An easy, delicious and protein-packed vegan chilli, great for batch-cooking and post-workout meals! And as a bonus, it's all made in one-pot, which means less washing up too.
Today I'm going back to basics and re-making an old favourite: Chilli Con Carne. A meat-free version, of course.
This recipe is also packed with plant-based protein (a whopping 25g protein per serving!) which will shut up any annoying people who ask "whErE dO yOu GeT yOuR pRoTeiN thOUgh??"
Featured in: 30 High Protein Vegan Recipes
Ingredients
For this chilli, you will need:
- Lentils - I use red split lentils, which require no soaking and cook quickly
- Kidney beans - or you can substitute black beans
- Soy mince - I use frozen soy mince which is really handy. If using dried mince, you may need to add some water with it, to rehydrate the mince.
- Chopped tomatoes
- Olive oil
- Onion
- Peppers
- Celery
- Garlic
- Seasonings - Chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper to taste
- Balsamic vinegar
- Miso paste - or marmite, for depth of flavour.
- Fresh coriander
Recipe Tips
A few tips to get the best results from this recipe.
Cooking Shortcuts
If you want to make it extra easy, you can buy ready-prepared soffrito mixes at the supermarket, either in the fresh veg or frozen section.
This is a mixture of pre-chopped onion, celery and carrots which is the beginning of this recipe, and many others.
A very handy mixture to keep in the freezer for soups, veggie bolognese etc.
Bulk Cooking & Meal Prep
It's perfect for making a big portions in advance which you can freeze for up to 3 months or keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Plus, this pot is so ridiculously easy to clean, it makes the whole cooking process a breeze, including washing-up.
Video
📖 Recipe
Easy Vegan Chilli Sin Carne
An easy, delicious and meat-free chilli sin carne recipe that is perfect for making ahead and freezing. It's also packed full of plant-based protein, making it a great post-workout dinner.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 large red onion, thinly sliced
- 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and finely chopped
- 2 red peppers, roughly chopped
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp chili powder
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 x 400 g / 14 oz tins of chopped tomatoes
- 1 x 400g / 14 oz tin red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 100 g / 3.5 oz split red lentils*
- 400 g / 14 oz frozen soy mince
- 250 ml / 1 cup vegetable stock
Optional add-ins
- 1 tsp miso paste
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- A large handful of fresh coriander, roughly chopped
To serve
- Basmati rice
- Extra chopped coriander
- A squeeze of lime juice
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan.
- Sauté the garlic, onion, celery, carrots and peppers for a few minutes, on a medium heat, until softened.
- Add the cumin, chilli powder, salt and pepper and stir.
- Pour in the chopped tomatoes, kidney beans, lentils, soy mince and vegetable stock. Add in the extra flavourings, if using.
- Simmer for 25 minutes.
- Serve with some steamed basmati rice, some fresh torn coriander and a squeeze of lime juice. Enjoy!
- Freezes well. Keeps for up to 4 days refrigerated.
Notes
Note: The only thing that stops this recipe from being gluten-free, is that most soy-mince brands I've seen tend to have barley in the ingredients. Other than that, it's gluten-free friendly!
*Make sure to use red split lentils, which require no soaking and cook quickly. Other lentils will require different cooking times and soaking requirements.
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Nutrition Information
Yield 6 Serving Size ⅙ portionsAmount Per Serving Calories 412Total Fat 17gSaturated Fat 5gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 10gCholesterol 59mgSodium 491mgCarbohydrates 37gFiber 8gSugar 9gProtein 27g
Sue says
Great recipe. Very tasty and easy to prepare. With reference to other comments concerning the dryness I added only 100g of dried soya mince and the result was perfect.
chandika ratnayaka says
back home when we cook red lentils we never pre soak them.maximum it will take 10 minutes to cook.As i have learned when cooking lentil based recipes you should not add salt in the beginning.if you add salt it will take long time to cook.you should add salt when lentil is almost 80% cooked.maybe that's why your dish took 3 hours to cook.try again but don't add salt until lentils are 80% cooked.
Domi says
The soaking is not for the lentils to be cooked faster but to make them more digestable. You should soak every kind of legumes.
I found this information:
Beans, nuts, seeds and whole grains contain phytic acid, a compound that inhibits the body from absorbing nutrients and minerals. Most people don't realize the importance of soaking your legumes and grains before you eat or cook them to break down the phytic acid and other anti-nutrients to make them more digestible.
Aimee says
Hi Domi, you are right about that but as I mention in my ingredient notes - I specifically chose red split lentils because they cook at the same rate as other ingredients in this recipe. These type do not need to be soaked, just rinsed. Although you can soak them if you wish. Other lentils DO need to be soaked. Hope that helps.
Edit: Sorry Domi, I just realised that you were replying to someone else. I'll leave this comment though in case any one else is confused about the lack of soaking.
Jack Bloss says
What is the Gram per serving? trying to workout the macros but you've put the amount of protein and calories but not how much the serving size is ?
Alice says
I made this last night and it was super-tasty! Took me about 45 minutes start to finish. I didn’t have
miso paste but otherwise followed the recipe plus adding double the amount of stock. Another reviewer suggested adding the soy mince further into the cooking and I gave it about 15 mins of simmering which seemed perfect. Served it with cauli rice, asparagus and broccoli for a veg packed (minimum 6) dinner.
Stefan Heinze says
Heaven on earth. Did it mostly as you want but aren't the small variations what makes the meal delicious? Thx for sharing the recipe! Tastes more than heavenly!
Aimee says
So glad you enjoyed it, Stefan!