If you’re like us right now, you’re trying to simplify your recipes! The first place we ventured to was our well stocked pantry to see what items would be best to create a simple, quick and filling meal. We gathered together some canned tomatoes, tomato paste, and a few different varieties of beans. The unanimous decision was to make a hearty pot of vegetable chili. We combined those ingredients along with a few fresh ones to balance out the dish. As all of the ingredients stew together, they thicken to create a delicious and deeply flavorful chili. One of the perks of this recipe is that it’s incredibly easy to throw in the freezer and thaw a few weeks later to enjoy again. Additionally, chili is super versatile so there’s no “wrong” way to put it together. We’re going to walk you through some substitutions in case your pantry is stocked a little different than ours.
First, the beans!
You really can’t go wrong when you’re combining different varieties of beans together. Here’s some of the most common types. Pick 2-3 kinds to add in.
- black beans
- kidney beans
- pinto beans
- garbanzo beans
- red beans
- pink beans
- cannellini beans
- adzuki beans
Next, the sauce!
Again, any combination of the following will work to create a thick and flavorful sauce to stew the vegetables in. For a thinner chili, add in a bit more vegetable stock or water.
- tomato paste, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes
- tomato paste, tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes
- tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes
Next, the stock!
- Canned or boxed vegetable stock is perfectly fine to use. But if you don’t have any on hand…
- Place about 4 quarts water, 3 carrots (chopped), 3 celery stalks (chopped), 1 onion (peeled and halved), 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper into a large stock pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer for about 30 minutes. Remove from stovetop and strain out liquids from solids (vegetables). And there you have it! A delicious homemade vegetable stock.
So as you can see, it’s incredibly easy to substitute one ingredient for the next just using what you already have in the pantry. Check out our recipe below adjusting it as you need.
Pantry Staple Vegetable Chili
- Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 8–10 servings 1x
Description
A delicious, hearty, and homemade chili using ingredients from the pantry.
Ingredients
- 2–3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 Vidalia onion, diced
- 3 celery stalks, diced
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and diced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 32 ounces vegetable broth
- 6oz. can tomato paste
- 14.5oz can diced tomatoes
- 15oz can tomato sauce
- 2, 15.5oz cans black beans
- 16oz. chickpeas
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
Instructions
- Place 2-3 tablespoons olive oil, salt, and pepper in a large stock pot. Sauté the diced onion, celery, and carrots for about 12-15 minutes over low heat.
- Add the diced sweet potato and minced garlic and continue to sauté over low heat for another 7-10 minutes.
- Add in the remaining ingredients to the pot (vegetable broth, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, black beans, chickpeas, and chili powder).
- Simmer over low heat for about 1 hour 30 minutes.
- Enjoy immediately or allow to cool for approximately 30 minutes-1 hour before refrigerating. Once cooled completely, the chili may be divided into containers and placed into the freezer.
Notes
It will hold in the freezer for about 3-6 months.
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes