This Vegetarian Habanero Chili Recipe is packed with the wholesome goodness of kidney beans paired with fresh tomatoes, onions, garlic, jalapeños, and cumin. The best part? The roasted habanero pepper! This chili is a great source of protein, ready in under 30 minutes, and is perfectly spicy for all my spice loving friends!
If you liked my recipe for Vegetarian Chili but like chili with a little spicy kick? Then you will LOVE this recipe! We don’t use meat substitutes every night but they do have their place in a vegetarian kitchen. Meat substitutes, or fake meat, change things up, boost protein, add texture, OR to trick your meat eating family into thinking they are eating meat. Not sure? Check this out: Guide To Plant-Based Meat Alternatives.
Let’s talk beans
You can use a can of kidney beans or cook your dry beans first. One can of beans = 1 1/2 cups cooked beans. If you aren’t a kidney bean fan, you can easily substitute black beans, cannellini beans, or navy beans in this chili recipe.
Love Habanero Peppers? Me too!
For this recipe, we roast the habanero peppers! Start with fresh habanero peppers. You can easily tell these apart from other peppers with their beautiful bright orange coloring and they are shorter than most other peppers. I grow my own, they are actually easy to grow here in sunny Florida! You can easily find them in grocery stores alongside the other peppers.
First, wash and completely dry each pepper. Second, remove the stem. Third, give each pepper a light spray or drizzle of avocado oil and spread it evenly on all surfaces of the peppers. Next, place your peppers on foil paper and roast in a 425 degree oven for 15 minutes or until the skin is brown and bubbly. Turn over once midway through cooking. Finally, be very careful after handling habanero peppers, wash your hands thoroughly.
After roasting, once cool enough to handle, finely chop or whirl the peppers through a mini chopper, food processor or blender until you get a thick puree. This gets mixed into the chili to give this chili a unique spice!
Vegetarian Habanero Chili Topping Ideas
Organic cheese and/or sour cream, avocado, fire roasted corn, organic blue, yellow, or white corn tortilla chips. Make a double batch and freeze the leftovers in single serving glass containers for lunch boxes or busy weeknights. Packed with veggies, protein, flavor, and fiber, this one is is absolutely perfect for meal prep.
Try One Of My Other Easy Chili Recipes:
Vegetarian Habanero Chili Recipe
This Vegetarian Habanero Chili Recipe is packed with the wholesome goodness of kidney beans paired with fresh tomatoes, onions, garlic, jalapeños, and cumin. The best part? The roasted habanero pepper! This chili is a great source of protein, ready in under 30 minutes, and is perfectly spicy for all my spice loving friends!.
Ingredients
- 2-3 fresh habanero peppers
- avocado oil or spray
- 1 diced onion
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 jalapeño peppers chopped small (to taste)
- 3 cloves of minced garlic
- 2 cups diced tomatoes
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 cup water
- 10 oz package of meatless crumbles (I use Beyond Meat)
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 can of kidney beans or 1 1/2 cups cooked kidney beans
- When ready to eat, top with optional vegan or dairy shredded cheddar, sour cream, organic yellow, white or blue corn chips, avocado, fire roasted corn.
Directions
- Step 1 Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Wash + thoroughly dry habanero peppers + remove the stems. Spray or drizzle each pepper with avocado oil to coat the entire surface. Place peppers on aluminum foil, roast in 425 degree oven for 15 minutes or until the skins are perfectly brown and bubbly. Flip each pepper over midway through roasting.
- Step 2 Next, heat diced onions in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle onions with 1 tsp salt to prevent burning, saute for 5 minutes. Add water a tablespoon at a time if your onions stick to the skillet.
- Step 3 Add jalapeno peppers and garlic, reduce heat to medium, cook another 5 minutes. Stir frequently.
- Step 4 Add tomatoes, cover and cook 5 minutes. Frequently pressing the tomatoes down into the side of pan to smash them down, by doing this they will dissolve. Once the are smashed down, add tomato paste and water and stir until combined.
- Step 5 Add meatless crumbles, cook for 3 minutes.
- Step 6 Fold in all dry spices, adjust to your taste and spice level.
- Step 7 Add in kidney beans, cook an additional 5 minutes with the cover on.
- Step 8 When habanero peppers are done roasting + cool enough to handle, finely chop or place in a mini chopper, food processor or blender + make a fine puree. Stir into chili.
- Step 9 Test spice level, optional to add a third habanero for additional heat! Serve or eat with your choice of toppings! Store leftovers in glass, airtight container for up to 5 days. Separate into individual glass containers and freeze for lunchbox or busy night.
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