Chili Two Ways: Meat & Vegetarian
🌿🔥 Different plates. Same table.
🥩 Meat: My mother-in-law's hearty beef chili—three pounds of ground beef and absolutely no beans.
🌱 Vegetarian: A hearty chili made with black beans, pinto beans, peppers and onions.
🌾 Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free: Both versions can easily be gluten-free and dairy-free. Just check the labels on your broth, chili powder and other packaged ingredients, and use dairy-free toppings if needed.
Chili is one of those meals I love making on the weekend. It takes a little more time, but when you make a big batch, you get dinner that night and leftovers for an easy meal during the week.
In our house, though, there isn't just one pot of chili.
My husband loves his mom’s chili. It's hearty, meaty and, most importantly, there are no beans. He's never been a fan of them.
My chili is pretty much the opposite. Mine is packed with black beans, pinto beans and vegetables.
The funny thing is, the two recipes actually have a lot in common. They use many of the same seasonings and basic ingredients. I just change the main ingredients depending on who's eating.
And that's exactly how I like to cook.
I'm not making two completely different dinners. I'm starting with the same idea and making a few changes so everyone gets a bowl of chili they actually want to eat.
Serve it over a baked sweet potato, scoop it up with tortilla chips, add avocado, sour cream, shredded cheese or just eat it straight from the bowl.
There really isn't a wrong way to eat chili.
My Mother-in-Law's Beef Chili
Ingredients
2 large onions, chopped
¼ cup vegetable oil
2 garlic cubes or 2 cloves
2 carrots, grated
3 pounds ground beef
¼ cup chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
2 (8-ounce) cans tomato sauce
1¼ cups beef broth
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
1. Sauté the vegetables.
Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add the garlic cubes or cloves and grated carrots and cook for about 1 minute.
2. Add the beef.
Add the ground beef and cook over medium heat, breaking it up as it cooks, until it is no longer pink, about 10 minutes.
3. Add the spices.
Add the chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano and crushed red pepper flakes. Stir and cook for about 1 minute to let the spices warm up.
4. Add the remaining ingredients.
Stir in the tomato sauce, beef broth and cider vinegar. Bring the chili to a boil.
5. Simmer.
Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until the chili is thick and flavorful. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Serve.
Serve warm with your favorite toppings.
My Vegetarian Chili
Ingredients
1 red pepper, sliced
1 onion, sliced
2 garlic cubes
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained
1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, drained
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon of paprika
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
⅔ cup vegetable broth
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
1. Sauté the vegetables.
Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the sliced onion and red pepper and sauté for about 10 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic cubes and cook for another minute.
2. Add the beans.
Add the drained black beans and pinto beans.
3. Add the remaining ingredients.
Stir in the cider vinegar, chili powder, tomato sauce, vegetable broth and crushed red pepper flakes.
4. Simmer.
Bring the chili to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Make it thick.
Right before the chili is finished, use a potato masher to gently mash about half of the chili. This thickens it up while still leaving plenty of whole beans and vegetables. Cook for another 10 minutes.
6. Serve.
Serve warm with your favorite toppings. And sweet potato!
Different pots. Different chili. Different toppings. Same table.
Helpful Hints
This chili takes a little time, which is exactly why I love making it on a Saturday or Sunday. Enjoy it for dinner and save the leftovers for an easy meal during the week.
If you're making both versions, prep all your vegetables and seasonings first. Since the recipes have so many similar ingredients, it makes the process much easier.
For the vegetarian chili, mashing about half of the chili at the end gives it a thicker, heartier texture without adding anything extra.
Fresh garlic is great, but frozen garlic cubes are one of my favorite shortcuts. They're easy, they're always ready to go, and they save me from pulling out the cutting board and knife.
Cheddar cheese, sour cream, chopped onions, avocado, tortilla chips—or whatever you love on chili! Everyone can make their bowl their own.
Not a fan of too much heat? Add a little less crushed red pepper flakes. You can always add more, but you can't take it out!