Is there anything better than letting a big pot of chili slow cook on the stovetop on a brisk fall night? Make this delicious one-pot black bean quinoa chili recipe for a veggie and protein-packed meal!
Chili lovers, we’ve got some great recipes for you! From this black bean quinoa chili to this white bean chicken chili and this super simple green chili, we’ve got a chili recipe for every palate.

Veggie and Protein-Packed Chili
Living in the midwest, we are huge chili fans. Our beef chili recipe is one of our most popular recipes on Fit Foodie Finds.
This recipe is a bit different in that it doesn’t use meat at all, but still packs in all of the chili heartiness and flavors!
The featured ingredients are quinoa and black beans, which have a ton of protein and fiber without needing to use any kind of meat. The homemade chili seasoning comes from a blend of chili powder, ground cumin, dried onion, and paprika.
So, grab your Dutch oven and lets get cooking!

One Pot Wonder
One thing that I love about this black bean quinoa chili is that you only need to dig out 1 pot. That’s right, the quinoa is cooked right in the pot with the rest of the ingredients meaning that you don’t need to precook it at all!
Check out our favorite Dutch oven below. We cook all of our soups and chili in this thing and it’s truly the perfect size.

Great Jones
Dutch Oven
The Great Jones “The Dutchess” is our favorite Dutch oven for every day cooking. It’s great for one-pot meals, soups, and more!
Black Bean Quinoa Chili Spices
This spice combination gives this vegan chili the flavor depth you’d traditionally get from a meat-based chili, but without any meat or any gluten. Double win. We use:
- Cinnamon sticks
- Chili powder
- Cumin
- Onion powder
- Paprika
- Ground pepper
- Salt
I’m sure the first ingredient is throwing you off guard a little bit, but just trust us! Cinnamon adds a spicy kick and a bit of sweetness.

Chili Topping Ideas
Chili isn’t chili without all of the amazing toppings. Here are some ideas for you to try:
- Cilantro
- Diced avocado
- Tortilla chips (for dipping!)
- Greek yogurt
- Shredded cheese
- Diced onion
Dip it!
One of my personal favorite ways to eat chili is NOT with a spoon. That’s right, I like to trade my spoon for tortilla chips and sometimes even Fritos.

Storage
Let chili cool completely. Then, transfer it into an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 3-5 days. When reheating, you may need to add more broth or water to thin things out.
Freezer Instructions
- Let chili cool completely.
- Transfer into an airtight container or gallon-size plastic bag.
- Remove as much air as possible and seal.
- Freeze for up to 3 months.


Black Bean Quinoa Chili
Ingredients
- 1.5 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 medium yellow onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt separated
- 1 large poblano pepper seeded and finely diced
- 1 large green pepper seeded and diced
- 1 cup white quinoa uncooked
- 30 oz. canned black beans drained and rinsed
- 28 oz. canned hominy drained and rinsed (or yellow sweet corn)
- 15 oz. canned diced tomatoes
- 15 oz. canned tomato sauce
- 3 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 5 cups vegetable broth separated (or any broth)
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro chopped
Instructions
- Heat a large Dutch oven over medium/high heat. Add olive oil. When the olive oil is fragrant, add the white onion and ⅛ teaspoon of salt to the oil. Toss and sauté for about 2 minutes and then add the garlic. Saute for an additional minute.
- Add the poblano pepper, green pepper, and quinoa to the Dutch oven and toss the all the ingredients together. Toast the quinoa for 3-4 minutes until it begins to brown. Be sure to move the quinoa around in the Dutch oven periodically so it doesn’t burn.
- Next, add the black beans, hominy, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin powder, onion powder, paprika, pepper, and 4 cups of broth to the dutch oven and stir everything together until combined. Bring to a boil.
- Turn the heat to low and and add the cinnamon sticks to the Dutch oven. Cover the Dutch oven and let the mixture simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the quinoa is cooked.
- The quinoa will have expanded during the cook time so when the quinoa is completely cooked add the additional 1 cup of broth and stir.
- Remove the cinnamon sticks and enjoy the chili topped with fresh cilantro and your favorite chili toppings such as sliced avocado, Greek yogurt/sour cream, etc.
Tips & Notes
- The quinoa cooks in the chili ingredients and will expand. If you like a chili with more liquid, feel free to add more broth at the end.
- When reheating this chili you will have to add more broth unless you want to eat it in more of a casserole form.
- This recipe was slightly updated on 10/17/2022. Get the original recipe HERE.
Watch It
Nutrition facts
Photography: photos taken in this post are by Ashley McGlaughlin from The Edible Perspective.
I love this chili, and highly recommend!
I have been using this recipe for years and I love it! I have also served this to several guests as well with great approval. I usually sautee the onions, peppers, add carrots and toast the quinoa in olive oil before adding the broth. I serve this with corn bread, delicious!
I LOVE the toasted quinoa idea. I’ll be trying this the next time I make it!
The best chili recipe, love it every time I make it! I cook the onion and green peppers in olive oil to soften them before adding the rest of the ingredients. I usually sub roasted sweet corn for the hominy, skip the cinnamon and add another 15oz can of tomatoes to make it more chunky. We add avocado, plain greek yogurt, cilantro and cheese to top it off. Mine always soaks up all the broth and turns into more of a hot dish, which is perfect for my young kiddos, I usually keep broth on hand to add to mine and my husbands bowls so its more soup like. Love that I can toss everything in the pot and leave it alone for a while, this is a favorite recipe when having people over because I’m not constantly in the kitchen.
So glad you love this chili! Thank you for the thoughtful review!
Simple and delicious! What a fabulous recipe! Can’t wait to make it again! The cinnamon sticks and hominy make this a very unique recipe! Made it exactly as written!
Wonderful recipe! I added a few red pepper flakes but otherwise followed recipe exact. I will make this often.
Can this recipe be frozen?
Yes it can! We suggest freezing after cooking!
I made this for church potluck. We are mostly vegans or vegetarians. Everyone loved it!! This recipe is easy to make and freezes well. I made it in a larger batch with half mild and the other half with more heat.
What a great potluck recipe! So glad you enjoyed it!
Delicious! Cinnamon is sooo amazing in this chili!!
Your Instant Pot Vegan Chili was the absolutely best vegan or vegetarian chili that I have ever found for the Instant Pot, and trust me, I try a different one at least twice a week. And it is an easy recipe to make. And it makes enough for seconds and thirds. Yum! Now, this Black Bean Chili also looks amazing. Could I dump everything into the instant pot at one time and cook at high pressure for length of time recommended for quinoa? Do you think that would work, or is there any instructions you could give me to convert this for instant pot cooking? Thank you so much for your healthy and super delicious recipes!
This makes me so happy!!!! That is exactly what I would do. IP recipes are tough and they usually take 3 or 4 times to figure out timing just based on what’s in the recipe, but I would maybe try 5 minutes on high + a quick release. If you do it, please let us know if it worked!
Just a note from the spelling police. It’s stock pot, not stalk pot.
Love your recipes.
I noticed you wrote stalk pot instead of stock pot. Just thought you’d want to know ?
Black beans, quinoa, avocado, chili sauce, and a touch of some hearty spices are the ultimate winner for any warming fall or winter supper! I absolutely love that this recipe is packed with healthy ingredients. No need for anything super salty or refined!
So amazing and easy to prepare. Thanks for sharing!
I love avocado and it is delicious.
It is an easy to prepare recipe. Can I use white beans instead?
This is straight up amazing – no other words for it. I think I underestimated how much a cinnamon stick would do, but my goodness the smoky flavor it brought made this unlike any other chili recipe I’ve made. A+ recipe!
WAHOO!!!! The cinnamon stick is absolutely AMAZING in this recipe 🙂 Glad you loved it.
Holy Cow! I made this chili tonight and it was the best I’ve had or made in years! The only thing I forgot was the cinnamon stick – what exactly does it do for the chili? What kind of flavor does it give or combine with? Looking forward to trying a bunch of these recipes.
So glad you loved this! The cinnamon gives the chili an amazing flavor and is a great contrast with the smokiness of the other spices. You’ll love it if you try it next time!
I love chili!
I’ve made this recipe a couple of times and really enjoy it. I like to top goat cheese and avocado. Also, if you pour it over nachos and top with onions + cheese it is even more amazing.
Thanks for the recipe, Lee!
Goat cheese has the key to my heart 😀
Can you use the crockpot instead? I hope so because I’m trying it right now! 🙂
Haha 😀 Yes! You totally could. I would cook on high for 4-5 hours. Please let me know how it turns out!! I’d love to hear 😀
Sodium is very high per serving. 🙁