Veggie Loaded Tempeh Chili
Hearty and satisfying, this Veggie Loaded Tempeh Chili is easy to make and packed with protein and colorful veggies. This vegan chili is perfect for meal prep, stocking your freezer, and an easy dinner that’s family friendly even if your family isn’t vegan!
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I love chili. I’ve made it so many ways with so many different ingredients and I never get sick of it. Well, that’s not true. I got really stuck on it for meal prep for awhile and I think I ate it every day for 3 months? Then I didn’t look at chili again for almost a year.
I’ve definitely learned my lesson! I try to vary up my meal preps now. Some of my favorites lately: Tofu Egg Salad (coming soon!) with High Protein Bagels, Cabbage Mushroom Soup, Chickpea Tuna Salad, Pizza Flavored Savory Oats, Butter Bean Scramble, and Oil-Free Pasta Salad.
But anyway, back to this amazing tempeh chili. It’s got protein, it’s got veggies, and—most importantly—it’s got FLAVOR!
What I love about this vegan chili recipe is that it is super nutrient dense and yet it comes together in just about 30 minutes.
I’ve mentioned recently that I’ve been increasing my strength training workouts and really looking to put on some lean muscle mass. I’ve increased my protein a bit, which is good because my hunger sure is increasing with all this extra exercise! We’ve also been running a lot.
So the protein from the tempeh is great in this recipe. It also has a REALLY meaty texture. Tempeh is essentially a block of fermented soybeans and it is very nutritious.
Speaking of nutritious, there are so many veggies in this recipe, so if you’re looking to add (or sneak!) in more veggies, this tempeh chili is an excellent way to do that.
It’s also really easy, really delicious, and pretty inexpensive! I like to buy my tempeh from Trader Joe’s (very inexpensive there; I go once a month to stock up on my faves) or you can wait for a sale and stock up! Tempeh freezes well, and you can either cook it up and then freeze it or just toss the unopened package in the freezer and thaw it later when you’re ready to use it.
Okay, let’s get to making our plant based chili!
Ingredients
See the recipe card below for the full ingredients list (with amounts) and instructions.
- Veggies: This recipe features yellow onions (sweet onions will also work), carrot, red bell pepper, mushrooms, and garlic (use fresh or jarred minced garlic according to your preference).
- Tempeh: You can usually find tempeh next to the tofu and mock meats in a refrigerated case in the produce section of your local grocery stores. I live in a small town nearly an hour away from a Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s, but I love that most of the grocery stores in my town carry tempeh and it often goes on sale. I do find the Trader Joe’s price to be lower, though, so if you have one near you you should check it out!
- Spices: For this plant based chili I used chili powder, granulated garlic, ground cumin, paprika, smoked paprika, ground rosemary (optional but I think it enhances the meatiness), and fresh cracked black pepper to season it. I also added a little salt to taste at the end.
- Nutritional Yeast: This does NOT make the chili taste cheesy, it gives it a deeper flavor and I highly recommend it! I often add this to my recipes to enhance the flavor profile without adding more sodium. It also adds a pinch more protein!
- Beans: I used 1 can (15 ounce) each of no-salt-added kidney beans and no-salt-added black beans. You can cook your beans from scratch if you wish! In that case you’ll need about a cup and a half of each (cooked).
- Diced Tomatoes and Crushed Tomatoes: I used 1 can (14.5 ounce) each of diced tomatoes and crushed tomatoes. You can use fresh chopped tomatoes for the diced if you prefer, but the crushed tomatoes add a good dose of tomato broth to our tempeh chili.
- Optional Toppings: I like to keep it simple and top my tempeh chili with fresh chopped green onions and a dollop of either hummus (sounds weird but trust me, it’s good!) or tofu sour cream.
Substitutions
- Veggies: You can basically use any veggies you like in this recipe! If you don’t like any of the ones I listed above, try any of the following: any other color bell pepper, diced zucchini, chopped green beans, finely chopped broccoli or cauliflower, corn, etc. It’s up to you! Try to keep the volume of vegetables the same, though, or you may throw the flavors off balance (if you’re experienced in modifying recipes, more power to you!).
- Tempeh: Well, this IS a recipe for tempeh chili, but you can use any other meat substitute you choose or leave it out if you prefer.
- Spices: If you have a favorite chili spice packet, feel free to use that. And mess with the spices if you don’t like the amounts I’ve listed in the recipe card below. It’s all about personal preference! For example, I’m not a big cumin fan, so I add a little less than most people do.
- Nutritional Yeast: You can leave this out if you can’t have it. But if you can eat it and you’re just skeptical, give it a try! You can use half the amount if you’re nervous, but I really enjoy how this plant based chili turns out!
- Beans: Feel free to use your favorite beans in this recipe, or leave them out if beans in your chili isn’t your thing!
- Tomatoes: Stewed tomatoes or any combination of canned tomatoes (except whole…) should work very well in this recipe! I’d try to keep the amount around 28-30 ounces total so you don’t throw off the ratios.
How to Make Tempeh Chili
Watch me make this recipe or follow the step-by-step instructions below.
- Sauté the veggies: Heat a large nonstick pot (at least 4.5 quarts) over medium high heat for a few minutes. Add the onions and carrots. Sauté for 4 minutes, adding water or veggie broth 1 tablespoon at a time to prevent the veggies from sticking.
- Add remaining veggies and tempeh: Add the red bell pepper, mushrooms, and crumbled tempeh. Stir and cook 4 more minutes, adding water or broth as needed to prevent sticking.
- Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
- Add remaining ingredients: Add the spices and nutritional yeast and stir well. Then add the beans and tomatoes.
- Cook: Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low and simmer 10-12 minutes. Stir occasionally, scraping the bottom of the pot to make sure nothing is sticking. You may add more liquid in the form of tomatoes or vegetable broth as desired, though I didn’t need to add any as I like my tempeh chili quite thick.
- Serve: Ladle chili into bowls and serve with a dollop of tofu sour cream or creamy hummus (really, it’s delicious) and chopped green onions. Enjoy!
- Store: Let chili cool down for a little bit and store in airtight containers for up to 5 days. You can also freeze the chili in freezer-safe containers (I like using souper cubes) for up to 6 months.
Serving Suggestions
Chili is best when served hot with a dollop of something cold and creamy on top. My absolute favorite thing to put on top of chili is chilled Creamy Hummus, and I know that might sound weird, but it’s really good!
You can also do Tofu Sour Cream, or mix a little of my Instant Pot Soy Yogurt with lemon juice and salt, if you prefer.
Another way to serve this chili is as a dip with oil-free tortilla chips and maybe some Edamame Guacamole if you like!
Or make some oil-free potato wedges (coming soon) and some of my Plant Based Nacho Cheese Sauce or Silken Tofu Cheese Sauce for healthy Chili Cheese Fries!
I’ve used leftover chili in wraps before too with romaine lettuce, cucumber, tomato, and more hummus. Great for taking to work or school as an easy and satisfying lunch!
More Plant Based Mains You’ll Love
- Plant Based Burrito Bowl
- Creamy Mushroom Stroganoff
- Oil-Free Pasta Salad
- Golden Beet Beans and Greens
- Butter Bean Scramble
- Bell Pepper Nachos
- Portobello Pizzas
Veggie Loaded Tempeh Chili
Equipment
- 1 Spatula
- 1 Ladle
Ingredients
- Water or Broth, as needed to cook veggies
- 1 Medium Yellow Onion, diced
- 1 Medium Red Bell Pepper, diced
- 1 Medium Carrot, peeled and finely chopped
- 6 Ounces Mushrooms, diced (white or cremini work well)
- 2 8-Ounce Packages Tempeh, crumbled
- 4-6 Cloves Garlic, minced
- 15 Ounce Can Kidney Beans, drained and rinsed (I like to get the no-salt-added kind)
- 15 Ounce Can Black Beans, drained and rinsed
- 14.5 Ounce Can Diced Tomatoes, can use fire roasted for more flavor
- 14.5 Ounce Can Crushed Tomatoes
- 4 Tablespoons Non-Fortified Nutritional Yeast, see Notes for explanation
- 2 Tablespoons Chili Powder, to taste
- 1 Teaspoon Granulated Garlic
- ½ Teaspoon Ground Cumin, to taste
- ½ Teaspoon Paprika
- ½ Teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- ½ Teaspoon Ground Rosemary, optional
- Salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Sauté the veggies: Heat a large nonstick pot (at least 4.5 quarts) over medium high heat for a few minutes. Add the onions and carrots. Sauté for 4 minutes, adding water or veggie broth 1 tablespoon at a time to prevent the veggies from sticking.
- Add remaining veggies and tempeh: Add the red bell pepper, mushrooms, and crumbled tempeh. Stir and cook 4 more minutes, adding water or broth as needed to prevent sticking.
- Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
- Add remaining ingredients: Add the spices and nutritional yeast and stir well. Then add the beans and tomatoes.
- Cook: Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low and simmer 10-12 minutes. Stir occasionally, scraping the bottom of the pot to make sure nothing is sticking. You may add more liquid in the form of tomatoes or vegetable broth as desired, though I didn't need to add any as I like my tempeh chili quite thick.
- Serve: Ladle chili into bowls and serve with a dollop of tofu sour cream or creamy hummus (really, it's delicious) and chopped green onions. Enjoy!
- Store: Let chili cool down for a little bit and store in airtight containers for up to 5 days. You can also freeze the chili in freezer-safe containers (I like using souper cubes) for up to 6 months.
Video
Notes
- Veggies: You can basically use any veggies you like in this recipe! If you don’t like any of the ones I listed above, try any of the following: any other color bell pepper, diced zucchini, chopped green beans, finely chopped broccoli or cauliflower, corn, etc. It’s up to you! Try to keep the volume of vegetables the same, though, or you may throw the flavors off balance (if you’re experienced in modifying recipes, more power to you!).
- Tempeh: Well, this IS a recipe for tempeh chili, but you can use any other meat substitute you choose or leave it out if you prefer.
- Spices: If you have a favorite chili spice packet, feel free to use that. And mess with the spices if you don’t like the amounts I’ve listed in the recipe card below. It’s all about personal preference! For example, I’m not a big cumin fan, so I add a little less than most people do.
- Nutritional Yeast: You can leave this out if you can’t have it. But if you can eat it and you’re just skeptical, give it a try! You can use half the amount if you’re nervous, but I really enjoy how this plant based chili turns out!
- Beans: Feel free to use your favorite beans in this recipe, or leave them out if beans in your chili isn’t your thing!
- Tomatoes: Stewed tomatoes or any combination of canned tomatoes (except whole…) should work very well in this recipe! I’d try to keep the amount around 28-30 ounces total so you don’t throw off the ratios.
