This meal prep vegan chili is a Mexican-inspired stew, which makes an amazing dinner served alongside brown rice.
I love chili. The spice, the flavour, all the veggies that go into it. But the truth is, chili can be a time-consuming dish to make. If you’re starting from dried beans or using a slow-cooking recipe, it can take up to hours to create a nice pot of chili.
Thankfully, this recipe cuts straight to the essence of what makes chili— well — chili.
It’s:
- Super simple
- Very straightforward
- Perfectly spicy
- Great for meal prep
In addition to being easy to make, this chili makes the perfect amount to meal prep for the week ahead.
What Is Chili Powder
When making this recipe, it's essential that you use chili powder (AKA Mexican spice mix/ seasoning) versus chilli powder (with 2 L's). Chili powder is a blend, usually consisting of a mix of cumin, paprika, chipotle, onion, and sometimes other spicy chilli like cayenne.
If you use ground chilli instead of the spice blend, your stew will be way too spicy!
I've linked a few of my favourite spice mixes at the bottom of the recipe, and they're all readily available within Australia.
How to Meal Prep This Chili
Meal prepping this chili really couldn’t be easier. I typically cook my rice first, chopping up all the veggies in the meantime. Next, I divide the rice between 5 containers, which will later be filled with chili too.
I like to slide my rice to one side of the meal prep container so that the chili doesn’t just sit on top of it. Of course, you can build your containers however you want, but do note that the rice may get soggy if you layer the chili on top.
The chili itself is super simple. You throw everything into a pot a let it cook.
Once the chili is done, I fill the other half of my meal prep container and pack them all up in the fridge for the week ahead.
What to Serve With This Meal Prep Vegan Chili
For the sake of streamlined meal prep, this chili can be eaten straight out of the Tupperware. You can either heat it in a microwave or on a pan, mixing the rice into the stew. Trust me, it’s delicious just like that.
If you want to increase the flavour, though, I sometimes like to add a variety of different toppings:
- Coconut yogurt (or sour cream)
- Fresh coriander, chopped up
- Crushed up tortilla chips
- Spicy salsa
- Hot sauce
FAQ
This is really up to you! If you find it hard to eat a healthy dinner, meal prepping a vegan chili or pasta salad is a great idea! If breakfast is where you struggle, meal prep overnight oats might be a good solution. Try prepping different meals for different times of day, and eventually you'll find what works best for you.
📖 Recipe
Meal Prep Vegan Chili
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 5 1x
Description
This meal prep vegan chili is an amazing Mexican inspired prep-ahead dinner.
Ingredients
Brown Rice
- 2 cups brown rice (dry)
- 1 tsp stock powder/ stock cube
Vegan Chili
- 1 tbsp olive oil (extra virgin)
- 1 onion
- 2 carrots
- 2 celery stalks
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 can can diced tomatoes (400 g/ 14 oz)
- .5 - 1 tablespoon chili powder (or half/half mix paprika and cumin) (NOT ground red chilli, see notes)
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 2 cups water
- 2 cans black beans (420 g/ 14 oz)
- 1 can corn (420 g/ 14 oz)
Instructions
Brown Rice
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. I recommend using at least 1 litre of water.
- Add stock powder or cube and stir to dissolve.
- Add brown rice, and boil for 30 minutes. When rice is al dente, drain in colander and rinse.
- If using for meal prep, divide rice between containers.
Vegan Chili
- While the rice is boiling, dice your onions, carrots, and celery.
- Heat a large pot over medium heat. Once pot is warm, add olive oil and onion.
- Cook onion until it becomes fragrant and translucent, about 8 mins.
- Add the diced carrots and celery to the pot, and season with 1 teaspoon salt. Cook for another 5 mins.
- Add tomatoes and their juices, chili powder, cumin (the spice mix, not ground chilli) cumin, and 2 cups water.
- Drain and rinse the black beans, and add them to the pot. Increase the heat to high, and bring everything to a boil.
- Once the pot reaches a boil, reduce the heat to low and put a lid on the pot.
- Let the chili simmer for 30 mins.
- Once 30 mins have passed, drain and rinse the corn and add it to the pot. Stir everything and let the chili simmer (lid off) for another 5-10 mins, until the carrots are soft and tender.
Notes
*Note: The chili powder called for in this recipe refers to a spice mix "chili powder" (one l), not ground chilli, which is just ground chilli peppers. You may find it labelled as Mexican Spice Mix, or Mexican Seasoning if in Australia. A few of my favourite Aussie versions include:
- Spice and Co Mexican Spice Mix (from Harris Farm)
- Mingle Natural Seasoning Blends Spicy Mexican (from Harris Farm, Coles, or Woolies)
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Main Course
- Cuisine: Australian, Mexican
Nutrition
- Calories: 449
- Fat: 6.3
- Carbohydrates: 86.8
- Protein: 12.8
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