This Plant-Based White Bean Chili is Easy and Impressively Eco-Friendly
A bowl of this vegan chili will do both you and the planet some good.
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Chili is one seriously convenient meal. It can be served for lunch or dinner (or breakfast, technically, if you’re someone who lovers dinner-for-breakfast!), and it can be cooked any way you’d like, from all day in a slow cooker to mere minutes in a pressure cooker. But perhaps the biggest perk to a steaming bowl of chili? You can include whatever ingredients you like. You can use whatever you have on hand in the fridge, and you can pull pantry staples like canned beans or peppers to whip up a quick, easy and totally tasty chili on those nights when you aren’t sure what, exactly, to make for your evening meal.
And there’s another bonus to chili: It can be a surprisingly sustainable meal. Our Comfort Vegan White Bean Chili is the perfect example.
An eco-friendly spin on classic chili
Going plant-based – vegetarian or vegan – is a great way to make your diet sustainable and eco-friendly. But even eating plant-based meals a few times a week can have an impact. In this eco-friendly chili, we’re adding in more beans in place of meat to offer plenty of protein and some extra fiber. It’s a great recipe for your Meatless Mondays or any night you need a cozy, comforting meal but want to keep your meal plant-based.
But skipping the meat and using a variety of beans isn’t the only detail that makes our Comfort Vegan White Bean Chili eco-friendly. This is also a great dish to use up any leftover ingredients you might have on hand as a topping. Have veggies wilting away in the fridge that need to be used ASAP? Add them into the chili or sprinkle them over a ready-to-eat bowl. It’s even a great vehicle for your food scraps, like leafy green carrot or radish tops.
Plus, just because this chili is plant-based doesn’t mean it’s lacking in classic flavor. With a blend of seasonings that includes chili staples like garlic, chile peppers, cumin and oregano, this 25-minute dish will taste like it simmered on your stove for hours. And we’ve added one more flavor-packed secret ingredient: miso. With a little white miso paste in the mix, you’ll get a subtle umami flavor in this vegan white bean chili that’s totally irresistible.
Comfort Vegan White Bean Chili
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 white onion, diced
- 2 ribs celery, diced
- 2 poblano peppers, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2½ tsp chipotle chile pepper
- 1½ tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp sea salt
- 2 15-oz BPA-free cans unsalted cannellini beans, with juices
- 1 15-oz BPA-free unsalted navy beans, with juices
- 3 cups reduced-sodium vegetable broth
- 2 tbsp white miso paste
- 1½ cups fresh or frozen and thawed corn kernels
Preparation
- In a large saucepan on medium, heat oil. Add onion and sauté for 5 minutes, until softened. Add celery, peppers and garlic and sauté for 3 minutes. Add chile powder, oregano, cumin and salt. Cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
- Stir in undrained beans, broth and miso. Bring to a simmer, reduce to low and simmer for 12 minutes. Stir in corn and cook for 2 minutes, until heated through. Serve with preferred toppings.
Nutrition Information
- Serving Size ⅙ of recipe
- Calories 268
- Carbohydrate Content 46 g
- Cholesterol Content 0 mg
- Fat Content 18 g
- Fiber Content 12 g
- Protein Content 13 g
- Saturated Fat Content 2.5 g
- Sodium Content 692 mg
- Sugar Content 7 g
- Monounsaturated Fat Content 4 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat Content 0.5 g