Three Bean Quinoa Chili ‹ Glitter Spice

A big bowl of chili is probably one of my favorite comfort foods. I have been known to make a big pot of chili at the beginning of the week, and eat off of it all week-long. I love that I can add avocado, scallions, cheese, cilantro, jalapenos, tortilla chips, etc. It is kind of like a choose your own adventure dish that just makes me so so happy. We were invited to a potluck last week, while San Diego was having a teeny chilly spell (pun intended), so chili just seemed like the perfect dish. Being a vegetarian at a potluck can be a bit interesting, because you never know if there is going to be something for you to eat there. To prevent this from happening, I always try to bring a dish that is vegetarian friendly and filling at the same time. This is the great thing about chili…it is super filling, really healthy and ALL the cool kids usually love it.

I already have a veggie chili recipe on my blog, but that one has soy crumbles in it. I never know what kind of dietary restrictions I am going to run into at a potluck, so just to be safe I threw in a bunch of beans and added quinoa into this new and improved chili. This way my chili packed a protein punch and was soy and gluten-free. Check out the recipe below for the perfect potluck dish.

Ingredients

*Note* – Feel free to used whatever veggies you have on hand, I just used what I had in the fridge.

1 Cup Quinoa, cooked
2 28 oz Cans Organic Crushed Tomatoes, pureed
2 Cups, Low Sodium Veggie Broth (Make your own)
6 Cloves Garlic, Minced
1 Sweet Onion, diced
1 Zucchini, diced
1 Yellow Pepper, seeded and diced
3 Carrots, peeled and diced
1 Tsp. Ghee or cooking oil of your choice
1 Can Pinto Beans, drained and rinsed
1 Can Kidney Beans, drained and rinsed
1 Can Black Beans, drained and rinsed
1TBS Granulated Garlic
1-2 Tsp. Ground Cumin
1 Tsp. Chili Powder
1/2 Tsp. Crushed Red Pepper
2 Tsp Salt, more to taste
1 Tsp Black Pepper, more to taste
Sriracha, (optional)

Toppings

1 Jalapeno, cut into rings (optional)
1 Cup Cilantro, leaves only (optional)
3 Green Onions, cut on a diagonal (optional)
Tortilla Chips, (optional)
Shredded Cheese of your choice (optional)
Sour Cream, (optional)

Directions

Cook your quinoa. Set aside.
Heat the ghee or cooking oil in a soup pot and add all of your veggies, except for your garlic. Saute for 5 minutes just to take the edge off.
While your veggies are sauteing puree your crushed tomatoes in a blender or food processor. If you like a chunkier chili, you can leave your crushed tomatoes as is.
After your veggies are done sautéing add the granulated garlic, ground cumin, chili powder, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper. Stir for about a minute to release the aroma of the spices.
Once you can really smell the cumin, add the minced garlic, the two cans of crushed tomatoes and the vegetable broth. Stir to combine and bring to a boil.
Turn the heat down and reduce your chili to a simmer, cover and let everything simmer for 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes, add your beans, and 1 cup of cooked quinoa.
Taste and adjust seasoning as needed, and simmer for 10 more minutes. Feel free to add more veggie broth or water if it is too thick, or add more cooked quinoa if you want it a bit thicker. Also feel free to add some Sriracha hot sauce if you need more of a kick. I like to serve hot sauce with my chili so that people can make it as hot as they want.
Try to make your chili the day before you plan on eating it. This way all of the ingredients have a chance to hang out with one another and it just makes it taste better. If you find that it has become really thick overnight, just add some water to thin it out and season with additional salt and pepper if needed.
When your chili is finished. Toss it into a bowl and top it with any or ALL of the toppings that I have listed above. If you want to score brownie points with your friends, bring all of the toppings that I have listed above and create a chili bar for them to enjoy! This my friends is how you win a potluck! 😉