Vegetarian red bean chili sin carne

Name: Vegetarian red bean chili sin carne
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Mexico
Ingredients: 2 tins kidney beans (480 g drained); 80 g fine textured soy protein (optional); 2 onions, sliced; 2 peppers (red and green), sliced; 3 garlic cloves, chopped; 400 g tomato sauce or passata; 2 tbsp tomato purée; 2 tbsp oil; 1 tbsp ground cumin; 1 to 2 tsp chilli powder; 1 tsp oregano; Salt; Tortilla chips, coriander and avocado, to serve

Local name: Chili sin carne

The meat-free Mexican chili, kidney beans, peppers and soy mince in a cumin and chilli tomato sauce.

Published on 16 October 2025

VeganGluten-free#kidney beans#chilli#cumin#soy#budget

Photo: Carstor , CC BY-SA 2.5

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 35 min
Total: 50 min
Serves: 4
Difficulty: Easy

Method

If using soy protein, rehydrate it in hot water for 10 minutes, then squeeze dry.
Soften the onions and peppers in the oil for 8 minutes over medium heat.
Add the garlic, cumin, chilli and oregano. Stir for 1 minute.
Add the soy, tomato sauce, purée and rinsed beans. Stir, season, and add a glass of water if it looks too thick.
Simmer gently for 25 minutes, stirring now and then.
Serve with rice or tortilla chips, coriander and diced avocado.

Soy protein absorbs a lot of liquid as it cooks. Keep water to hand and adjust the texture at the end.

The techniques this recipe uses

Drain and rinse
Canning liquid clouds a sauce and salts it blind: rinse until the water runs clear.
Sweat the aromatics
Medium heat, no browning: the onion should turn translucent and sweet, not toasted.

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Nutrition per serving

Calories: 367 kcal
Protein: 25.8 g
Fat: 9.3 g
Carbohydrate: 51.1 g
Fibre: 12.9 g

An estimate computed from the recipe quantities and the USDA food composition database. Real values vary with the products used.

Frequently asked questions

Do I really need the soya protein?

No, the chilli works perfectly well on beans and peppers alone. Textured soya adds a stringy chew close to minced meat; without it, mash some of the beans to thicken the sauce and make up for the lost body.

Why does my chilli turn pasty by the end?

Rehydrated soya protein keeps drinking liquid throughout the twenty-five minute simmer, and more still when reheated. Keep a glass of water or stock beside the pan and adjust the texture just before serving.

Why rinse tinned beans?

The canning liquid is very salty and lends the sauce a tinny taste. Rinsed beans let the cumin, chilli and oregano come through, and you keep control of the seasoning, which is best adjusted at the end.

Mexican vegetarian cooking: maize, beans, chilli
What the milpa and nixtamalisation bring to a meatless meal, how dry charring builds a sauce, and what the Spanish added to the repertoire.

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