Cauliflower Chili

🍲 Why We Love This Recipe

• Perfect for meal prep: This cauliflower chili stores well in the refrigerator for a quick lunch or dinner all week. You can even double the batch and freeze for later!
• Easy and hands off: Once you chop the vegetables, you pretty much add everything to the pot and let it simmer until your house smells amazing.
• Lots of vegetables: This cauliflower chili is the perfect way to sneak in a few extra servings of veggies without your kids ever noticing. Since this chili is simmered for quite a while, the vegetables soak up a ton of flavor!
• Naturally vegan and gluten free: With no dairy or chicken broth, this cauliflower chili is totally plant-based and perfect for those with dietary restrictions.

🌶 Ingredients

Here's what you'll need to make this cauliflower chili:

📋 Ingredient Notes

• Poblano pepper: If you can't find poblanos at your supermarket, feel free to substitute with serrano peppers or jalapeños. Just be aware that serranos and jalapeños are much spicier than poblanos, so you'll want to take extra care to remove the seeds and membranes when prepping them, and be wary that the chili will likely be spicier than if you used a poblano.
• Pinto beans: We used canned pinto beans, which are already cooked. You can also use kidney beans or black beans in this cauliflower chili.
  • You can't sub in dry pinto beans unless you cook them separately ahead of time, otherwise they will not fully cook in this chili.
• Tomatoes: We use fire roasted diced tomatoes for an extra smoky flavor that tastes great in this cauliflower chili. You can also substitute with regular diced tomatoes.
• Cauliflower: Make sure to break the cauliflower up into smaller, bite-sized pieces. Nobody wants a huge piece of cauliflower in their chili!
• Sweet potato: You can also substitute with butternut squash or another squash variety of choice.
• Cilantro: If you're not a cilantro fan, you can feel free to substitute with flat leaf parsley.

🔪 Step-by-step Instructions

(1) Add oil to a large dutch oven/soup pot over medium heat. Add onion and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring often.

(2) Stir in garlic, poblano pepper and red bell pepper and continue cooking for 5 minutes, until they start to soften.

(3) Add in sweet potato, chili powder, oregano, cumin, salt and tomato paste and continue cooking for 6-8 minutes, stirring often.

(4) Pour in broth, diced tomatoes and lime juice, stir well and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

(5) After 20 minutes have elapsed, stir in cauliflower, pinto beans and cilantro. Return to a simmer (uncovered) and cook for an additional 30-35 minutes, until chili is thickened and vegetables are tender.

(6) Serve your cauliflower chili hot topped with avocado slices, red onion, sour cream, shredded cheese, etc.

💭 Expert Tips and FAQs

• Topping ideas: We topped our cauliflower chili with a bit of cilantro, red onion, and avocado. I also love to add a bit of cheese to top, which starts to melt into the chili, making it thicker and adding a ton of flavor. You can also top with sour cream, tortilla strips, pickled jalapeño, etc.
• Substitutions/additions: You can swap out the pinto beans for black beans if you'd like, as they have a firmer texture that some may find preferable. You can also feel free to add more chili powder and a few dashes of hot sauce if you like a little more heat in your chili.
• Storage: Transfer to an airtight container and place in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.
• Freezer storage: Let the chili cool to room temperature, then transfer to a freezer safe container and freeze for up to 6 months. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight, then heat in a pot over medium-low until warmed through. (Note: you may need to add extra broth.)
• What to serve with cauliflower chili: There's nothing better than a side of cornbread with a bowl of this cauliflower chili. You can try our vegan cornbread recipe!
• Since cauliflower can become mushy if it's overcooked, make sure to add it in at the specified step, and no sooner.

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