Vegetarian Chilli

This Vegetarian Chilli is perfect for the whole family. It is hearty, healthy, delicious and best of all EASY! It is packed with wholesome ingredients like vegetables, beans and lentils and can easily be customised to suit taste. Serve with a range of toppings and sides to make it a fun, interactive meal the kids will love.

When I first met my husband he said that a meal isn't complete without some sort of meat on the plate. If he had known then that ten years later a huge proportion of his meals would be vegetarian I think he may have run a mile!

I started to ramp up the vegetarian meals once my eldest started eating with us. He struggled with meat and so I focussed on adding more fish, lentils & beans to our diets. To my husband's surprise, he really enjoyed the meals and was quite accepting of his new diet. We haven't really looked back since. 

Why This Vegetarian Chilli is a Great Family Meal 

• One-Pot - Which means less washing up. A huge plus in my book!
• Pantry staples: Apart from the veggies, all you need to make this recipe are some pantry staples - beans, tinned tomatoes, lentils and stock.  
• Customisable: This recipe is extremely flexible, not only can you switch up the veggies but you can also vary the beans you use, the toppings and what you serve it with (more on that below!)

Vegetarian Chilli Ingredients & Cooking Tips

• Veggies: I start by added onion, celery and garlic. They add great flavour and are a starting point for many of my meals. I also add red bell pepper (capsicum), and zucchini (courgette) but I don't always stick to this vegetable combination. You can add more or fewer vegetables depending on taste or what you have available.  If you like a sweeter chilli, then you can try adding some grated carrot or a small sweet potato. If your child doesn't like too much texture then you can mince or grate the vegetables. They will cook down and disintegrate into the chilli. 
• Veggie stock: If cooking for a baby/young child I recommend you use homemade stock to help keep sodium levels down. If you aren't vegetarian chicken stock also works great in the recipe. You may need to add in more/less according to how soupy you like your chilli to be.
• Diced tomatoes: I use diced tomatoes but if you, or your kids, prefer a smoother texture you could replace with passata.
• Beans: I added one can of red kidney beans and one can of chickpeas but any canned beans will work. You can reduce to one can if you prefer a less "beany" chilli. 
• Lentils: Adding lentils makes the chilli a bit more "meaty" and less like a soup. I used red split lentils, which soften into the chilli. If you would prefer the lentils to hold their shape then substitute the red split lentils with green or brown lentils. 
• Seasoning: A little smoked paprika and cumin give this chilli a lovely flavour but adding some salt to the chilli really brings out the flavours. Remove your baby's portion and then salt to taste. 

What to Serve Vegetarian Chilli With 

Chilli is a great meal to serve "family style" and it works with a range of toppings and sides. Serve a big pan of chilli along with an array of toppings and sides and let your children get creative. If your children are anything like mine, they will be loading their chilli up with as many toppings possible!  (Note; not all these suggestions are dairy-free / gluten-free) 

Topping Ideas

• Chunks of avocado
• Guacamole
• Lime wedges
• Grated Cheese
• Sour Cream
• Tortilla Chips
• Corn
• Salsa

Sides

• Rice
• Quinoa
• Cous Cous
• Corn on the Cob
• Crusty Bread
• Mashed Potato

Storage Instructions

• Refrigerate: Transfer to a sealed container and refrigerate for up to 3 days
• Freeze: Transfer to a freezable container and freeze for up to 3 months.

You May Also Like

• Lentil Lasagne
• Supercharged Chilli
• Sweet Potato and Chickpea Curry

Have you tried this recipe? I love receiving your feedback, please rate and leave a comment below or tag me on Instagram @healthylittlefoodies

(First published Feb 2017, the post has been updated with new images and more information)