Vegetarian Chili Recipe (2024)

Published: · Modified: by Allison · 27 Comments

Jump to Recipe

Vegetarian Chili and Macaroni and Cheese combine in this comforting meal. Flavorful vegetable chili, elbow macaroni, and a creamy cheese sauce makes this a hearty and nourishing meal even meat eaters will enjoy.

I created this Vegetarian Chili Mac and Cheese as part of a shop that has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. As always, all opinions are my own.

Vegetarian Chili Recipe (1)

Today I’m bringing you the ultimate comfort food. Chili + mac and cheese! I combined the two in this hearty and nourishing meal. Although this recipe is vegetarian, even meat eaters will enjoy it! Flavorful vegetarian chili, elbow macaroni, and a creamy cheese sauce. What’s not to love?!

Vegetarian Chili Recipe (2)

I cook vegetarian meals for my family quite often. I also have several members of my extended family who are vegetarian. I am a firm believer that vegetarian cuisine can be just as hearty and tasty as any othercuisine. Morningstar Farms makes it easy to produce flavorful recipes with their line of vegetarian products. I used their Grillers Crumbles in this Chili Mac and Cheese, which has quickly become a newstaple in our house.

Vegetarian Chili Recipe (3)

The base of this recipe is an easy vegetable chili. It is filled with bell peppers, onions, carrots, green chiles, corn, tomatoes, and beans. Pasta is added and cooks right in the chili. A simplecheddar cheese sauce is made, and it gets poured into the chili to make this dish extra creamy and cheesy.

Vegetarian Chili Recipe (4)

As the weather cools and you’re looking forcomforting meals to share around your table, I hope you’ll give this Chili Mac and Cheesea try. You can get the ingredients needed at Target (look for the Morningstar Grillers Crumbles in the freezer department).Let me know how you like it!

Vegetarian Chili Recipe (5)

SUBSCRIBE to our free NEWSLETTER – Follow on INSTAGRAM

Recipe

Vegetarian Chili Recipe (6)

Vegetarian Chili Mac and Cheese

Chili and macaroni and cheese combine in this comforting vegetarian meal. Flavorful vegetable chili, elbow macaroni, and a creamy cheese sauce makes this a hearty and nourishing meal even meat eaters will enjoy.

4.75 from 4 votes

Print Pin Save

Course: main, Main dish, vegetarian

Cuisine: American

Servings: 10

Calories: 444kcal

Author: Allison – Celebrating Sweets

Ingredients

Chili:

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 1 green bell pepper, diced
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 large carrot, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 -6 tablespoons chili seasoning mix, see note
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 12 oz package Morningstar Farms Grillers Crumbles
  • 4 oz can diced green chiles
  • 1 cup frozen or canned corn, I used fire roasted
  • 28 oz can crushed tomatoes, I used fire roasted
  • 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, I used fire roasted
  • Two 15 oz cans of beans, drained (I used black beans and kidney beans)
  • 2 cups water
  • 3 cups elbow macaroni

Cheese sauce:

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1 ½ cups milk
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • teaspoon pepper
  • 3 cups grated cheddar cheese, divided
  • Chopped parsley, to garnish if desired

Instructions

Chili:

  • In a large saucepan over medium heat, saute onion, bell peppers, carrot, and garlic in 2 tablespoons olive oil for about 10 minutes. Add chili seasoning mix, salt, Morningstar Farms Grillers Crumbles, green chiles, and corn. Stir to combine. Add crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, beans, and water. Stir to combine. Raise heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add macaroni. Continue to boil, stirring occasionally, until the macaroni is cooked through (about 10 minutes). If the pasta absorbs too much liquid, you can add more water (½ cup at a time). Meanwhile, prepare the cheese sauce.

Cheese sauce:

  • Melt butter in a medium saucepan set over medium heat. Whisk in the flour until combined. Pour in the milk, while whisking, then add the salt and pepper. Continue to cook, whisking frequently, until the milk simmers and thickens slightly (do not boil). Stir in 2 cups of grated cheese. Remove from heat.

  • Once the pasta is tender, pour the cheese sauce into the chili mac, and stir to combine. Season to taste with additional salt. Use the remaining cup of grated cheddar to sprinkle over each serving.

Notes

Make sure you use a chili seasoning mix which is a blend of spices instead of just plain chili powder. Adjust the amount (from 4-6 tablespoons) based on your personal preference.

Nutrition

Calories: 444kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 934mg | Potassium: 595mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 2080IU | Vitamin C: 41.2mg | Calcium: 350mg | Iron: 4.3mg

Nutritional Information is an estimate based on third-party calculations and may vary based on products used and serving sizes.

Vegetarian Chili Recipe (7) Tried this recipe?Leave a comment and rating below!

« Roasted Cauliflower Soup with White Cheddar

Healthy Pumpkin Smoothie »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Comments

  1. Colleen Benedict

    I don’t like peppers, would it turn out good without the red and green peppers?

    • Celebrating Sweets

      Sure! Feel free to leave them out. Enjoy!

      Reply

  2. Ari

    Vegetarian Chili Recipe (8)
    Omg This was sooooo amazingly bomb!!! Thank you for the recipe 🙂

    Reply

    • Celebrating Sweets

      Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for the comment. 🙂

      Reply

  3. Katie Cole

    This was great! So much flavor and deliciousness – great fall weather comfort food. I added an extra can of pinto beans and was left with so much food, has anyone tried freezing it? I’m wondering how it would hold up.

    Reply

    • Celebrating Sweets

      Hi, Katie. I’m glad you enjoyed it. Yes, it does make a large quantity. I think it should be fine to freeze. I’d recommend reheating individual portions with a splash of water to help it stay creamy. Thanks for stopping by!

      Reply

  4. Eileen Tatu

    I made this vegan by not doing the cheese sauce and it is so amazing!!

    Reply

    • Allison

      Yay! I’m glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment. 🙂

      Reply

« Older Comments

Primary Sidebar

About

Vegetarian Chili Recipe (9)Hi, I'm Allison! I'm a busy wife and mom with a passion for cooking and baking. This is where you'll find my favorite homemade recipes, designed to help you make every day delicious! Read more....

Dessert Recipes

Cinnamon Roll Cake

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

Maple Gingerbread Cake

Oatmeal Cream Pies

Easter Cookies

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

More Dessert Recipes...

Popular Recipes:

Cookie Mix in a Jar

Blueberry Buttermilk Pancake Casserole

Small Batch Vanilla Cupcakes

Easy Banana Bread Recipe

Raspberry Crumble Cookies

More Popular Recipes...

Vegetarian Chili Recipe (23)

FREE BAKING GUIDE

Tips & Tricks for the Home Baker

Vegetarian Chili Recipe (24)

Vegetarian Chili Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to really good chili? ›

Only Add Flavorful Liquids

Instead of adding water to your chili, add some more flavor with chicken or beef broth, red wine vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, or even beet or wine. Each one of these options brings out different notes and levels of sweetness that will enhance your culinary creation.

What is vegetarian chili made of? ›

Ingredients in homemade vegetarian chili

All you need are a few cans of beans (I love kidney beans in my chili), veggies, spices and crushed tomatoes. To make this plant based chili you'll need: Veggies: we're adding onion, carrot, bell pepper, sweet potato and corn for the perfect mix of hearty veggies.

What can I add to a can of chili to make it taste better? ›

“If there's one thing you have to do with any canned chili, it would be adding fresh chopped onions, tomatoes, cilantro, and jalapeños. Maybe even some pickled jalapeños.

What secret ingredient will deepen the flavor of your chili? ›

Stir some puréed pumpkin into your chili just after sautéing your aromatics (onions, garlic, etc...) and before adding any liquid. This will deepen and sweeten its flavor, making it a great balance for all the chile peppers and heat.

How to add umami to vegetarian chili? ›

Fresh or Dried Mushrooms. Either sauté a bunch of fresh mushrooms with the rest of the veggies you're using, or soak a few dried mushrooms in warm water to rehydrate them, chop them up, and add them to the pot. Mushrooms are another great source of meaty, umami flavor.

How do you make chili taste richer? ›

Cocoa powder, bacon, cinnamon, ground coffee and tomato paste will all add a rich sweet & salty flavors that are sure to surprise and delight. Warming spice blends, like Garam Masala, Ras el Hanout or Baharat are another simple and delicious way to add layered flavors to this simple one-pot meal.

How do you thicken meatless chili? ›

Make a cornstarch slurry: Mix together 1 tablespoon each of cornstarch and cold water, stirring well to remove any lumps. Then, stir the slurry into your chili and let it simmer for another 10 minutes to fully thicken.

Should chili be thick or soupy? ›

Traditionally, we expect a robust, spicy base, meat and/or beans, perhaps some bonus veggies, and a thick, rich consistency. Unlike soups, which are brothy, or even bisques, which are creamy yet thinner, chili is meant to be more stew-like; it's a definite stick-to-your-ribs creation.

What is the most important spice in chili? ›

Most Common Chili Spices. Cumin, Chile Powders, and Paprika are the most common spices in chili followed by garlic, onion, coriander, Mexican oregano, and bay leaves. These ingredients can be combined to create a savory and well-balanced pot of top notch comfort food.

How to doctor up wolf brand chili? ›

You can optionally add a small amount of unsweetened cocoa powder (titrate with a small amount). The cocoa will add more earthiness (like chili powder) and a savory flavor… You can also more tomatoes, onions, jalapenos, cilantro and proteins. A dash of lemon or vinegar may help if it's sweet.

Do you need tomato paste for chili? ›

Tomato paste is a great way to add bonus tomato flavor, and thickness, to a chili recipe. To get the best flavor it needs to be browned. Add a couple tablespoons (or a whole can if you want a thicker soup base) directly to the pan after cooking the meat and onions.

How can I make my chili tastier? ›

Add a touch of sweetness

Chili is rich, deep and often spicy, so adding a sweet ingredient is a great way to create balanced flavor. We've found that adding diced carrots is the easiest way to add natural sweetness, but you can also use vegetables like sweet potatoes or winter squash.

What is the best liquid for chili? ›

Chili cooks low and slow, so you need enough liquid to tenderize the meat and keep everything from drying out. That liquid should also add flavor to the chili, so use chicken, beef, or vegetable stock, or beer.

Why add baking soda to chili? ›

Ground Beef: Provides the hearty meaty base for the chili. Opt for 85% lean; the fat enriches the meat, enhancing the dish's overall flavor and texture. And don't stress about the fat—post-cooking, it's easy to skim off any excess. Baking Soda: Helps tenderize the beef by locking in moisture, making it more succulent.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Carmelo Roob

Last Updated:

Views: 6138

Rating: 4.4 / 5 (65 voted)

Reviews: 80% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Carmelo Roob

Birthday: 1995-01-09

Address: Apt. 915 481 Sipes Cliff, New Gonzalobury, CO 80176

Phone: +6773780339780

Job: Sales Executive

Hobby: Gaming, Jogging, Rugby, Video gaming, Handball, Ice skating, Web surfing

Introduction: My name is Carmelo Roob, I am a modern, handsome, delightful, comfortable, attractive, vast, good person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.