A healthy and satisfying vegan Black Bean Quinoa Chili with smoky chipotle. This easy plant-based meal is so comforting on chilly days, and each bowl has about 16 grams protein! (Vegan, gluten-free, oil-free.)
This black bean and quinoa chili is so warm and satisfying!
It's like a hug in a bowl and wonderfully nourishing on a cold day.
Plus it's simple to prepare. The combination of black beans and quinoa makes it feel extra hearty and comforting.
Each bowl has about 16 grams of plant-based protein (plus fiber and other nutrients).
Ingredients for Black Bean Quinoa Chili
For this recipe you will combine and simmer in a stockpot on the stove:
- Yellow onion: Or sweet onion or white onion works great too.
- Fresh garlic cloves: Or substitute with dried garlic powder if needed.
- Chipotles in adobo sauce: See more details and tips on this below!
- Adobo sauce: This adds a lot of flavor without quite as much spiciness as the chipotle peppers.
- Canned crushed tomatoes: I like crushed tomatoes best with this recipe, but you can substitute regular canned diced tomatoes, or petite diced tomatoes if desired.
- Vegetable broth: Be sure to use low sodium if needed.
- Black beans: Or you can substitute pinto beans or kidney beans.
- White quinoa
- Chili powder: I use mild chili powder from Simply Organic brand.
- Ground cumin: Sometimes I will also add about one-half to one teaspoon smoked paprika in addition to the cumin.
Customize it! You can also stir in other veggies to the pot like bell peppers, sweet corn, jalapeno pepper, or sweet potatoes.
Chipotle Tips
Canned chipotles: In this recipe we use canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. But if you can't find them, look for dry chipotle powder in the spice aisle instead.
Spicy: Chipotle chiles are fairly spicy so start with one. (I usually end up using about 1 1/2.)
Adobo sauce: The adobo sauce provides lots of flavor without quite as much of the spiciness. So if you’re sensitive to heat, but still want the smoky flavor, omit the chiles altogether, and simply use the adobo sauce only (avoiding the seeds).
Chipotle powder: If canned chipotles are not available, substitute the chiles and adobo sauce with a small amount of dry chipotle chili powder. (This can be found in the spice aisle.) It's very spicy so start with 1/4 tsp. and work your way up from there if desired.
Have leftover peppers? If you are wondering what to do with your extra chipotle peppers, see this helpful article from The Kitchn.
Serving
Enjoy this dish as is, or garnish your bowl with your favorite toppings. A few ideas include:
- Diced avocado or guacamole
- Fresh cilantro or a squeeze of lime juice
- Sliced green onions
- Hot sauce to taste
- Crumbled tortilla chips for crunch
- Vegan sour cream
- Dairy-free shredded cheese
Storing
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. We find they keep well for about 5 days. Simply reheat in the microwave when ready to enjoy.
Texture note: The chili will thicken even more as it sits, as the quinoa continues to soak up more liquid.
For more inspiration, also browse all quinoa recipes or chili recipes.
Smoky Black Bean Quinoa Chili with Chipotle
Ingredients
- 1 yellow onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1-2 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce*
- 2 tsp. adobo sauce (more as desired)
- 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
- 2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
- 30 oz. canned black beans (two 15 oz. cans)
- 1/2 cup white quinoa (uncooked)
- 2 1/2 tsp. chili powder (I use mild)
- 2 tsp. ground cumin
- Salt to taste
Toppings (optional):
- Avocado, green onion, cilantro, vegan shredded cheese, vegan sour cream
Instructions
- Dice onion and mince garlic.
- In a stockpot over medium-high heat, sauté onion for about 8 minutes. (I use 3 Tbsp. water/broth for no-oil sauté method, adding more as needed.)
- Meanwhile, prepare the chipotle: handling the chile carefully, gently scrape the seeds away with the back of your knife to remove them. Then finely mince the chile. (When finished, avoid touching your face and wash your hands very well. I try to avoid all contact with the chile, using a fork to help maneuver it.)
- Add minced garlic, chili powder, and cumin to the stockpot. Stir and cook 1 minute.
- Add tomatoes, vegetable broth, minced chipotle, and 2 tsp. adobo sauce (avoiding seeds).
- Rinse and drain black beans and quinoa. Add to pot.
- Bring to a light boil. Then cover, lower heat to med-low, and simmer for about 20 minutes or until quinoa is cooked.
- Salt to taste and garnish with desired toppings before serving.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving (Estimate)
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McKenzie Wilson
Love this recipe. Always eat all of it really quickly but this week I haven’t been home much. How long are the leftovers good for?
Kaitlin
Hi McKenzie! Glad you enjoy this one - thank you! I've kept it in the fridge for about 4 days before finishing, so anything past that I'm not sure. Just be sure to use your best judgement. (I err on the side of caution with leftovers to be on the safe side.) Wishing you a beautiful week!
Laura M.
My husband really enjoy this chili. It's definitely our good go-to multiple times during the fall, winter and early spring season. It's delicious, full of flavor, and healthy too. What is considered a serving size? I know in the recipe description it states a medium-sized bowl, but to you would that be a cup- or a cup and a half? Thanks!
Kaitlin McGinn
Hi Laura! So great to hear your husband enjoys this one - thanks so much for sharing your wonderful feedback!
My serving sizes for soups/chilis/salads are often merely my best estimation in order to calculate the nutrition facts. Some recipes will specify 1/2 cup or 1 cup etc. as a serving. But if not, it's usually how many servings it made for our family. (In this case about 5.) I'm always trying to improve the recipes & info so thanks very much for your helpful feedback and question. I will certainly keep that in mind for the future, and when I test this one again to see if I can update it with more precise measurements.
Kevin White
This recipe is great! I just started going meatless. This recipe makes me believe I can make this a lifestyle. Thanks for sharing.
Kaitlin McGinn
Awesome! So great to hear you enjoyed this one Kevin. Wishing you all the best on your plant-based journey!
Allison W
Made this tonight and it’s fantastic. Followed the recipe completely and what I loved about it was that it didn’t require any oil. The taste was amazing and I still feel full hours later. Great recipe.
Kaitlin McGinn
Wonderful to hear, Allison! Thanks for the very kind words and feedback. And yes! I've really enjoyed our transition to (mostly) no oil the past couple years. It's amazing realizing that it's really not necessary for most dishes - and more just habit. Wishing you a beautiful week! -Kaitlin
Mo
So so so yummy! I am NOT a cook and not only did I not mess this up but it was delicious! Made two of your recipes this week and both were by far my favorite plant based recipes to date!
Kaitlin McGinn
Haha, so awesome to hear that! Thrilled and honored to hear you're enjoying the recipes. Really appreciate the kind feedback - thank you!
lvaron
Just made it! So tasty! Curious what you did with the rest of your adobo. I wonder how long it will last for in the fridge.
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer
So great to hear you enjoyed! Here's a link with some tips for the leftover chipotles/adobo. They do last quite a while in the fridge (this article says a few months even!) Or you could use their tips for freezing. Hope that helps!
Terri S
Enjoyed this so much all week, I made it again tonight! I had an 8 mile run this morning in pouring, icy rain...took me hours to feel warm. The only changes I made, I added 1 Jalapeno pepper, and 2 Serrano peppers, and extra adobo peppers and sauce. I obviously love it very spicy. I also added 1/2 cup split red lentils. I had these beautiful lentils in my cupboard and thought they'd do well in this chili - omg this is really yummy! I am feeling so good, eating mostly plant based, thanks Garden Grazer for perking up my cooking routine!
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer
Hi again Terri! That's so great - I love your extra pepper additions. And awesome call with the red lentils too! I love seeing your pics on Instagram, thanks for sharing. Have a great week!
Terri S
Made this tonight, omg so good! Probably my favorite chili! I'll be making this on repeat all winter!