Protein Chili with Beans Recipe (35g Protein)
Easy plant-based protein chili with beans—over 35g protein per serving. Hearty, flavorful, soy-free, gluten-free, and nourishing.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 479kcal
Equipment
- Immersion blender or blender
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion small dice
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 cup dry lentils green, brown, or Puy, rinsed (see notes)
- 3 cups cooked beans or 2 (15-ounce) cans, drained and rinsed
- 2 cups diced tomatoes about 1 jar or can (520g)
- 2 ¼ cups vegetable broth plus more as needed
- 2 cups chopped kale or leafy greens
- ¼ cup pea protein optional
Chipotle Sauce:
- 1 chipotle pepper in adobo plus 1 to 2 teaspoons adobo sauce from the can (see notes)
- 2 teaspoons mellow miso or white miso
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- ½ cup unsweetened nondairy milk
Season:
- 1 lime juice
- Salt or salt substitute to taste
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro or parsley
Instructions
- Cook the aromatics and spices: Heat a generous drizzle of vegetable broth or olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion for about 4 minutes, or until softened, stirring frequently. Add garlic, oregano, cumin, and chili powder, and cook for about one more minute, or until fragrant, stirring frequently.
- Add the lentils, beans, tomatoes, and broth to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer over low heat for about 25 minutes, or until lentils are just tender, adding more broth as needed to keep the lentils covered.Alternatively, use pre-cooked lentils or soaked lentils. See recipe notes below.
- Make the sauce: Meanwhile, blend chipotle pepper, adobo sauce, miso, nutritional yeast, and plant milk until smooth.
- Stir the chopped greens and pea protein powder into the chili.
- Add the sauce and mix well to combine.
- Season with fresh lime juice and salt to taste.
- Garnish with fresh cilantro.
Notes
Pea Protein: Add pea protein or an unsweetened, single-ingredient almond protein powder to boost the protein content. They blend in smoothly without turning the chili gluggy. The pea protein I used has a clean flavor that works perfectly in savory recipes, and is third-party tested for heavy metals by ConsumerLab, where it earned a top rating. I’ve linked both options here.
Lentils: If using soaked lentils (soaked 30 minutes or up to 2 hours), reduce the broth to about 2 cups to start, adding more as needed, and cook 15 to 20 minutes. If using pre-cooked lentils, add 2 ½ cups cooked lentils, and reduce the broth to 1 ½ cups, cooking the chili for about 12 minutes to develop flavor.
Tomatoes: To substitute with fresh tomatoes, use about 4 cups of chopped fresh tomatoes. Keep in mind canned or jarred diced tomatoes give a thicker, richer base.
For a milder chili, use just the adobo sauce or swap in 1 teaspoon smoked paprika.
Nutrition
Calories: 479kcal | Carbohydrates: 82g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 0.5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 247mg | Potassium: 1496mg | Fiber: 35g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1948IU | Vitamin C: 32mg | Calcium: 264mg | Iron: 11mg
