Let’s. Get. Spicy.
We’re making chili today, friends! And it can be in front of your face in just 20 minutes.
Until we get that whole smell-o-vision thing figured out, this is as good as I can do.
Chili is, by far, one of my favorite foods. Especially because it has been, oh, a cool zero degrees F here in Pittsburgh for the past week.
If you’re a pun fan, you could say it’s kinda…chilly.
*badumbum*
If there’s cold, frosty weather, I need warm, comforting chili. It’s one of my personal philosophies.
And because I’m currently going through a phase of my life where I want every single thing buffalo’d, Vegan Buffalo Chickpea Chili is on the menu today. And holy moly is it as good as it sounds!!
First things first: this chili isn’t jam-packed full of vegetables. I love chili, but I do not love a lot of different things inside my chili. Usually, this girl is all about getting in as many veggies as possible. There’s a time and a place for a veggie explosion. But with chili, minimalism is bliss, friend.
Feel free to add things like frozen corn, peas, and/or green peppers if you so desire, but I think you’ll love the minimal ingredient list here!
It all starts out with some garlic. 3 cloves, to be exact. Then add in some canned tomato sauce and canned fire roasted tomatoes. Bring that up to a boil and add your seasoning – chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper.
Then make.it.spicy. I use and am addicted to Frank’s Red Hot when it comes to anything buffalo’d, and it works especially well in this chili. Sometimes I like to think about foods in terms of colors – your chili powder and cumin give this chili a deep “dark red flavor,” while the Frank’s Red Hot with all of its sharp cayenne spiciness gives it that “bright orange flavor.” They balance each other perfectly.
Does that make sense? My brain is weird.
Then! Protein, bb. Chickpeas and brown rice go into the pot! You can change these too if you want, but I love the combo. There’s something so satisfying about a chickpea, especially in soup. And I <3 rice in soup always. I find that they both give a delightful texture to this chili!
Once your chickpeas and rice are hot, you’re good to go. The spice, warmth, and comfortingness (totally a word, right?) is exactly what I need on a cold winter day.
I hope you give it a try, friend. Stay warm spicy!
20 Minute Vegan Buffalo Chickpea Chili
https://www.fooduzzi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/20-minute-vegan-buffalo-chickpea-chili-3.jpg
| Prep: | Cook: | Yield: serves 3-5 | Total: |
A warm, comforting, and spicy chili that takes only 20 minutes to make! Perfect for a cold winter day.
You'll Need...
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic
- 15 oz. tomato sauce
- 14.5 oz. can fire roasted tomatoes
- 1 and 1/2 Tbsp. chili powder
- 1 tsp. cumin
- salt + pepper
- 1/2 cup+ hot sauce (I used Frank's Red Hot)
- 2 15-oz. cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup cooked brown rice (or grain of choice - quinoa, farro, etc.)
- For topping: sliced green onions, avocado, [vegan] sour cream, hummus, pepper, more hot sauce, [vegan] cheese, etc.!
Directions
- Grab a large pot or dutch oven and place it on your stove over medium heat. Add oil and garlic, and sauté until fragrant. Be careful not to burn.
- Add your tomato sauce and roasted tomatoes, and stir to combine. Add your chili powder and cumin, and season with a bit of salt and pepper. Stir to combine and allow the mixture to come up to a soft boil (small bubbles).
- Add your hot sauce, chickpeas, and brown rice, and stir to combine. This chili is chunky, so if you want it more liquidy, go ahead and add some water or veggie broth until it's to your desired consistency. I added none, just FYI. Taste, and adjust seasoning as necessary.
- Once hot, serve it up with your favorite toppings!
Chili is my go-to “get rid of all the veggies on the edge recipe. I do like using chickpeas as a meat substitute. We also use the vegetarian meat crumbles quite a bit in this dish. The think about chili is that it has so many big flavors that the crumbles are perfect for it.
That’s a great idea, Ben! Truthfully, I’ve never bough those vegetarian meat crumbles before, but this would be the best dish to try it out!
IMO, sauces and heavy soups are the best places for them. They add the substance that I tend to look for. It is easy for it to get a little lost in spaghetti and chili but give that familiar texture and feeling.
Just made this dinner tonight and the first thing that struck me was how fast it cooked up! Then, I was shocked at the flavor of this chili. The franks red hot wasn’t too spicy, just delicious. Will definitely be adding this to my dinner rotation.
I’m so glad you liked it, Isabelle! I love how simple and quick this recipe is too!
I can almost taste this chili – it looks SO GOOD. I have also never thought of that flavour combo! yaaaauuum. (gorgeous photos BTW)
Thank you so much, Meredith! This combo is amazing!!
yum! this looks delicious. and you can never have to much buffalo spice in your life.
This is amazing chili!! thank you kindly for sharing. I used this recipe and won a Chilli Contest!!!!
<3 YES! Love that!!
Dumb question, is it 1 cup total cooked rice, so 1/2 cup uncooked? Or 1 cup dry rice then cooked? I did 1 cup dry rice then cooked it ? thank you!
Yep! It should be cooked when it goes into the soup.
Best vegetarian recipe! I substituted the chickpeas with red kidney beans and it was still amazing. It’s hard to make a meal that is so flavorful and hearty in such little time, and this one was a breeze. Loved it, and will definetly make it many more times!