One-Pot Veggie Chili

This veggie chili is packed with beans and vegetables and topped with the creamiest dairy-free cashew cream. It comes together in about 30 minutes and can also be prepared ahead of time and left in a crockpot for a few hours. It will become a staple for easy dinners, especially during the winter!

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 onion
• Handful of mushrooms (about 12-15)
• 1 tbsp olive oil for frying (see notes for oil-free)
• 1 can kidney beans
• 1 can corn
• 1 can lentils
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp Italian spice blend

Cashew Cream

• 3/4 cup roasted unsalted cashews
• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp salt

Equipment

• Food processor or blender
• Large pot

Instructions

1. Dice an onion and fry it in a large pot with olive oil on medium heat. Sauté for about 7-8 minutes, until translucent, stirring every couple minutes.
2. Chop mushrooms and add them to the onions.
3. Blend lentils in a food processor or blender (this will give a more “meaty” texture) – or you can leave them whole.
4. Once the mushrooms have cooked down, add kidney beans, corn, lentils, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and spices to the pot. Let simmer for 15-20 minutes.
5. Prepare cashew cream by letting cashews soak in hot water for a few minutes, then adding the cashews, water and rest of the cream ingredients to a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth, adding 1-2 tbsp more water if needed.
6. Serve chili with cashew cream on top. You can also add in sliced avocado and parsley for a touch of green!

Notes

*For an oil-free version, fry onions in a few tbsp of vegetable stock or water.

*Depending on the strength of your blender, you may need to soak cashews in boiling water for longer. I find the best blender for cashews is a bullet blender!

*You can also prepare this veggie chili ahead of time and leave in a crockpot for a few hours. In this case, fry your onion and mushrooms in a pan, then transfer to a crockpot and add the remaining chili ingredients. Top with cashew cream when serving!