Quinoa Chili with Beans & Corn

5 from 5 votes

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From fall to winter, I go all in on chili—the more beans and vegetables, the better.  My easy quinoa chili is perfect for weekday lunches, weeknight dinners and even game days including Super Bowl Sunday. It’s seasoned with cumin, smoked paprika and chili powder and has a nice kick. Depending how you top it, this is vegan chili that even meat lovers will enjoy.

Two bowls of chili topped with cilantro and scallions

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

This chili is packed with plant-based protein. Every spoonful has black beans and kidney beans, and of course, quinoa. All are fantastic vegan sources of protein.

It is healthy comfort food. This chili has just the right level of spiciness. On a cold day it is a warm and comforting meal with plenty of vegetables and legumes.

Chili is perfect for meal prep, and it’s freezer friendly. One of the best things about soups and stews are the leftovers. Simmer this chili on a Sunday and you’ll be set for meals throughout the week. Or plan ahead and store it in the freezer to save it for later.

This is an easy one-pot vegan chili. You don’t have to cook the quinoa in a separate saucepan. Everything goes in a single pot, so there are fewer dishes to wash.

What is Quinoa?

This seed is native to the Andes in South America. Quinoa is packed with fiber, protein and essential amino acids. It is gluten-free and lower in carbohydrates and calories than white rice. Because of all these health benefits and the fact that it is quick and easy to cook, it should be obvious why it continues to be so popular.

One tip for preparing quinoa is to rinse it off with cold water in a fine mesh strainer before you start cooking. That’s because the grains have a coating called saponin, which can be bitter.

The Ingredients

Ingredients including quinoa, peppers, corn, beans, spices, garlic, green chillies, oil, cilantro and scallions.
  • Quinoa: Since the grains are so small and fine, they meld right into the thick broth of the chili. Do not substitute with another rice, pulse or whole grain. Stick with quinoa.
  • Diced green chilies are roasted green chilies that are canned. They are very convenient since they are already chopped. The recipe calls for one 4-ounce can.
  • Dried seasonings: I include a mix of cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder, kosher salt and black pepper.
  • Garlic: I like layering more flavor into the chili with minced fresh garlic cloves.
  • Bell peppers: You will need 2 peppers. Red, orange and yellow are much sweeter than green bell peppers, so they are my preference.
  • Red onions are the starting point for the chili. You can substitute with a white or yellow onion.
  • Beans: Chilies and soups are great opportunities to include more than one kind of bean. In this chili I stir in black beans and kidney beans. You can use all of one kind or the other. Or substitute with pinto beans.
  • Corn: I love the taste, crunch and freshness of sweet corn even if it is from a can. It adds more color to the chili too.
  • Tomatoes: Canned fire-roasted crushed tomatoes are the way to go for chili.
  • Vegetable broth: Low-sodium is the best choice, so then you can control the seasonings. If you don’t care if the chili is vegan, you can swap it for chicken broth.
  • Oil is for sautéing the onions and veggies. Use olive oil or canola oil.

Best Chili Toppings

I garnish the chili with cilantro and sliced scallions when I divide it into serving bowls. You can use both or just one because I know lots of people do not like cilantro. Here are more topping ideas:

Shredded cheese
Avocado (diced or sliced)
Sour cream or Greek yogurt
Crumbled tortilla chips
Sliced jalapenos
Fresh lime juice

How To Make Quinoa Chili

1. Heat the oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat.

2. Sauté the red onions until they start to become soft. This will take about 4 minutes.

Oil in pot. Onions sauteing in oil.

3. Stir in the green chilies, garlic and spices. Keep sautéing the onions for a few more minutes.

4. Add the bell peppers and sauté for a couple minutes.

Green chilies, garlic, cumin, paprika, chili powder, salt and pepper stirred into sauteed onions. Peppers then stirred into onion mixture.

5. Stir in the beans, corn, tomatoes, broth and quinoa.

6. Bring the chili to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the quinoa is cooked and the chili has thickened, about 20-30 minutes. Divide the chili into to bowls and top with scallions and cilantro.

Beans, corn, quinoa, tomatoes and broth in large pot. Finished chili in the pot.

What to Serve with Chili

This chili is filling. You can keep it simple and serve it with tortilla chips or cornbread. Or go for a side dish like one of these:

Baked Sweet Potato Fries
Sweet Potato Skins
Chickpea Spinach Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Sheet Pan Sweet Potato Black Bean Quesadillas
Sheet Pan Nachos
Roasted Root Vegetables

Leftovers & Storage

You can store the chili in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 4 days. Keep it in the freezer up to 1 month. When freezing any soup or chili, portion it out into serving sizes. This will make it easier to thaw. You can warm it up on the stove or in the microwave. Before transferring the chili to a container, let it cool to room temperature.

Three bowls of vegan chili.

FAQs

How long is quinoa chili good in the fridge?

Stored in an airtight container, you can keep the chili for 4 days.

How do you make chili less spicy?

Greek yogurt or sour cream will lessen the heat. Just add a dollop on top of a bowl of chili. Shredded cheese will also balance out the level of spiciness.

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Easy Quinoa Chili

5 from 5 votes
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 35 minutes
Total: 40 minutes
Servings: 6
This simple and wholesome one-pot vegetarian chili recipe is loaded with black beans, kidney beans, bell peppers, green chilies and blend of dried spices.

Ingredients 

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 small red onion roughly chopped
  • 1-4 ounce can diced green chilies mild
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 2 teaspoons cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon hot smoked paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 bell peppers diced (red, yellow or orange)
  • 1-15 ounce can black beans drained and rinsed
  • 1-15 ounce can kidney beans drained and rinsed
  • 1-15 ounce can corn drained and rinsed
  • 1-28 ounce can crushed fire-roasted tomatoes
  • 4 cups low sodium vegetable broth
  • 1 cup quinoa rinsed
  • Cilantro whole leaves and chopped for serving
  • Sliced scallions for serving

Instructions 

  • Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté for 4 minutes until they start to soften.
  • Stir in the green chilies, garlic, cumin, paprika, chili powder, salt and pepper. Continue cooking for an additional 2-3 minutes until the onions are soft and translucent.
  • Add the bell peppers and sauté for 2 minutes.
  • Then stir in the black beans, kidney beans, corn, tomatoes, vegetable broth and quinoa.
  • Bring the chili to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes until the quinoa is tender and the chili has thickened.
  • Divide into bowls. Top with cilantro and scallions before serving.

Notes

In addition to cilantro and scallions, you can top the chili with shredded cheese, diced avocados, sour cream, Greek yogurt, crumbled tortilla chips, sliced jalapenos or lime wedges. Keep in mind toppings if you want to keep the chili vegan.
Serve the chili with cornbread or tortilla chips.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 4 days. To keep the chili up to 1 month, store it in the freezer. Warm leftovers in the microwave or on the stove.

Nutrition

Calories: 586kcal | Carbohydrates: 122g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 1275mg | Potassium: 1084mg | Fiber: 16g | Sugar: 70g | Vitamin A: 1650IU | Vitamin C: 69mg | Calcium: 120mg | Iron: 6mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Soup
Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Did you make this recipe?Mention @lastingredient on Instagram and tag it #lastingredient!

Originally published January 30, 2020. Updated: December 29, 2022.


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Hi, I'm Paige.

Welcome to Last Ingredient where you will find simple seasonal recipes with plenty of fruits and vegetables, all for the home cook.

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