A satisfying Bulgur & Bean Vegetable Chili filled with hearty, nourishing ingredients. Simple to prepare and great on chilly days. (Vegan, oil-free.)
This bulgur chili is simple to make and so satisfying.
It combines hearty beans, bulgur, warm spices, and a variety of colorful vegetables for plant-based nutrients.
Both nourishing and comforting!
What is Bulgur?
Bulgur is a whole grain made from parboiled groats of several different wheat species. (Therefore it is not a gluten-free grain.)
It contains protein, fiber, and several vitamins and minerals. You can find it in a variety of grinds from fine, medium, coarse, and extra-coarse.
Bulgur is a great substitute for the ground meat in traditional chili because it thickens up the texture and makes it so cozy and hearty.
Ingredients for Bulgur Chili
For this recipe you will need:
- Yellow onion
- Green bell pepper
- Garlic
- Zucchini
- Sweet corn: Either canned, frozen, or fresh.
- Kidney beans
- Bulgur: I use a medium/coarse grind for this recipe.
- Canned diced tomatoes: Either regular or fire-roasted.
- Tomato sauce
- Vegetable broth
- Chili powder + ground cumin + smoked paprika
Customizing & Serving
This is an easy recipe to customize based on the flavors you enjoy:
- Make it spicy: Add jalapeño, cayenne pepper, chipotle, or hot sauce to taste.
- Omit the zucchini: Feel free to leave out the zucchini and replace with another can of beans (black, pinto, or kidney).
- Make it gluten-free: Bulgur is not a gluten-free grain, so you could replace it with rice or quinoa if desired.
For serving, add avocado (my favorite!), crumbled tortilla chips, fresh cilantro, vegan shredded cheese, vegan sour cream, or hot sauce.
For more inspiration, also browse all vegan soup & chili recipes.
Bulgur Vegetable Chili
Ingredients
- 1 yellow onion
- 1 green bell pepper
- 1 medium zucchini
- 3-4 cloves garlic
- 1 1/2 cups sweet corn (I use frozen)
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 15 oz. can tomato sauce
- 15 oz. can diced tomatoes (or fire-roasted)
- 2/3 cup bulgur
- 15 oz. can kidney beans
- 1 Tbsp. chili powder (I use mild)
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
Instructions
- Dice onion and bell pepper. Dice zucchini and set aside.
- In a stockpot over medium-high heat, sauté onion and bell pepper for 7-8 minutes. (I use 3 Tbsp. water/broth for no-oil sauté method, adding more as needed.)
- Meanwhile, mince garlic.
- When onion is translucent, add garlic, chili powder, smoked paprika, and cumin. Stir and sauté 1-2 minutes.
- Add zucchini, sweet corn, broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, bulgur, and kidney beans (rinsed and drained).
- Bring to a light boil. Then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until bulgur is cooked.
- Serve with any desired toppings.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving (Estimate)
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eM
The dish is amazing. I also add kale, more corn, and more chili once on my plate, because it wasn't even mildly hot. Thanks for that!
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer
So great! Glad you were able to adapt it to suit your taste!
The Mistress of Spices
So happy to have discovered your blog today (also via Pinterest I believe). I presume this particular recipe would probably freeze well?
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer
I've never tried freezing this recipe, but I bet it would work awesome as a freezer meal.
jhayes
I made this last night & it was a huge hit. Thank you so much. I had never even noticed the cute little bags of quick cook bulgur, barley and farro at TJ's before you mentioned it! Great find. I will def. be making this chili again!
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer
So great! TJ's has so many wonderful finds. Thanks for coming back to let me know you enjoyed the chili!
jhayes
Found your site through Pinterest! What on earth were we doing with our lives before Pinterest?! Haha!
Anonymous
This was absolutely delicious, the kids & I all loved it - thank-you for sharing!
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer
So great to hear you all enjoyed!
Kiersten @ Oh My Veggies
Bulgur is one of my favorite grains. It's so hearty and I just feel good when I eat it. It's definitely chili weather here, so I'm going to have to put this on my make soon list!
Janet
I love bulgur! I actually prefer the coarse kind but still have some of the fine grain stuff I need to use up. It is a neat way to get that ground meat texture in chili.
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer
Totally agree - wonderful texture!