Chilli Sin Carne [slow cooker & stove-top recipe]

Three bowls of chilli sin carne with quinoa sitting on red check tea towel.

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: American, Mexican, Tex-Mex

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 4

Total Time: 4 10

Servings:

Calories: 564kcal

Author: Jacq

Our Chilli Sin Carne or Vegan Black Bean Chilli is very easy to prepare in the slow cooker; simply add all the ingredients and let it cook. This is our family's go-to chilli recipe that we enjoy a few times a month.

This no-oil chilli recipe is packed with wholesome flavours—beans, spices, vegetables, and a few flavourings such as soy sauce, tomato paste, and red wine vinegar—and doesn't require any added fat.

We enjoy our meat-free chilli with quinoa and provide an easy method for cooking a pot of fluffy quinoa. We also provide guidance on how to prepare this chilli on the stove-top and how to prepare a gluten-free chilli.

Print Recipe

US Customary - Metric

Equipment

slow cooker/crockpot (at least 3.5 litre/ 3 quart plus)
mixing spoon
Saucepan for cooking quinoa, optional

Ingredients

2 cans black beans [2 x 400g/14 oz cans, drained, or 480grams of cooked beans]
1 can kidney beans [1 x 400g/14 oz can, drained, or 240grams of cooked beans]
120 grams carrot [1 medium, grated, or fine diced although diced carrot will require a longer cooking time]
95 grams celery [about 2 sticks, fine diced]
120 grams red onion [1 small-medium, small diced]
100 grams bell pepper [1 medium, small diced, any colour can be used]
500 grams tomato passata [or use two 400g/14oz cans chopped tomatoes.]
1 tablespoon tomato puree [concentrated tomato paste]
1 tablespoon garlic powder [or 4-6 cloves, minced or fine diced]
1 teaspoon chilli powder [use more to taste]
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons smoky paprika [or regular paprika]
1 teaspoon dried oregano [or dried mixed herbs]
1 pinch cinnamon [optional]
1 pinch cayenne pepper [optional, use more if liked]
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar [or balsamic vinegar]
1 tablespoon soy sauce [use Tamari if needing gluten-free]
2 teaspoons brown sugar [or your regular sugar]
125 millilitres vegetable stock

optional, stir through chilli before serving:

3 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes

To serve:

200 grams quinoa, uncooked [Alternatively use rice - adjust the quantities to suit and follow your rice package instructions for cooking guidance]
550 millilitres vegetable stock [or water, to cook the quinoa, cooking the quinoa in a vegan 'chicken' flavour stock is tasty.]

Instructions

Turn on your slow cooker to the high setting.
Add all the ingredients, including a few pinches of salt and some black pepper, and give everything a good stir.
2 cans black beans, 1 can kidney beans, 120 grams carrot, 95 grams celery, 120 grams red onion, 100 grams bell pepper, 500 grams tomato passata , 1 tablespoon tomato puree, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon chilli powder, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 2 teaspoons smoky paprika, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 pinch cinnamon, 1 pinch cayenne pepper, 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 2 teaspoons brown sugar, 125 millilitres vegetable stock
Place a lid over the slow cooker and leave for 4 hours although if you have used diced carrot you may need to cook for an additional 1 hour.
Check the seasoning and add enough salt and pepper to taste.
Mix through nutritional yeast flakes if liked - although we often just sprinkle some nutritional yeast flakes over each portion instead.
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes

To cook the quinoa:

Wash the quinoa using a sieve to catch the tiny seeds.
200 grams quinoa, uncooked
Place the quinoa in a saucepan and pour vegetable stock over it. We like to use a vegan 'chicken' flavored stock that we prepare using a few OXO meat-free chicken stock cubes.
Mix well, breaking up any clumps of quinoa seeds.
550 millilitres vegetable stock
Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
The quinoa is ready when the grains are soft and appear to have little pale-coloured tails.
Remove from the heat and cover with a lid until ready to serve; this will allow the quinoa to finish cooking in the residual heat.
Before serving, fluff up the grains with a fork.

To serve:

Serve the quinoa with the chilli. A little vegan grated cheese and a sprinkle of chopped parsley, coriander, or spring onions (green onions) make nice optional extras.
If you like extra spice, add a few slices of fresh chili, jalapeños, or chili flakes, or a dash of hot sauce.
For those who are extra hungry, a few cornbread muffins or a wedge of crusty bread make a nice addition.

Notes

Nutritional data is provided for guidance only and is not a strict calculation as ingredients vary.
Nutritional data includes 200g dried quinoa.
The nutritional data for just the chilli, excluding the quinoa and the vegetable stock used for cooking the quinoa, is as follows: 375 calories, 9 mg of iron, 71 g of carbs, 7300 IU of Vitamin A, 23 g of protein, 57 mg of Vitamin C, 1830 mg of potassium, 2 g of fat, 25 g of fiber, 1435 mg of sodium, and 165 mg of calcium.
This recipe may seem like it has a lot of spices and herb ingredients but once purchased your spices will last a long time and can be used in so many more meals.
You can add more chilli powder to taste, as chilli powder varies by country. For example, US chilli powder often includes other spices and herbs, whereas British chilli powder is typically just 100% ground chilli. So, depending on your chilli powder, you may need to adjust the quantity.
Cook on the high setting for about 4-5 hours, or the medium setting for about 6-7 hours, or the low setting for about 8 hours, or until the vegetables are soft and the chilli nice and thick. Exact times will depend on your slow cooker and the size of the chopped vegetables - if you are using diced carrot instead of grated, the carrot will require a longer cooking time so its best to dice your carrot as small as you can.
We used a 3.5 litre slow cooker with a ceramic inner pot.
Leftover black bean chilli will stay fresh in the fridge, in a covered container, for 3 days.
Or freeze for up to 2-3 months.
This recipe is perfect for batch prepping if you have a larger slow cooker or crock pot and can double up the ingredients. Freeze portions for quick future meals.
Thaw before reheating. Reheat by adding to a skillet or saucepan and bringing to a simmer, heat through for 3-4 minutes stirring frequently until piping hot.
Serve with quinoa, rice, couscous, baked potato, potato wedges, cornbread, or with a chunk of crusty bread.
Stove-top method:
To prepare a stove-top chilli, simply add all the ingredients to a skillet or soup/stew pot, cover the pot partially with a lid, and cook for 30-45 minutes. You may need to add more vegetable stock as the chilli cooks, as the liquid will evaporate much more compared to using a slow cooker. We prepare this chilli recipe frequently on the stove-top and it works very well.
Gluten-free chilli:
For a gluten-free chilli you will have to use a gluten-free soy sauce such as Tamari soy sauce or coconut liquid aminos, a gluten-free vegetable stock, and check all your spice labels for gluten ingredients. Red wine vinegar is usually gluten-free but do check your bottle to be 100% sure.

Nutrition