My goal this year is to pepper the holidays with as much healthy food as I can while indulging in the inevitable sweet treat. With recipes like this vegan white bean chili, low-carb coconut dal, and this delicious vegan low carb chili, I can stay nicely in sight of that objective. This hearty chili is really simple to make with just a few ingredients. If you are not watching your carbs or want to add more veggies, I have you covered as well. I do not add beans to this chili to keep it within the limits of a keto diet, which restricts net carbs (total carbs minus dietary fiber) to between 20 and 50 grams a day. It is fingerlicking delicious this way, but if you absolutely cannot imagine chili without beans you can add a small can of kidney beans or black beans and still keep this within the parameters of a low-carb meal.
Why you’ll love this vegan low carb keto chili
It’s going to be the most delicious chili you ever ate. There is no deprivation in this chili even though it’s meatless. You and your family or guests will love every bite and come back for seconds, guaranteed. It’s got good-for-you veggies. All plant-based foods come with carbs, so choosing the right vegetables is key to making a dish keto-friendly or low-carb friendly. Tomatoes and onions are moderately high in carbs, but a chili without them simply doesn’t work, so I add them here, but within reasonable limits. Celery is great with fewer carbs and lots of nutrition, so in it goes. You can also add mushrooms, and they would be delicious, but I left them out as a favor to Jay. 😉 It’s super healthy. This recipe makes about six servings, and each has just 249 calories and 15 grams of protein. It’s one-pot and easy to make. The chili itself takes just minutes to put together, but a well-simmered chili is a tastier chili, so I give some additional time for all the flavors to cook and meld together. Everything comes together in one pot and the chopping you need to do is limited to the onions, celery and garlic. It’s everyone friendly. You don’t have to be a low-carb eater to enjoy this chili. It is gluten-free, nut-free and you can leave out the tiny bit of liquid aminos to make it soy-free.
How to make vegan low carb chili
Heat the olive oil or avocado oil in a large pot. Add the onions, celery and garlic along with some salt and ground black pepper. Saute five minutes or until the onions are translucent but not brown. Add the meatless beef to the pot and stir it in. Let it cook another five minutes, stirring occasionally to keep it from sticking.
Add the tomatoes–diced tomatoes and tomato paste– to the pot and mix it in. Let it all cook another five minutes until the tomatoes have melted into the rest of the ingredients.
Stir in the spices: chili powder, ground cumin and paprika, if using. Add the sage. Let the tomatoes cook another five minutes, stirring frequently. Add 2 cups vegetable stock or water to the pot. Bring to a boil, cover, and let the chili simmer for 30 minutes. To make the chili thicker, you can remove the lid for the last 10 minutes of cooking and let the stock reduce. Stir in the liquid aminos and check seasoning. Add more salt and ground black pepper if needed.
Serve hot garnished with parsley or cilantro, if you like. Chili tastes even better the next day, so this is a great dish to make ahead.
How to tweak the chili for other diets
If you’d like to add beans to this recipe, add 14 oz of black beans or kidney beans. That would bump up net carbs to around 19 grams per serving, which would still fit within a healthy, low-carb diet although not a keto diet. If you’d like to add more veggies to this chili, choose veggies like green bell peppers or zucchini. This will increase carbs, but they’ll be healthy carbs, and the veggies will also add more fiber. Make sure you adjust seasoning if you add more veggies–you will likely need more spices. If you’re not low-carb at all, you can add carrots and sweet potatoes. To cut the fat in this recipe you can reduce the amount of oil to a teaspoon. To make this higher in fat for a keto diet, you can bump up the oil from the suggested two tablespoons to as much as four.
Serving suggestions
Desi loves this chili over a bed of quinoa. For Jay, I sprinkle on some vegan mozzarella shreds. I love eating this chili over mashed cauliflower “potatoes” or just over a bed of steamed veggies or even salad. You can also top the chili with sliced avocados or vegan sour cream.
Storage and freezing
This vegan low carb chili tastes even better the next day, so it’s a great recipe to make ahead. Refrigerate for up to three days and reheat before serving. Check to get new recipe updates by email.
You can also freeze the chili in a freezer-safe container. Thaw and reheat before eating.
More vegan low-carb dinners
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