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This savory, hearty quinoa chili with black beans is packed with plant based protein! It works for vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free eaters.
I first ate this quinoa chili—that is, the quinoa chili that inspired this recipe—when Alex and I went to lunch on a break from a class at our adoption agency. It was a much needed break; our heads were spinning with all the information we learned. Years later, we’re parents to two beautiful children: and we’ve got one delicious chili recipe that reminds us of the journey! It’s simple, flavorful, and super hearty: the perfect easy dinner recipe.
What we love about this quinoa chili
Now, this quinoa chili! It’s seriously good, full of savory flavors that wrap you like a cozy sweater. It’s modeled after that quinoa chili from our lunch date, this time using our favorite fire roasted tomatoes. It’s simple and flavorful, with tons of savory veggies and of course, quinoa! Quinoa acts as the texture of where meat would be in this vegan chili, and brings in loads of plant based protein.
Every chili has a secret ingredient. The secret here? A bit of adobo sauce from a can of chipotle chili peppers in adobo sauce. It’s available at most groceries in the international foods aisle, and it brings an earthy, savory flavor that’s irreplaceable. Stirring in a bit of white wine vinegar at the end adds some brightness.
This savory, hearty chili works for lots of eaters: it fits into vegetarian, vegan, dairy-free and gluten-free diets. Drown it in hot sauce, or sprinkle it with all the toppings. To keep it vegan, use our Vegan Sour Cream or Cashew Cream instead of sour cream. For a zing, add Pickled Jalapeños!
What to serve with chili?
Now if you make this quinoa chili, what to serve with it? Here are a few options we love:
- Cornbread: Our favorite side dish to serve with chili (duh!) is Best Homemade Cornbread or Easy Vegan Cornbread. It’s so tender and moist, and seriously easy to whip up. The vegan version is especially good. We heartily recommend both!
- Salad: Another option is to serve with a green salad to balance the heartiness of the chili. We’d recommend our Best Tossed Salad Recipe with Avocado Dressing, or our Simplest Arugula Salad.
- Other ideas: We’ve got lots more! Check out these best sides to go with chili!
How to store quinoa chili
The beauty of making homemade quinoa chili is that it lasts for a full week in the fridge. Keep it in an airtight container and warm it up over the stove or in the microwave whenever you’re ready to enjoy the leftovers.
To make it last longer, you can freeze it! Spoon it into jars for individual-sized portions. This makes it easier to bring frozen chili to work for lunch, and it’s perfect for those nights when you’re craving a fast meal but still want something hearty and filling. To reheat the frozen chili, take the lid off the jar and microwave it until heated through (this will take 5+ minutes).
More quinoa recipes
Outside of this quinoa vegan chili, we have many quinoa recipes on A Couple Cooks! Here are a few of our favorite quinoa recipes:
- Veggie Packed Quinoa Fried Rice
- Tropical Mango Quinoa Bowls
- Feta and Quinoa Stuffed Peppers
- Artichoke & Quinoa Vegetarian Enchiladas
- All our quinoa recipes!
Dietary notes
This quinoa chili recipe is vegetarian and gluten-free.
Best Quinoa Chili
This savory, hearty quinoa chili with black beans is packed with plant based protein! It works for vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free eaters.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- ¾ cup dry quinoa
- 1 large yellow onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 large carrots
- 2 celery stalks
- 1 green bell pepper
- 15-ounce can black beans
- 15-ounce can red kidney beans
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons adobo sauce (from 1 can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce)
- 2 28-ounce cans tomatoes (we used crushed Muir Glen-brand tomatoes)
- 1 ½ cup frozen corn
- 4 ounces chopped green chiles
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- Kosher salt
- Fresh ground black pepper
- Hot sauce, for serving
Instructions
- Place ¾ cup quinoa in a saucepan with 1 ½ cups water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to very low. Cover the pot, and simmer where the water is just bubbling for about 15 to 20 minutes, until the water has been completely absorbed. (Check by pulling back the quinoa with a fork to see if water remains.) Turn off the heat and let sit covered to steam for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, chop the onion. Mince the garlic. Peel and chop the carrots. Chop the celery. Dice the green pepper. Drain and rinse the beans.
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil, then saute the onion for 5 minutes. Add in garlic, carrot, celery, and green pepper, and saute about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the soy sauce and adobo sauce and cook 30 seconds more.
- Add the black beans, kidney beans, Muir Glen tomatoes, 2 cups of the cooked quinoa (reserve remainder for future use), corn, and green chiles. Add enough water to obtain a liquid consistency, about 3 cups. Season with the chili powder, garlic powder, paprika, and ground cumin and bay leaf. Simmer chili on low for 30 minutes.
- When ready to serve, stir in the white wine vinegar and several pinches of kosher salt. Taste, and add additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve with hot sauce and other chili fixings of your choice (lime, cilantro, and so forth).
Notes
For gluten-free diets, use gluten-free soy sauce (or omit and use additional kosher salt to taste).
Looking for more vegan recipes?
Looking for more vegan recipes outside this vegan quinoa chili? Here are a few of our favorite vegan soups:
- Chipotle Black Bean Tortilla Soup
- Cozy Farro and Brussels Sprouts Soup
- Moroccan Spiced Cauliflower Soup
- Hearty Sweet Potato and Kale Soup
- Creamy Vegan Tomato Soup
- Tuscan Soup with White Beans
- Easy Vegan Recipes for Beginners
- Best Vegan Dinner Recipes
Last updated: December 2019
Made the quinoa chai dish lovely. Had to make my own adobo sauce as, it is not available in Australia. But will have some tomorrow and freeze the rest . Ate it with warm naan bread .🙂yum thank you .
this recipe is excellent. The first time I made it a doubled the ingredients.I would like to know what is the actual serving size? I know it makes eight servings, but as a type one diabetic, I need to know what a serving is.
I’m sorry, we don’t have a cup measure available.
Sooooooooo goood!! I doubled it to make for meal prep and it was excellent!
I discovered this recipe while preparing for the Daniel Fast a couple years ago. It’s so easy and delicious and has become go-to recipe. Today I’m preparing it to take to a friend who is recovering from surgery and has some dietary restrictions. I know she and her husband will love it! Thank you!
This was awesome. Preferred it to meat chili. I did cut back on some of the spices though. The adobo sauce is really hot, just used 1 T. I also used braggs liquid aminos as a substitute for soy sauce and used just 2 T. 2 cups of water is plenty. Pulsed tomatoes a bit to make it not chunky. Season to your taste. I put a pinch of brown sugar,
Wow, preferring it to a meat chili is the ultimate compliment, thank you! All your mods sound GREAT too. Delicious!
Not only do I love this because it is comfort food, but healthy to boot :) Thank you for this recipe!
Just found your site and this is the first recipe that I tried. Excellent taste and texture and easy to put together. The quinoa adds a lot of substance to this chili. Also liked that there were no super exotic ingredients that I would never use the rest before it went bad. Will be back to try more recipes soon.
Here’s a little hint/tip…instead of using crushed tomatoes, try instead using V8 (or similar) juice and Rotel diced tomatos (you can find them in the same isle as the Adobo Chiles). Together with chili powder this duo makes an amazing chili base and it’s quick/easy.
Any reason why I can’t cook the quinoa directly in the chili?
The quinoa would soak up all of the water, so the quantities would have to change dramatically if you try it.
This chili looks so delicious and hearty!
The waiting game is so hard! Definitely keep going on spontaneous dates out for coffee and to eat. Not that you can’t bring a little one out with you, we do it all the time (breakfast/lunch are our best bets). See a movie! I haven’t seen one in a theater since before my son was born. I have been thinking of you and am so excited for you both!
Very difficult time finding the jarred Arabella Muir Glen tomatoes in Minneapolis, so I substituted other crushed tomatoes; not sure how it altered the flavor.
This looks sooo good and hearty. Thanks for sharing!
Nice pics also!
Can this be made in a slow cooker?
I’m not sure this would work well in a slow cooker — we’ve had trouble making vegetarian soups in a slow cooker without everything tasting one-note. Let us know if you try it though!
Really love this tasty looking chili. The quinoa in there sounds so good!
It’s so great that you all are taking this time for spontaneous trips and dates. So fun! The spontaneous ones always seem to be the most memorable.
Loving how hearty this chili is without the meat!
I chuckled at the “down it in hot sauce” bit… my parents hate spicy stuff too, but I love it! ;)
Ive never thought of adding quinoa to chili but this looks incredible!
Yes, waiting for something you’ve made such an emotional investment in is difficult, to say the least.
This chili looks like exactly what we need right now. Chipotle in adobo is one of my favorite ingredients, and I stock up when I’m back in the US. ;-) Love the quinoa and green chilies in this too.
I didn’t realize you didn’t have access to chipotle in adobo! But sounds like you’ve been hoarding :) It’s so great for adding flavor to dishes like this!
My best to you as you wait out this impatient time. I hope it’s full of joy and excitement and this delicious looking chili.
Did you know most soy sauces contain gluten which would likely not make this chili gluten free? It is possible to find gluten free soy sauce to truly make this gluten free……just important for those who are sensitive to gluten. Likely those sensitive to gluten know this, but thought I would share. :>
Good point, Kendra! I’ve updated the recipe with a little note about that. Thanks for the feedback!
This looks so warming and comforting- the perfect hearty soup to come back to after a bike ride. Thank you!
Chili is the ultimate cozy comfort food for this time of year! I’m all over this delicious version!
I absolutely love this recipe! I have a chili off coming up soon and I think I have a very good chance of winning! Thank you so much! I’ll make sure to mention you guys to everyone!