Description
A cozy, creamy, and protein-packed vegetarian chili made with chickpeas and a dairy-free cashew cream base. Ready in under 40 minutes, it’s perfect for an easy weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
- 2 cans chickpeas (or 3 cups cooked), drained and rinsed
- ¾ cup raw cashews, soaked for at least 2 hours (or 1 cup canned full-fat coconut milk)
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can diced green chilies (or 1–2 fresh, chopped)
- 3 cups vegetable broth (low sodium preferred)
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp oregano
- Salt, to taste
- 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 2 tbsp olive oil or avocado oil
- Optional toppings: chopped cilantro, sliced avocado, vegan sour cream, shredded cheese
Instructions
- Prep your ingredients: chop onion, mince garlic, chop fresh chilies if using, drain and rinse chickpeas, drain soaked cashews.
- Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft and starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and green chilies, cook 2 more minutes until fragrant.
- Add cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, oregano, and salt. Stir constantly for 1-2 minutes to toast spices lightly.
- Add chickpeas and vegetable broth. Stir well, scrape bottom of pot, and bring to a gentle simmer.
- While chili simmers, blend soaked cashews with about ¾ cup water or broth until silky smooth. If using coconut milk, stir it instead.
- Pour cashew cream or coconut milk into the pot. Stir to combine and simmer gently uncovered for 10 minutes until slightly thickened. Add more broth if too thick.
- Remove from heat and stir in fresh lime juice. Taste and adjust salt or add chili flakes for heat if desired.
- Serve chili in bowls and garnish with optional toppings like cilantro, avocado slices, or vegan sour cream.
Notes
[‘Soak cashews overnight or at least 2 hours for best creaminess; boiling for 10 minutes is a quick alternative.’, ‘Toast spices in oil to enhance flavor before adding broth.’, ‘Use low sodium broth to control saltiness.’, ‘Simmer gently after adding cream to prevent separation.’, ‘Fresh lime juice is essential for brightening flavors.’, ‘Chili tastes better the next day; reheat gently with a splash of broth.’, ‘Adjust heat by adding jalapeño, chipotle, or chili flakes as desired.’]
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1.5 cups
- Calories: 320
- Fat: 10
- Carbohydrates: 40
- Fiber: 9
- Protein: 15
Keywords: chickpea chili, vegetarian chili, creamy chili, dairy-free chili, vegan dinner, easy chili recipe, healthy chili