Hearty and filling, this Quinoa Chili is a perfect cold-weather meal. Packed with vegetables and aromatic spices, you’ll never guess that this recipe is meatless. Super easy to make and with inexpensive ingredients, you can serve this dish one night and freeze the rest for later.
Vegetarian chili With Quinoa
This quinoa chili recipe is made in one pot on the stove in 30 minutes. It's an easy healthy dinner idea that is high in protein and tastes delicious. It's got similar spices to our regular chili recipe, but is totally meat-free! If you like wholesome filling meals then you'll want to keep this recipe in your weeknight dinner rotation.
- MEATLESS – This vegetarian chili is packed with healthy vegetables and flavorful spices. Cooked quinoa is often prepared as a side dish, but also makes a wonderful high-protein base for meatless recipes like this one!
- INEXPENSIVE – Having at least one meatless meal a week can help to save money on the grocery bill.
- FILLING – Loaded with sweet potatoes, quinoa and black beans, this recipe is high in fiber and will certainly fill you up.
Quinoa is a wonderful ingredient to use in a variety of no-meat recipes like our quinoa broccoli nuggets, easy side dishes like our quinoa coleslaw, and even for breakfast in our quinoa egg muffins.
Recipe Ingredients
Check this list below before you begin. Everything here should easily be found at your local grocery store. Full ingredient details are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- QUINOA - Quinoa is the perfect whole grain to use in a variety of recipes because it's budget-friendly, high in protein, and easy to digest for most people.
- SWEET POTATOES - This recipe will use one medium sweet potato, peeled and cubed.
- BLACK BEANS - Black beans are high in protein, inexpensive and delicious. I love adding these beans to my soup and stew recipes like our black bean tortilla soup.
- ONION - Yellow onion will work best. I used a red onion because that's what was available in my kitchen.
- CORN - Frozen corn is always an easy go-to because it adds flavor and an extra vegetable. Canned corn will also work.
- TOMATOES - This recipe uses a can of diced tomatoes and crushed tomatoes.
- SPICES - The cumin, chili powder, cinnamon, and oregano add the perfect flavor.
- VEGETABLE BROTH - Broth will enhance the chili and allow all the ingredients to meld together.
Flavor Additions
Start experimenting with your own version by trying some of the suggestions below:
- HOT SAUCE - Add a few spoonfuls of your favorite hot sauce for a little more kick.
- CHICKPEAS - For more protein add half of a can of chickpeas.
- POTATO - Adding diced potatoes can be swapped with sweet potatoes.
- GROUND MEAT - Add any style of ground meat for more protein just like we did in our instant pot chicken chili.
- ZUCCHINI - Chopped zucchini would also taste wonderful in this dish.
How To Make Quinoa Chili
If you love to cook, making chili can be so much fun and super easy to do. It takes no time at all. Here's an overview of how to make this recipe with more details in the printable recipe card at the bottom.
- PREP – Measure out the quinoa into a strainer, run it under cold water, and set aside. Next, peel the sweet potato and chop it into small bite-sized pieces. Dice up the yellow onion and mince the garlic.
- PRECOOK – In a frying pan on medium heat, add cooking oil and chopped sweet potatoes. Allow them to cook for about 5 minutes or until tender. Next, add the chopped onion and minced garlic. Let that cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onion becomes translucent. Stir in the cumin, chili powder, cinnamon salt and pepper. Scoop this all into a bowl and set aside.
- COOK – Now add the quinoa to the empty pot. Stir gently for about 30 seconds, allowing it to toast up. Add in the vegetable broth, frozen corn, drained black beans, undrained diced tomatoes, and crushed tomatoes. Bring to a boil and then turn down to let it simmer, stirring occasionally. You want to give all that liquid enough time to cook and be absorbed by the quinoa.
- SERVE – Once the liquid has almost absorbed, stir in the cooked sweet potato mixture and black beans. Cook for 1-2 minutes just to warm through. Scoop into bowls and add your toppings and enjoy.
Pro Tip: Toasting the quinoa seeds add to their flavor. Don’t allow them to burn. You want them to get a nice light golden color before adding other ingredients.
How To Store
I like to make this recipe sometimes weeks in advance and I love how well it freezes. If you want to freeze or refrigerate, here are some suggestions.
- REFRIGERATE – Keep in a sealed container and refrigerate for up 5 days.
- FREEZE – Let the chili cool completely before adding to a sealed container or plastic freezer bag. This recipe can be frozen up to 4 months.
- REHEAT – From freezer, allow the chili to thaw completely in the fridge before heating. From fridge, microwave for 3 minutes, stirring halfway through. Or heat on the stove in a pot until hot.
Pro Tip: Recipes like this one are so easy to store in the freezer and take up less room. Try using a large ziplock freezer bag. Seal the top ¾ of the way and push the air out by allowing the chili to flatten in the bag. Seal completely and freeze flat for best storage.
Ways To Serve
I like to prepare a few classic options when I serve this at dinner. Adding something with a crunch can really add to the experience of this meal. Try some from below.
- GARLIC BREAD - Who wouldn’t love a cheesy garlic baguette stick to dip into their chili?
- GREEK YOGURT - A dollop of sour cream or greek yogurt goes great with anything spicy.
- TORTILLA CHIPS - Crushed tortilla chips sprinkled over the top add the perfect crunch.
- CHEDDAR CHEESE - Add a pinch or two of shredded cheddar cheese. Use plant-based cheese if you want a vegetarian meal.
- SALSA - Spoon some salsa on the side.
Common Questions
Unrinsed quinoa will have a bitter taste. This is because of the tiny seeds coating called saponin. A simple rinse under cold water will help to remove it.
Yes, dice up 6 medium-sized tomatoes and remove half. Then using a potato masher, mash the other half and use as directed.
Simmering longer will allow the liquid to absorb and evaporate. Be sure to allow enough time for the ingredients to absorb the liquid.
Yes, this is a great recipe to batch prep. Freeze the extra in a ziploc freezer bag and store for up to 3 months in the freezer. Be sure to label the bag beforehand with recipe name, directions and use-by date so you don't forget what it is.
To reheat, you can thaw it in the fridge overnight. Then add to your pot and heat on the stove.
This quinoa chili is so easy to make and perfect for meal prep. Made with quinoa, sweet potatoes, corn and black beans, this recipe is quick and healthy. A big pot of this recipe can be frozen and divided for future meals (leftovers make easy lunches throughout the week).
More Soup and Stew Recipes
Need more cozy soup inspiration? We've got you covered with these delicious recipes:
- Pork And Squash Stew
- Turkey Stew
- Sweet Potato Beef Stew
- Curry Chicken Corn Chowder
- Squash And Bean Soup
- Black Bean Tortilla Soup
Turkey Quinoa Chili
Ingredients
- 2 cups sweet potatoes - peeled and chopped
- 3 garlic cloves - minced
- 1 cup chopped yellow onion
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa
- 2 cups vegetable broth - or water
- 15 oz canned diced tomatoes - with liquid
- 15 oz crushed tomatoes - or tomato sauce
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 15 oz canned black beans - drained and rinsed
Instructions
- Rinse the quinoa well under cold water, then drain.
- Peel and chop the sweet potato in to small bite-sized pieces. Chop the onion and mince the garlic.
- Heat cooking oil in a large pot. Add the chopped sweet potatoes. Cook until potatoes are tender when poked with a fork, stirring occassionally. This will take about 5 minutes.
- Add the chopped onion and minced garlic. Cook 1-2 minutes, until onion turns translucent.
- Stir in the cumin, chili powder, cinnamon, salt and pepper.
- Scoop the sweet potato mixture into a bowl and set aside for now.Add the quinoa to the empty pot and stir for 30 seconds. This will toast the quinoa and add more flavor.
- Now add in the vegetable broth, frozen corn, drained black beans, diced tomatoes (undrained), and crushed tomatoes.Bring to a boil then reduce heat to let simmer until the liquid has reduced and quinoa is cooked, about 10-15 minutes. Stir the chili mixture occassionally to prevent burning on the bottom.
- Once most of the liquid has absorbed, add in the cooked sweet potato mixture and black beans. Cook 1-2 minutes to warm through.Scoop the chili into serving bowls and add any fresh toppings.
Recipe Notes:
- REFRIGERATE – Keep in a sealed container and refrigerate for up 5 days.
- FREEZE – Let the chili cool completely before adding to a sealed container or plastic freezer bag. This recipe can be frozen up to 4 months.
- REHEAT – From freezer, allow the chili to thaw completely in the fridge before heating. From fridge, microwave for 3 minutes, stirring halfway through. Or heat on the stove in a pot until hot.
Nutrition Info
The nutritional information provided is an estimate and is per serving.
