overhead view of vegan chili

The origin of this recipe

  1. Make your own Chili Powder
  2. Start the soup with a spicy tomato paste
  3. Char the tomatoes and fresh chiles
pile of homemade chili powder in a bowl, from above, with sun shining
homemade chili powder
overhead view of homemade chili paste
Homemade Tomato Chili Paste
vegan chile shown with beans, tofu and a non-vegan option with ground turkey
Three bowls of vegan chili showing how you can add tofu or even turkey
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overhead view of vegan chili

Vegan Chili with Charred Veggies

Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time20 minutes
Custom Time10 minutes
Total Time1 hour 20 minutes
Servings4
Three pro tips and an unexpected ingredient give this chili-inspired vegetable-based soup next-level flavor. "Choose your own adventure" protein add-ins make it versatile.
Kitchen Tools
  • 1 grill, or sheet pan if broil/roast instead of grill
  • 1 3 quart soup pot, or dutch oven
  • 1 small pan, to fry chili paste
  • 1 blender, to blend soup ingredients

Ingredients

  • 1-3 tsp homemade chili powder (Go to Recipe)
  • 1/4 cup homemade tomato chile paste
  • 2-4 tbsp tomato paste (store-bought)
  • 1 14.5 oz can crushed tomatoes unsalted
  • 4-6 ea fresh chili peppers (you choose the heat level)
  • 2-3 boxes cherry tomatoes (can include the small on-the-vine type)
  • 1 15 oz can chili beans
  • 1 ea medium yellow onion
  • 1 tbsp cumin seeds
  • 1 oz 70% dark chocolate (shhh, this is the secret ingredient!)
  • 1 tbsp Mexican oregano (sub regular oregano)
  • 1 tbsp cumin ground
Optional Protein add ins (animal protein or tofu options)
  • 1 lb ground turkey (sautéed and browned)
  • 8 oz smoked, braised or extra firm tofu (any of the three options work)

Method:

Prep the ingredients
  • First up, make that 1-3 tsp homemade chili powder, or if using store bought, see note below.
  • Make the 1/4 cup homemade tomato chile paste: To a small stainless or non-stick sauce or fry pan add a spoonful of the 2-4 tbsp tomato paste, 2-3 Tbsp of the 1 14.5 oz can crushed tomatoes unsalted, and about 1 tsp. of the chili powder you made or bought. If your chili powder is prettyspicy then start by adding 1 tsp to this homemade chili paste.
  • Stir and cook this tomato chile paste over low heat for a few minutes, allowing the tomato paste to caramelize, the spices to bloom, and the crushed tomatoes to cook off some of their liquid. Taste it and adjust the flavor by adding bits of the 3 ingredients.
  • Prep the 2-3 boxes cherry tomatoes and 4-6 ea fresh chili peppers. Cut off the stems and deseed the chile peppers.
  • Toss the prepped veggies with some olive oil and liberally sprinkle with 1 tbsp cumin ground, and 1 tbsp Mexican oregano. Char the veggies by grilling on medium-high heat for about 5 minutes per side. Once they are all bubbly and charred, remove them to cool, then casually chop them (see upper right photo of them, added to pot).
Finish the soup
  • To a pot (I used a 3.5 qt Dutch oven, but anything works) add a drizzle of olive oil, and saute the 1 ea medium yellow onion, chopped, with 1 tbsp cumin seeds over medium heat. Let the seeds get toasty and the onion develops some color for about 5-8 min.
  • To a blender or food processor add the sauteed onion/cumin, the chopped, charred veggies, and the rest of the can of tomatoes and blend until nice and smooth.
  • Return the pureed ingredients to the pan, and add the 1 15 oz can chili beans, including the liquid, which adds flavor and texture. Time to add the secret ingredient, 1 oz 70% dark chocolate, and stir it into the soup to melt, on medium-low heat.
  • Finally, add half of the homemade chili paste and taste the soup. Add however much creates the flavor and level of heat you like. You now have a velvety, silk, smoky tomato chili soup.
Optional Protein Add-ins: either of the below choices will make the chili heartier, more filling
  • Smoked or braised tofu crumbled: this is sold in the same area as regular tofu.
  • Or add ground turkey, sauteed until you’ve crumbled the meat and it has browned.
Toppings:
  • Try pickled or candied jalapenos, scallions, lime zest, cumin seeds, toasted pepitas, and crushed blue corn chips (great color contrast for presentation- shown at the top of this post in the center).

Notes

Note on Sodium: nutrition info does not account for “no salt added” tomatoes that I use.
Chili Powder: replace 1-3 tsp of homemade chili powder with 1-2 tsp of chili powder and 1-2 tsp cumin powder, to taste.
Protein add-ins: Enjoy this vegan/vegetarian soup with or without the extra protein. I suggest adding any extra proteins in at the time of serving so you have options.

Nutrition (an estimate)

Calories: 206kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 0.2mg | Sodium: 1111mg | Potassium: 1117mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 98mg | Iron: 6mg | Magnesium: 101mg
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