Veggie Loaded Chili Recipe (2024)

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This Veggie Loaded Chilirecipe is packed full with healthy vegetables and fiber-rich beans – it’s great for any occasion from game day to a family dinner. It’s a diabetic-friendly recipe too.

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When we were first married, David was totally against having chili for dinner because he had it so much as a kid. I didn’t have it often as a child, so I welcomed the idea of chili for dinner, and I especially loved how inexpensive it was to make.

Over the years, David slowly started to accept the idea of chili as a meal. It mostly came about in 2009 or so when we started changing the way we ate. We wanted to eat healthy meals that didn’t always include a chicken breast, and making chili was a perfect fit.

The Veggie Chili recipe I am sharing with you today is very similar to the chili we’ve been throwing together for years, with one big (and delicious) difference: it’s loaded in vegetables. I never considered adding this many vegetables to our chili, but now that I’ve made this Veggie Chili, I’m not sure I could ever go back.

Veggie Loaded Chili Recipe (2)

This recipe comes from the American Diabetes Association cookbook called Healthy Calendar Diabetic Cooking by Lara Rondinelli-Hamilton, RD, LDN, CDE, and Chef Jennifer Bucko Lamplough. It contains a full year of menus and easy recipes. As I mentioned two weeks ago, I never would have considered using a diabetic cookbook for my own healthy eating. I would have just assumed that they are for those with diabetes, and if you don’t have diabetes, there is no sense in cooking with such recipes, right?

How wrong I was!

Veggie Loaded Chili Recipe (3)

I’vequickly learned that diabetic cookbooks, like Healthy Calendar, have the kind of wholesome recipes that we need. The Healthy Calendar Diabetic Cooking cookbook includes hundreds of recipes too — all of them laid out according to month, which also includes weekly menus and shopping lists. As someone who loves timesavers and things perfectly organized, I am a huge fan of all of this.

Now, as I mentioned this chili is packed full of veggies. When you make it, be sure to prep everything beforehand and then it’s a breeze to cook up. For the zucchini, I cut it in quarters lengthwise and then sliced to give little triangle chunks. The carrots were peeled and then sliced in my food processor (you could do it by hand). The original recipe called for green bell peppers, but we decided to go with a red bell peppers, which definitely made this a colorful chili.

Veggie Loaded Chili Recipe (4)

While you could have this chili anytime, I think it’s particularly great for game day. So often game day food isn’t the healthiest and while I love those things as much as the next person, this recipe is something everyone can enjoy, even if they aren’t losing weight or a person with diabetes.

Veggie Loaded Chili Recipe (5)

I served our Veggie Chili with optional toppings, such as shredded cheese, light sour cream, sliced jalapenos and hot sauce for those who wanted it spicier. Of course, adding toppings willalter the nutritional content of the recipe. You don’t have to use extra toppings — this chili is delicious without extras —but everyone in our house liked creating their own chili masterpieces.

Veggie Loaded Chili Recipe (6)

Veggie Loaded Chili Recipe

If eating healthier is important to you too, I encourage you to check out the catalog of American Diabetes Associationcookbooks – there is lots of great titles available for every type of cooking.

Here’s the full Veggie Loaded Chili recipe – be sure to pin to Pinterest for safe keeping!

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Veggie Loaded Chili Recipe (7)

Veggie Loaded Chili Recipe

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  • Yield: 8 servings 1x
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Description

This Veggie Loaded Chilirecipe is packed full with healthy vegetables and fiber-rich beans – it’s great for any occasion from game day to a family dinner. It’s a diabetic-friendly recipe too.

Ingredients

Scale

  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 1 medium onion (chopped)
  • 4 carrots (sliced)
  • 1 green bell pepper (chopped)
  • 1 zucchini (chopped)
  • 2 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1, 16- ounce can kidney beans (rinsed and drained)
  • 1, 16- ounce can black beans (rinsed and drained)
  • 1, 15- ounce can tomato sauce
  • 2, 14.5- ounce cans no-salt-added diced tomatoes in juice

Instructions

  1. Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat.
  2. Add onion and carrots and sauté 5 minutes. Add green pepper and zucchini and sauté another 2 minutes.
  3. Add garlic and sauté 30 seconds. Add chili powder and all remaining ingredients; bring to a boil.
  4. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30-35 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.

Notes

Calories 179
Carbohydrate 33 g
Protein 9 g
Fat 3 g
Saturated Fat 0 g
Dietary Fiber 10 g
Cholesterol 0 mg
Sodium 492 mg

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1
  • Calories: 179
  • Fat: 3
  • Saturated Fat: 0
  • Carbohydrates: 33
  • Fiber: 10
  • Protein: 9
  • Cholesterol: 0

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Veggie Loaded Chili Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What secret ingredient will deepen the flavor of your chili? ›

Stir some puréed pumpkin into your chili just after sautéing your aromatics (onions, garlic, etc...) and before adding any liquid. This will deepen and sweeten its flavor, making it a great balance for all the chile peppers and heat.

What can I add to chili to make it unique? ›

Cocoa powder, bacon, cinnamon, ground coffee and tomato paste will all add a rich sweet & salty flavors that are sure to surprise and delight. Warming spice blends, like Garam Masala, Ras el Hanout or Baharat are another simple and delicious way to add layered flavors to this simple one-pot meal.

What can I add to canned chili to make it better? ›

You can also add sour cream and sliced avocado for a rich, creamy addition. Bring in some crunch with corn chips or tortilla strips. Freshly sliced tomatoes, red onion, jalapeño peppers, and cilantro are other great ways to dress up your serving of chili.

What are good toppings for chili? ›

Choose your chili topping bar ideas: Guacamole, Pico de gallo, diced tomatoes, sliced avocado, diced red onion/pickled red onion, sliced scallions, sliced/pickled radish, sliced/pickled jalapeños, chopped fresh cilantro, lime wedges, shredded cheddar cheese, crumbled queso fresco, sour cream/Greek yogurt, queso dip, ...

What do Mexicans eat with chilli? ›

And to serve

In Mexico, they make a green rice, using a long-grain variety flavoured with salsa verde. Paul also suggests trying an ancient grain such as quinoa or faro, as well as corn tortillas and condiments such as guacamole, salsas and sour cream. “Chilli con carne is very communal,” he says.

What not to put in chili? ›

Beans and non-vegetable fillers such as rice and pasta are not allowed." If that sounds a bit uptight, the ICS's Homestyle Chili competition defines chili as: "any kind of meat, or combination of meats, and/or vegetables cooked with beans, chili peppers, various spices, and other ingredients.

What is the best liquid for chili? ›

Chili cooks low and slow, so you need enough liquid to tenderize the meat and keep everything from drying out. That liquid should also add flavor to the chili, so use chicken, beef, or vegetable stock, or beer.

Are carrots good in chili? ›

thinly sliced carrots

Carrot "coins" often make an appearance in autumn stews, but they can also add a nutritional punch to beef chili. Plus, isn't the phrase "carrot coin" fun?

What is the most important spice in chili? ›

Most Common Chili Spices. Cumin, Chile Powders, and Paprika are the most common spices in chili followed by garlic, onion, coriander, Mexican oregano, and bay leaves. These ingredients can be combined to create a savory and well-balanced pot of top notch comfort food.

What does cinnamon do for chili? ›

Cinnamon. The beauty of ground cinnamon is that it brings a warmth to your chili, without being spicy. It works well with other flavors commonly found in chili (like tomato, cumin and chile powder) so you only need a little bit to achieve the desired balance.

What kind of onion goes in chili? ›

Sweet onions are great for caramelizing due to their higher sugar content. You can cook them into your chili, serve them raw over top, or even elevate your chili with a sophisticated caramelized onion topping! Some of my favorite sweet onions are Walla, Walla, Maui, and Vidalia Onions.

How do you make chili taste more meaty? ›

In a pot of chili, just a few strips of bacon add a smoky, meaty depth. And it's not just the bacon itself that adds flavor, it's the bacon fat, too. Before you start your recipe, cook 3 to 4 strips of thick-cut bacon until they're as crispy as you like.

What goes with chili instead of rice? ›

Some of the best choices for what to serve with chilli con carne instead of rice include sweet potato wedges, couscous, cauliflower and broccoli rice, tortilla wraps, fries, cornbread, mashed potatoes, roast potatoes, pitta breads, and quinoa.

Should I put celery in chili? ›

Onions, Celery & Garlic: This is the start of really great flavor of “filling” for your chili. It can be considered a mirepoix, although not the traditional one we think of (onions, celery and carrots). We like to use a yellow or white onion.

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