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Chunky Vegan Chili with Kidney Beans and Tempeh
This chunky vegan chili is hearty, nourishing, and so cozy, with chunks of veggies, kidney beans, and marinated tempeh.
Why We Love This Chunky Vegan Chili
- Hearty & Satisfying: The chunks of tempeh, veggies, and beans create a very hearty bite – a nice contrast to the typical ground/minced texture of chili.
- Easy & Flavorful: This recipe does include a few extra steps compared to the typical one-pot chili, but the method is very simple. Just steam, marinate, and bake the tempeh. Then while the tempeh is baking, make the chili. These extra steps for the tempeh make it so much more flavorful and give it a firm, hearty texture so the tempeh doesn’t get too soft in the chili.
- High in Plant Protein & Fiber: This vegan chili uses tempeh and kidney beans for protein, so there are 23 grams of protein in each serving. And thanks to the beans and various veggies, each serving also provides 14 grams of fiber!
Key Ingredients
- Tempeh ⟶ The tempeh is steamed, marinated, and baked for optimum flavor and hearty texture.
- Kidney Beans ⟶ You can use other beans too like black beans, pinto beans, chickpeas, or butter beans.
- Spices ⟶ Instead of using American chili powder, which is a blend of spices, this recipe calls for individual spices to make our own unique spice blend. You may be surprised to see cocoa powder in the recipe, but it’s just a small amount – it won’t make the chili taste chocolate-y, but it will create a darker color and add a bit more depth of flavor.
- Tomatoes ⟶ Like any good chili recipe, tomatoes form the base flavor. I recommend using canned whole, peeled tomatoes over crushed or diced tomatoes. It’s easy enough to crush the tomatoes yourself, and I’ve heard that whole canned tomatoes are better quality than the crushed or diced ones (but don’t quote me on that).
- Veggies ⟶ Onions and garlic for the base flavor, then carrots, bell peppers, mushrooms, and zucchini cut into chunks for hearty texture. I like to bake the zucchini with the tempeh to add a little more smoky, sweet flavor. Feel free to try other veggies like celery, green beans, sweet potato, or corn.
How to Make
This is a brief overview. See the recipe card for full details.
Steam tempeh and marinate at least 30 minutes. 
Spread tempeh and zucchini on a lined baking sheet in a single layer. 
Bake at 400°F for about 30 minutes, flipping halfway, until browned on both sides. 
Meanwhile, make the chili: Cook onion in oil until translucent. 
Add garlic, carrots, and bell pepper and cook 2 minutes. 
Add mushrooms and cook 1-2 minutes until they start to soften and release liquid. 
Add spices and stir for 30 seconds to toast. 
Add tomatoes and crush with the back of a spoon. Stir in vegetable broth and simmer 15 minutes. 
Add kidney beans and simmer 10 minutes. 
Turn off heat and stir in tempeh and zucchini.
Chunky Vegan Chili FAQ
More Hearty Vegan Chilis
If you try out this recipe, don’t forget to leave a comment/rating down below and tag me in your photos on instagram @ellielikes.cooking. I love seeing all of your tasty recreations!
Chunky Vegan Chili with Kidney Beans and Tempeh
This chunky vegan chili is hearty, nourishing, and so cozy, with chunks of veggies, kidney beans, and marinated tempeh.
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Servings: 4
Ingredients
Spices
- 1½ tsp smoked paprika
- 1½ tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp pure chili powder1
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp cocoa powder
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
Tempeh and Zucchini
- 8 oz tempeh torn into bite-sized chunks
- 2 tsp soy sauce or tamari for gluten-free
- 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 large zucchini sliced into thick half moons
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Chili
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 small carrots chopped
- 1 bell pepper chopped
- 4 mushrooms chopped
- 15 oz-can whole tomatoes
- 1-1½ cups vegetable broth2
- 1½ cups kidney beans drained and rinsed
Instructions
- Mix spices together in a bowl until well combined.
- Marinate: Add tempeh chunks to a large microwave-safe bowl with 2 tablespoons of water. Cover and microwave for 3 minutes. Add soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and 2 tbsp of spices and toss until well combined. Set aside to marinate for at least 30 minutes (refrigerate if marinating longer).8 oz tempeh, 2 tsp soy sauce, 2 tsp balsamic vinegar, 2 tsp olive oil
- Preheat oven to 400°F/200°C.
- Bake: Toss zucchini with olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Spread tempeh and zucchini out on a lined baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for about 30 minutes, flipping halfway, until browned on both sides.1 large zucchini, 1 tbsp olive oil
- Meanwhile, prepare the chili. Heat oil in a pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook until translucent.2 tsp olive oil, 1 medium onion
- Add garlic, carrots, and bell pepper and cook another 2 minutes, stirring frequently.2 cloves garlic, 2 small carrots, 1 bell pepper
- Add mushrooms and cook 1-2 minutes until they start to soften.4 mushrooms
- Add remaining spices and stir for 30 seconds to toast. Deglaze the pot with some water if needed.
- Add tomatoes and crush them with a spoon.15 oz-can whole tomatoes
- Stir in 1 cup of vegetable broth. Simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add more broth if the chili gets too dry.1-1½ cups vegetable broth2
- Add kidney beans and simmer another 10 minutes.1½ cups kidney beans
- Stir in baked tempeh and zucchini. Turn off heat. Taste and add salt, pepper, or lime juice if desired.
- Serve immediately with your favorite garnishes: lime wedges, cilantro, green onions, avocado, sour cream, cheese, tortilla chips, etc.
Notes
1) Pure Chili Powder: Not to be confused with American chili powder which is a spice blend. You can use ancho chili powder*, Indian red chili powder*, or cayenne pepper. I used Indian red chili powder. For cayenne pepper, start with 1/4 teaspoon.
2) Vegetable Broth: I use water + 1/4 of a vegetable bouillon cube or 1/2 teaspoon of Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Base*.
*Disclosure: This page may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, but the price remains the same to you. Thank you for supporting Ellie Likes Cooking!
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