A flavorful sweet and spicy chili that feeds a crowd. Get out your biggest pot and let’s make some vegan comfort food!

Winter temperatures have hit our little town and while it is still officially fall, we are expecting our first snow tomorrow. Being a city girl, I’m excited to witness my first winter on the country side. Needless to say, my expectations are high. In my imagination our garden and town will be transformed into a winter wonderland like in The Grinch and people will be jolly and running around with cozy hats and caramel apples in their hands. Isn’t that what winter is like in a small town? 😉

Colder temperatures also mean a big craving for warm comfort food. (Usually the more calories the better.) However, knowing that Christmas and my birthday will be times of indulgence I wanted to find recipes that would satisfy my comfort cravings but not cause me to grow out of my winter jacket. 😉 Enter vegan chili. Chili is such a great vegan option. You really don’t miss the meat or dairy, it is incredibly flavorful without it all. Growing up, I always watched my mother cook chili (chili con carne though). She would never use a recipe, she would never weigh or measure anything. She added a splash of this, a pinch of that, a big spoonful of that…and voila the chili turned out amazing. I would always stand there in awe wondering how she made such a great chili.

Years later, I was a teenager and asked my mother for the recipe of her chili. I wanted to make a vegetarian version of it. I was soon disappointed though, when she told me that there is no recipe, you just go by your gut. Instead she made chili with me, and showed me what spices she used and how she made it. She didn’t follow any rules it was just cooking with passion and heart. I soon adapted to that way of cooking and found it incredibly freeing. Sure you run the risk of something not turning out well, but then there’s always the chance of creating something amazing.

Because I have always made chili without a recipe and without measurements, it was quite a challenge to take notes and write down a recipe for this. I’m glad I did though because this recipe is amazing and I want to share it with you and hope you will enjoy it too. If you like your chili spicy and sweet, you will definitely enjoy this. If you have other preferences you can easily adapt this recipe to your taste buds. Add more chili powder and black pepper if you prefer a very spicy chili, add more sugar if you like it sweeter, add a bit of water if you prefer a soupier chili (this is a more chuncky chili)…

I wasn’t joking when I wrote that this feeds a crowd. You will get about 10 portions out of this recipe. I prefer making chili in big batches because it isn’t more work than making a small portion. This is also the optimal dish for a party. Why? Well just to name a few….

easy and quick to make, only 1 pot required!
reheats well
ingredients you probably already have in your pantry
inexpensive
freezes well
is super delicious!

I topped this chili off with parsley, an avocado (everything is better topped with avocado) and some sesame seeds. But feel free to use any topping of your choice eg. spring onions, chives, or non vegan toppings such as sour cream or grated cheddar.

If you make this chili be sure to leave me a comment letting me know how you liked it! Happy fall! 🙂

Sweet and Spicy Chili {Vegan}

A flavorful, chunky chili that can easily be adapted to your taste buds

Prep Time: 25
Cook Time: 30
Total Time: 55

Ingredients

2 medium yellow onions
2 garlic cloves
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cans of kidney beans (420g or 14.8oz)*, drained
1 can of corn (300g or 10.6oz)*, drained
2 cans of white beans (800g or 28.2oz)*, drained
1,5l tomato passata (3.2pints)
5 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2-3 tablespoons sugar, or erythrit
1 1/2 tablespoons dried basil
1 1/2 tablespoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon paprika
3 teaspoons chili powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

Peel and chop the onion into small pieces and crush the garlic. Add olive oil to a large pot and sauté the onions and garlic until transluscent about 2-3 minutes.
Then add the rest of the ingredients, stir until well combined and bring to shortly before boiling point. Reduce heat to low and let it simmer for 30 minutes.
Serve hot, topped with avocado, fresh herbs, seeds,..

Notes

*The weight of the canned goods are measured in undrained g/oz. Once drained they weigh less.
Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.