This vegetarian chili includes three different beans, tons of veggies and cheese to make an excellent comfort food for winter days!

Personally, foods like this slow cooker vegetarian chili along with meatloaf and beef stroganoff are comfort foods.

I’m not sure if you agree with me but my husband sure does not. A while back I asked him what his favorite “comfort food” was and he responded “ice cream” and “cookies.” I laughed.

Apparently, some people believe comfort food to be synonymous with “junk food.” I guess I never thought about it like that before but I understood his point.

Anyways, this chili is hearty and warms the body and thus is comforting to eat. Let’s leave it at that.

This year I am proud to be a dairy ambassador with United Dairy Industry of Michigan (Milk Means More) which means I’ll be bringing you consistent delicious recipes containing Michigan produced dairy products all year long!

This month’s focus is eating healthy while sticking with a budget.

I choose this vegetarian chili because I recently stocked up on non-perishable canned goods when they were on sale. So I had plenty of canned beans and tomatoes.

And when it comes to dairy products, look for blocks of cheese versus pre-shredded. It’s much cheaper to shred your own!

And of course, you can use pretty much any vegetables you have on hand, just keep in mind if you’re adding more tender vegetables like spinach add them the last hour of cooking.

Dietitian’s Dish

To save even more money consider purchasing dry beans and cook them the day before you need them.

You can also freeze the extra cooked beans to save on prep the next time you need them. Here’s a great tutorial I found for cooking and freezing beans.

Stove Top Vegetable Bean Chili

A simple and satisfying vegetarian meal!

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Total Time 40

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium sweet onion chopped
1 bell pepper chopped
2 celery stalks chopped
2 medium carrots peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried cumin
1 bay leaf
salt to taste
2 (15-ounce) cans reduced-sodium beans (pinto, black, kidney, etc) drained and rinsed
2 (15-ounce) cans diced tomatoes
2 cups vegetable or chicken broth (if not vegetarian)
2 teaspoons lime juice
Optional toppings: sour cream, shredded cheese, avocado slices

Instructions

Heat oil in a Dutch oven or a large stockpot over medium heat. Stir in onion, bell pepper, carrots, and celery. Cook for about 7–10 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
Stir in all spices.
Add beans, diced tomatoes and vegetable broth.
Bring to a simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in lime juice and remove bay leaf.
Add desired toppings.

Notes

Remove bay leaf before serving.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Want to learn more about the dairy industry in addition to more delicious recipes and nutrition tidbits? Check out the Milk Means More website or follow them on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and YouTube.

Disclaimer: I am proud to be an ambassador for Milk Means More. I was compensated for my time but my views and opinion on this post are and will always be my own. I will only partner with brands that I believe promote or provide products that fit into a healthy, balanced lifestyle.

This Slow Cooker Vegetarian Chili post first appeared on Chocolate Slopes.