Vegetarian Recipes
Easy Vegetarian Chili
https://www.loveandlemons.com/vegetarian-chili-recipe/
Meet the best vegetarian chili recipe I’ve tasted! Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce and fire-roasted tomatoes give it a delicious smoky kick.
Once the temperature starts dropping, I start craving comfort food. Lasagna, Mac and Cheese, Eggplant Parmesan, you name it. But while I love love love all of those things, some nights I want to get my comfort food fix with as little work as possible. That’s where this easy vegetarian chili recipe comes in.
Like any good veggie chili, it’s hearty, warming, smoky, and spicy. Made with a short list of pantry ingredients, it packs in a hefty amount of veggies, but it’s so yummy that even a meat lover will fall for it (just ask Jack!). To make it, you only need to do a few minutes of hands-on prep. Then, let it simmer away on its own – you can check back in 30 minutes later to dish up a delicious vegetarian chili dinner.
Easy and satisfying, this is a great recipe for busy weeknights, game day, or any time you’re craving something cozy. Enjoy!
Vegetarian Chili Recipe Ingredients
My vegetarian chili recipe is filled with the chili essentials: onion, garlic, red bell pepper, pinto and kidney beans, lime, olive oil, salt, and black pepper. For a colorful twist, I add in corn kernels. Fresh or frozen corn works equally well, adding pops of yellow and a little crunch.
Then, instead of stirring in regular diced tomatoes, I add fire roasted diced tomatoes. A pantry staple in my kitchen, fire roasted tomatoes are my first pick anytime I use diced tomatoes in a recipe. They have the same concentrated tomato flavor, but they also add an irresistible smokiness to whatever you’re making, which is really delicious in this chili recipe.
Finally, in lieu of chili powder, I use canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. They’re super smoky, spicy, and savory, which makes for one darn good bowl of veggie chili. If you’ve never used them before, you can find them in the Mexican section of most grocery stores. Use any leftovers in my favorite chipotle sauce, BBQ sandwiches, or vegan nachos!
Once you prep your ingredients, making this recipe is easy! Just sauté the onion, garlic, and peppers, stir in the remaining ingredients, and simmer until the chili thickens to your desired consistency. Finish it off with a big squeeze of lime, and dig in!
Store any leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days (they get more flavorful with time!), or freeze them for even longer.
Vegetarian Chili Serving Suggestions
My favorite part of making vegetarian chili is loading it up with toppings! I especially love this recipe with a dollop of Greek yogurt to cool the heat from the smoky chipotles. I like to finish it with pickled onions, sliced chiles, and cilantro. Feel free to get creative with your toppings – shredded cheese, sour cream, pickled jalapeños, avocado, guacamole, or charred corn kernels would all be great.
Enjoy a bowl of this chili on its own, or pair it with tortilla chips, cornbread, or a baked sweet potato for a heartier meal. Or, for a fun game day snack, top it onto sweet potato wedges to make sweet potato chili fries!
Easy Vegetarian Chili Recipe Variations
I love this recipe as written, but if you’re particular about your chili, change it up to suit your preferences! Here are a few easy variations:
- Use your favorite beans. I’ve been known to make this recipe with everything ranging from black beans to chickpeas, and it always comes out great. Use your favorite beans (or whatever you have in your pantry) instead of the pinto and/or kidney beans.
- Add extra veggies. Do you love a veggie-heavy chili? Add a stalk of celery or carrots to the pot along with the onion.
- Spice to your level. Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce can vary in spice level, so if you’re sensitive to spice, start with less than the recipe calls for. You can always add more!
How do you like your vegetarian chili? Let me know in the comments!
Easy Vegetarian Chili
Author: Jeanine Donofrio
Recipe type: Soup
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 (14-ounce) can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
- 1 (14-ounce) can red beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (14-ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup water or broth
- 3 chipotle peppers from canned chipotles in adobo, diced, plus 3 tablespoons sauce*
- 1 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen
- 1 tablespoon lime juice, plus wedges for serving
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Avocado or Guacamole
- Greek yogurt or sour cream
- Jalapeño or serrano peppers, diced or sliced
- Cilantro
- Pickled Onions
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, a few pinches of salt and pepper, and stir. Cook until the onion is translucent, 5 minutes, then add the garlic and red pepper. Stir and cook until soft, 5 to 8 minutes, turning the heat down as needed.
- Add the tomatoes, beans, water, chipotles, adobo sauce, corn, salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chili has thickened.
- Stir in the lime juice and season to taste. Serve with desired toppings.
*Chipotle peppers vary in spice level. If you’re sensitive to spice, start with less. If you love spice, add more to taste. If your chili is too spicy, add more lime juice and a bit of olive oil to tone it down.
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Vegetarian Recipes
Ricotta Toast 4 Ways
I love a slice of avocado toast as much as the next person, but have you ever tried Ricotta Toast? Now, that’s what I call a breakfast upgrade! I whip creamy ricotta cheese with lemon zest, olive oil, and a sprinkle of salt to create a luxurious (but budget-friendly!) tangy spread that stores well in the fridge and tastes AMAZING on a slice of crispy sourdough toast. But my favorite part? There are endless ways to dress up ricotta toast, and I’ve shared four delicious variations below!
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this whipped ricotta toast recipe:
- Whole Milk Ricotta: This is a creamy, slightly sweet, soft cheese made from the whey leftovers from making other types of cheese, like mozzarella. I recommend using whole milk ricotta to get the creamiest texture and best flavor for your toast.
- Sourdough: You can use any type of bread you’d usually use to make toast. But, in my opinion, the best bread for ricotta toast is one that’s sturdy with a chewy crumb and crisp crust—like sourdough! I buy a whole loaf and slice it myself to get nice, thick slices. Other good options include whole grain, ciabatta, French bread, or bagels!
- Lemon Zest: I zest a whole lemon and mix it with the creamy cheese. This adds the most delicious citrusy zing to the spread. Budget-friendly tip: Store the zested lemon in your fridge to make lemon water, lemonade, or to use in other recipes (like our homemade lemon curd!)
- Olive Oil: Adds flavor and helps the cheese to whip up smooth and creamy.
- Salt: It doesn’t matter if I’m making sweet or savory ricotta on toast; I always add a pinch of salt to make the flavors pop.
Tips & Suggestions!
- I highly recommend using whole milk ricotta. The higher fat content helps the cheese to whip up smooth and creamy with a cloud-like texture. Plus, the flavor is unbeatable! Lower fat options can be too watery and won’t whip to the same consistency. BUT if that’s all you have on hand, please don’t waste it! The texture won’t be the same as what’s shown in my process photos below, but it’ll still work as a topping for toast.
- Don’t have a hand mixer? Try your food processor! You could also whip it by hand, but it’ll take a lot longer and require some serious arm strength.
- It’s pretty common for ricotta to have a small amount of liquid (whey) on top when you open the container. Whenever that happens, I just stir it in before measuring my cheese.
- This creamy spread isn’t just for toast! I love it as a dip for fresh vegetables, mixed with pasta for a quick sauce, smothered on a sliced baguette as an appetizer, or as a spread on sandwiches. It’s really versatile and stores well in the fridge for a few days.
Make it Ahead
I love a breakfast I can prep ahead, so you already know this ricotta toast recipe is in my meal prep rotation! Make the whipped ricotta as directed in the recipe card, and store it in the fridge for 3-4 days. I usually give it a quick mix to reincorporate any liquid that may have separated before using. Then, all I do is toast my sourdough and add any toppings I fancy that day. It’s almost as easy as my overnight oats for breakfast meal prep. 😉
Ricotta Toast Variations
I think this whipped ricotta toast base recipe is delicious as-is, but it’s even better with toppings! I’ve tested many different topping combinations, but here are four stand-out favorites:
Roasted Grapes, Thyme, and Bacon
This topping is perfect for when you can’t decide between savory or sweet. Toss your grapes in a light coating of olive oil and roast in a 400°F oven for 10-15 minutes or until they become wrinkled and soft. You can cook the bacon however you’d like, but I recommend cooking it in the oven, as it’s already on and hot! Chop the cooked bacon into bite-sized pieces, layer your roasted grapes on top of the ricotta, and sprinkle with fresh thyme leaves.
Tomatoes, Basil, and Balsamic Reduction
Tomatoes, basil, and balsamic are ALWAYS a winning combination. Any kind of tomatoes work for this topping! Add a drizzle of balsamic reduction on top and fresh basil leaves, and you’re basically eating bruschetta for breakfast! YUM.
Strawberry, Mint, and Honey
This whipped ricotta toast topping makes me dream of summer mornings. Bonus points if you grow your own mint and strawberries (season-dependent, of course!). Simply slice fresh strawberries, layer them on top of the toast, and sprinkle with torn mint leaves and a drizzle of honey. The flavors are so light and refreshing, and it really couldn’t be easier to make. You could also use other types of berries, like raspberries or blueberries.
Mushrooms, Garlic, Wilted Spinach, and Red Pepper Flakes
For this one-pan topping, sauté sliced mushrooms (any type) in olive oil with a sprinkle of salt for about 5 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for another minute or so, then mix in fresh spinach until wilted. Season to taste before adding to your whipped ricotta with a pinch of red pepper flakes. The juicy mushrooms are irresistible, and the wilted spinach is a great way to sneak in some green veggies for breakfast, too.
More Topping Ideas!
I honestly can’t think of a single savory or sweet ingredient that wouldn’t work well with this creamy, tangy lemon ricotta toast base recipe. Here are a few more ideas to get your creative juices flowing:
- Any fruit (fresh or frozen and thawed!)
- Smashed avocado
- Caramelized onions
- Fruit jam (fig, apricot, raspberry would all be amazing)
- Balsamic roasted mushrooms
- Sliced prosciutto or other cured meats
- Chopped nuts
- Pesto
- Tomato relish
- Anything pickled (pickles, pickled jalapenos, pickled red onions, etc.)
- Sun-dried tomatoes
- Poached eggs
Ricotta Toast Recipe
Equipment
-
Hand Mixer
Ingredients
- 15 oz tub of whole milk ricotta (just shy of 2 cups) $2.67
- 2 tsp lemon zest* $0.50
- 1 Tbsp olive oil $0.19
- ¼ tsp salt $0.01
- 1 lb loaf of sourdough** $3.99
Instructions
-
Combine ricotta cheese, lemon zest, olive oil and salt in a medium mixing bowl.
-
Using a hand mixer, whip the ingredients together until they are smooth and creamy.
-
Slice sourdough into thick slices and toast.
-
Using a spatula or a butter knife, generously top the toasted sourdough. You can save any extra ricotta in the fridge and use it for easy meal prep throughout the week. The best part about this base recipe is that the ricotta mixture lends itself to both sweet and savory toppings.
-
Top the ricotta with any flavor combinations you love or just enjoy it as-is with a sprinkle of salt and a crank or two of freshly ground black pepper. Enjoy immediately for the best texture.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Notes
**The bake-at-home sourdough loaves from Kroger are a nice option, but they don’t yield as many slices as a pre-sliced loaf, so use whatever you like best!
Nutrition
how to make Ricotta Toast – step by step photos
Combine 15 oz ricotta cheese, 2 tsp lemon zest, 1 Tbsp olive oil, and ¼ tsp salt in a medium mixing bowl.
Using a hand mixer, whip the ingredients together until they are smooth and creamy.
Slice a 1 lb loaf of sourdough into thick slices and toast.
Using a spatula or a butter knife, generously top the toasted sourdough. You can save any extra ricotta in the fridge and use it for easy meal prep throughout the week. The best part about this base recipe is that the ricotta mixture lends itself to both sweet and savory toppings.
Top the ricotta with any flavor combinations you love or just enjoy it as-is with a sprinkle of salt and a crank or two of freshly ground black pepper. Enjoy immediately for the best texture.
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The post Ricotta Toast 4 Ways appeared first on Budget Bytes.
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