Sweet and Spicy Chili! We are all about those protein-packed beans, and this flavorful chili doesn’t disappoint. Brimming with three delicious beans: kidney, pinto, and black beans, you won’t won’t be missing any meat.
Healthy, aromatic, and comforting, this oil-free Sweet and Spicy Chili is loaded with bean and veggie goodness. Full of flavor and easy to make on the stove top or Instant Pot, this low-fat chili is a meal all by itself, perfect served alone or with your favorite toppings. This hearty chili will win over even the toughest of chili critics. Grab your bowl and get ready to dive in!
Whole Food Plant Based, Vegan, plant based, oil free, refined sugar free, no highly processed ingredients and gluten free.
Hi there, Ameera here!
Sweet and Spicy Chili is a delicious alternative from traditional chili. It has the perfect contrast of sweetness to spiciness, making it the perfect chili for all.
This style chili is more “brothy” than a traditional style chili. You can make it thicker by reducing liquid or mashing a couple of the beans.
We enjoyed ladling it over delicious baked spaghetti squash.
Hot or Cold
Not only is this chili super delicious hot, but Michael really loved it cold like a bean salsa. He would eat it straight out of the fridge with some baked tortilla chips. He enjoyed it so much he suggested we bottle it and sell it as a bean salsa lol.
Tips for Success:
- Instant Pot: We used an 8-quart Instant Pot. If you use a 6-quart Instant Pot, you may need to slightly reduce the time in the Instant Pot accordingly.
- Flavors to Marry: Make sure you allow at least 5 minutes for the flavors to marry. The flavors continue to develop once the soup slightly cools. The flavors will intensify even more after 24 hrs of refrigeration.
- Instant Pot Sauté: We tried using the sauté function for the onions, bell peppers, tomato paste and garlic with the Instant Pot and it really made no discernable difference. It did make a slight difference on the stove top.
- Spiciness: If you want more spicy heat, feel free to add some cayenne pepper, use a medium to hot chili powder, or chipotle powder. We enjoyed this chili as written.
- Sweetness: This is a sweeter style chili, if you are unsure about how sweet you want the chili, start with a smaller amount of maple syrup like 1 to 2 teaspoons. Taste test and increase as preferred.
Leftovers and Freezing:
Leftovers will generally keep for 5 days in the refrigerator. Store in a covered container. Reheating can be done on the stovetop, or in the microwave.
This chili can be frozen. If frozen, for best results, thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Pantry Products:
- Vegetable Stock: We use Pacific Organic Low Sodium Vegetable Stock. We love this brand because it is Whole Food Plant Based compliant, as it does not contain MSG, has no oil, and does not contain any highly processed ingredients.
- Chili Powder: We used Penzeys Regular Chili Powder. Feel free to use your favorite chili powder.
- Baking Soda: Baking soda is often used as a neutralizer for dishes that contain a lot of acidity, typically from tomatoes. We use it in this dish to remove some of the tomato acidity (from the tomato sauce and tomato paste) without losing the tomatoey flavor. When you add it, the mixture will bubble up, then settle down as it neutralizes the acidity. You may not need it, you may wish to wait until the very end to add it if when you taste it and there is any acidity left. We added just a little bit to remove the tinny bite of acidity.
Kitchen Products Used:
- Instant Pot. You can use your favorite Pressure Cooker. We used an 8-quart Duo Instant Pot. You can also use a 6-quart Duo Instant Pot
- Ceramic/Enamel Lined Cast Iron Dutch Oven. You can use your favorite soup pot. We used a Round Dutch Oven.
We certainly hope you give this deliciousness a try.
If you try this flavorful chili, we would love to know if you enjoy it as much as we do! Please leave us a review! Post a picture on Facebook or Instagram and tag us! We would love to hear from you.
PrintSweet and Spicy Chili
- Prep Time: 10 Minutes
- Cook Time: 4 Minutes
- Total Time: 14 Minutes (+Rest Time)
- Yield: 4 - 5 Servings 1x
- Category: Stew
- Method: Instant Pot/Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Healthy, aromatic, and comforting, this oil-free, low-fat Sweet and Spicy Chili is loaded with bean and veggie goodness.
Ingredients
Base Ingredients:
- 1 medium yellow onion, fine dice
- 2 Tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 3 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth *
- 2 cups water
- 2 Tablespoons + 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon molasses
- 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
- 1 – [ 15 oz. can ] tomato sauce
- 1 – [ 15 oz. can ] black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 – [ 15 oz. can ] pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 – [ 15 oz. can ] kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1/8 teaspoon baking soda (optional) *
Spice/Herb Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 Tablespoons dried minced onions
- 2 teaspoons chili powder *
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (+/-)
- ½ teaspoon mustard powder
- ½ to 1 teaspoon sea salt (+/-) *
Optional Ingredients:
- 1 – [ 15 oz. can ] corn, drained *
Optional Toppings:
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- Tortilla chips
- Chopped avocados
- Vegan Sour Cream
Instructions
Instant Pot Instructions
- Place the Spice/Herb Ingredients in a small bowl, mix well, set aside.
- Add all the Base Ingredients and Spice/Herb Mix, (and corn if adding). Stir well to try to dissolve as much of the tomato paste as possible. Set the Instant Pot to Manual Pressure High for 4 minutes. When finished, press Cancel and allow to sit for 2 minutes, then do a Quick Release. Unplug the Instant Pot.
- Once all the pressure is released, carefully remove the lid, stir.
- Allow to sit for 5 minutes for the flavors to marry. Serve and Enjoy!
Stove Top Instructions
- Place the Spice/Herb Ingredients in a small bowl, mix well, set aside.
- In a large ceramic/enamel-lined pot or similar stock pot, add the diced onions and bell peppers, sauté over medium-high heat until the veggies begin to soften, approximately 7 to 9 minutes, stirring periodically. Add a tablespoon or so of water or broth if they start to stick and/or to prevent burning.
- Add the minced garlic and tomato paste, sauté for 30 seconds, then add the Spice/Herb Mix, sauté for 30 seconds, just to allow the spices to release their fragrance.
- Next add all the remaining Base Ingredients (and corn), stir well to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower to a low-boiling simmer. Cover with a tight-fitting lid. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove the cover, stir, and allow to sit for 5 minutes for the flavors to marry. Serve and Enjoy!
Notes
*For recipe Tips for Success, Pantry Products, Kitchen Products Used, and Storage, please reference the blog post for details.
*Sea Salt: Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.
*Serving: 4 to 5 (makes 9 ½ to 10 cups)
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I have made this chili a couple of times now and about to make it again. It is the absolutely BEST chili I have tried, my husband and I love it! Wonderful flavours, spicy with a note of sweetness and versatile as I have added zucchini, mushrooms here and there. I highly recommend this recipe to everyone looking for a great chili! 😊😊
Hi there Annie,
YAYYY!!! We are thrilled that you and your husband enjoyed this chili. We love your additions. Thank you for taking time to leave us an awesome review.
-Ameera and Robin
I really liked this chili. Not too spicy and a little sweet. My husband and son enjoyed it too.
Hi there Carrie,
We apologize for the late response, this review got away from us. YAYYYY!!! We are thrilled that you enjoyed this chili. Thank you so much for the awesome review.
-Ameera and Robin