Quinoa & Black Bean Chili is a vegan chili with amazing flavor from dried chilis and other spices. Thick, rich and delicious, everyone in your house will love it!

This chili is good. Really good. The dried Anaheim chilis give it a full flavor that normal dried spices can’t provide, and the quinoa gives it a heartiness that veggie chili normally doesn’t have because of the lack of meat. It’s the perfect vegan/vegetarian chili, in my opinion – lots of colorful vegetables, full of flavor and super healthy because of the quinoa.

What is an Anaheim Chili?

The Anaheim Chili goes by more than one name. It’s also called a California Chili and can be known as the Big Jim Chili Pepper, too. When fresh, it is a bright green color but when dried, it turns a deep burgundy.

When you remove the seeds, as I do in this recipe, you are left with the deep, rich flavors and almost none of the heat. It’s the perfect authentic way to add depth to your Quinoa & Black Bean Chili without loading it up with a ton of spices.

Quinoa and black beans are staples in my pantry. I always have a couple cans on hand for easy black bean burgers or to throw in a salad for a healthy and quick lunch, and I use quinoa in pretty much everything that normal people use rice for. I use to think I didn’t like quinoa. Crazy!

What is Quinoa?

Many people think quinoa is a grain like rice or wheat, but it’s actually a seed. Even so, you can use it to substitute for grains like you would with rice. You can even use quinoa flakes to switch out your oatmeal.

Quinoa is full of protein, it’s gluten-free and it contains all nine of the essential amino acids. You guys know I love my super foods, and quinoa is no exception. This stuff is amazing for you and it makes this Quinoa + Black Bean Chili really hearty!

Quinoa is full of protein, it’s gluten-free and it contains all nine of the essential amino acids

I’m going to be honest. I don’t always peel my carrots. I know, it sounds gross because the peel looks dirty and isn’t pretty, but did you know that the skin of the carrot is where a ton of its nutrients are? Most of the antioxidants found in a carrot are in the peel and just below the skin, so when you peel a carrot, you are losing all of the antioxidant goodness.

So, if I’m not displaying the carrot or serving it raw, I just give it a good scrub under cold water and leave the skin on. You should too. You won’t be able to taste the difference, but you will be getting an extra kick of goodness in an already goodness jam packed bowl.

I hope you love this recipe for Quinoa + Black Bean Chili as much as I do. I skip a spoon and eat my entire bowl with Homemade Paprika Baked Tortilla Chips!

What’s your go-to chili recipe? Tell me in the comments!

The Cheerful Kitchen

Yields Serves 6-8

Quinoa Black Bean Chili

Black Bean & Quinoa Chili is a vegan chili with amazing flavor from dried chilis and other spices. Thick, rich and delicious, everyone in your house will love it!

15 minPrep Time

30 minCook Time

45 minTotal Time

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4.5 based on 2 review(s)

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Ingredients

• 1 medium onion diced
• 2 carrots diced
• 1 red bell pepper diced
• 3 stalks of celery diced
• 4 cloves of garlic minced
• 2 cans black beans with the liquid
• 1 can tomato puree
• 4 cups low sodium veggie stock
• 3 dried Anaheim chilis
• 1 Tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp salt
• 3/4 cups uncooked quinoa

Instructions

• Put a small pot of water on to boil.
• Cut off the tops off the dried chilis and discard along with the seeds. When the water has come to a boil, put the chilis and one cup of hot water in a bowl for five minutes to rehydrate them. Remove the chilis from the water, save the water for later, and dice the chilis.
• Heat a tablespoon of oil in a heavy bottomed pot over medium/high heat.
• Saute the carrots, celery, pepper, and onion in the oil until soft - about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and rehydrated chilis and saute until fragrant - 1 or 2 minutes.
• Add both cans of black beans with their liquid, veggie stock, tomato puree, chili water, salt and spices. Stir and bring to a boil.
• When boiling, add the quinoa, put the lid on and it let cook for at least thirty minutes or up to an hour. Stir occasionally so the bottom doesn't burn.
• Garnish with cheese, sour cream, sliced avocado or a squeeze of lime, and enjoy!

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https://thecheerfulkitchen.com/quinoa-black-bean-chili/

Looking for more chili recipes? Try these:

Turkey Chili with Vegetables

Slow Cooker Chili with Sweet Potatoes

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