (video shows me adding extra cumin -the key “chili” flavor in my opinion!)
If using an instant pot set to high pressure for 20 minutes and either leave it to “natural release” or do a manual release.
I like to serve with some nutritional yeast on top.
Optional: add frozen corn to the pot with the onions and peppers.