This vegetarian pantry chili began with a simple challenge: what can you make when you do not want to go shopping?

An acquaintance had a can of stewed tomatoes, a yam, chickpeas, split mung beans, half an onion, some celery, brown rice, olive oil, herbs and spices. To some people, that might sound like a shopping list waiting to happen. To a creative cook, it sounds like dinner!

My answer? Make a vegetarian chili.

This is a pantry interpretation of chili, with chickpeas, mung beans and sweet potato providing a hearty base. Coffee, cocoa and cinnamon add another layer of flavor without requiring a long list of fresh ingredients.

Making Something Out of “Nothing”

A few cans and a bag of dried beans can take you a long way. Here, the split mung beans soften and help thicken the pot, while chickpeas give you something substantial to bite into.

The sweet potato brings sweetness, and the tomatoes, onion, celery and spices bring it all together. Serve it over brown rice, scoop it up with tortillas or enjoy a bowl with crusty bread.

Vegetarian Pantry Chili: The Recipe

• Type: Main dish
• Prep time: About 15 minutes
• Cooking: Cook the beans until tender according to their package, then allow about 25–35 minutes for the vegetable and chili stages. These stages can overlap.
• Yield: A generous pot; approximately 6–8 servings, depending on portions and accompaniments.
• Serve with: Brown rice, tortillas or fresh, crusty bread

Ingredients

• 1 can stewed tomatoes, approximately 16 ounces, with their juice
• 1 can chickpeas, also called garbanzo beans; reserve the liquid
• 2 cups dried split mung beans
• 1 sweet potato, or the yam from your pantry, peeled and cut into small, evenly sized cubes
• 1/2 cup chopped onion, approximately 1/2 an onion
• 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder, plus more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar, or less to taste
• 1 teaspoon instant coffee
• 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Cracked black pepper, to taste
• Sea salt, to taste
• Water, as needed for cooking the beans and adjusting the chili
• Cooked brown rice, tortillas or bread, for serving, optional

Chili powder note: This recipe uses a chili seasoning blend. Pure ground hot chile can be much hotter, so start with less if that is what you have.

Instructions

1. Cook the mung beans. Sort and rinse them, then cook in fresh water according to the package directions until tender, topping up the water as needed. Split mung beans generally cook faster than whole mung beans; do not assume they need an hour. Reserve some cooking liquid before draining any excess.
2. Prepare the vegetables. Chop the onion and celery and cut the sweet potato into small cubes. If serving with brown rice, cook it separately according to its package directions.
3. Sauté. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery and sweet potato. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion softens. Add a splash of water if the vegetables begin to catch; the sweet potato will finish cooking during the simmer.
4. Add the tomatoes. Break up the stewed tomatoes with a spoon and add them with their juice.
5. Add the beans. Stir in the cooked mung beans and chickpeas. Add the reserved chickpea liquid gradually, along with water or mung bean cooking liquid as needed to make a thick but stirrable chili.
6. Season. Add the chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, instant coffee, cocoa and cinnamon. Stir in the brown sugar, starting with less if your tomatoes are already sweet. Season with black pepper and a little salt.
7. Simmer gently. Cook, stirring regularly, until the sweet potato is tender and the flavors have combined, approximately 15–25 minutes depending on the size of the cubes. Add liquid if needed, or simmer uncovered to thicken.
8. Taste and serve. Adjust the seasoning and spoon into bowls or over brown rice. Serve with bread or tortillas, if desired.

Coffee, Cocoa and Cinnamon in Chili?

Yes! These were the little extras in my original pantry answer. In small amounts, they add depth and warmth to the pot.

Use unsweetened cocoa rather than sweetened hot chocolate mix. Start with the quantities listed, then taste before adding anything more. You want the flavors working together.

Vegetarian Pantry Chili Tips

Stewed tomatoes may already contain salt, sugar and seasonings, and canned chickpea liquid can be salty. Taste as you go rather than adding all your salt at the beginning.

The chickpea liquid can add body, but you do not have to use every drop. The softened mung beans also help thicken the chili.

For more about the beans, see Bob’s Red Mill’s guide to cooking mung beans. Follow your own package instructions, as whole and split varieties cook differently.

How to Serve Vegetarian Pantry Chili

Brown rice makes a satisfying base, but the chili can stand on its own. Tortillas or crusty bread are lovely for scooping up the last bites.

If you have sour cream, add a dollop. To keep the meal vegan, leave it off or choose a suitable plant-based topping.

Explore more ideas in our Soups, Stews & Chilis collection, or browse our October Food Holidays & Events guide for seasonal inspiration.

What would you make with this pantry lineup?

Sometimes, the ingredients you already have are enough to get something delicious started.

Be a Champion in Your Kitchen, and Eat Deliciously!