30 Minute Summer Vegetable and Bean Chili

This 30 Minute Summer Vegetable and Bean Chili recipe is delicious! Loaded with bell peppers, zucchini, yellow squash, corn and two kinds of beans, this chili gets a spicy kick from jalapenos. Top with shredded sharp cheddar cheese and cool sour cream for a quick and nutritious lunch or dinner.

vegetable bean chili

When the weather is chilly, I love making a meaty chili like this spicy one with butternut squash. But the summer months call for a lightened chili recipe. My vegetable bean chili takes only about 30 minutes to make and does not skimp on flavor!

Die hard carnivores will not even miss the meat in this chili. It is loaded with onions, garlic, peppers, zucchini, yellow squash, tomatoes, sweet corn, and black and kidney beans.

the ingredients

• olive oil
• yellow onion
• garlic
• jalapeno
• red bell pepper
• yellow bell pepper
• yellow squash
• zucchini
• corn
• cumin
• chili powder
• smoked paprika
• canned fire roasted diced tomatoes
• kosher salt
• pepper
• canned black beans
• canned kidney beans
• cilantro
• sour cream
• cheddar cheese

what vegetables can you put in chili?

The recipe is very forgiving and can be adapted to the vegetables and beans on hand. If you favor eggplant over yellow squash, by all means add it instead. Peppers are available in red, green, orange, yellow and purple varieties. Choose ones that you like to make the recipe unique. The recipe calls for corn on the cob. If it is out of season, substitute 1 1/2 cups for frozen or canned corn instead. Swap out the kidney beans for cannellini beans to suit your tastes.

suggestions and recipe tips

• Dice the onions, bell peppers, zucchini and yellow squash all in the same size so they cook evenly.
• Cutting the corn off the cob can be a trickier proposition. The result can be many wayward kernels shooting around the kitchen. To keep the mess to a minimum, place the flat end of an ear of corn on the bottom of a large wide-mouthed bowl. With a sharp knife make long cuts down the side of the cob. The kernels will fall neatly to the bottom of the bowl and will be ready to add to the chili.
• I like my vegetables to keep their shape when cooked. If you have the same taste as me, do not overcook the chili or the veggies will be mushy.

what toppings to serve with vegetable chili?

• sour cream
• shredded cheeses such as cheddar, Colby Jack, pepper jack or Manchego
• chopped onions
• chopped jalapenos
• lime wedges
• chopped avocado
• fresh cilantro
• hot sauce

what to do with leftover chili?

Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in an airtight container. Or freeze the chili for up to 6 months for a taste of summer on a cold and snowy winter evening.

This vegetable chili recipe is also delicious served in crunchy taco shells, over tortilla chips as nachos, on as a yummy enchilada filling.

just one more thing

If you make my delicious vegetable and bean chili recipe, I’d love hearing from you. Be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating ~ I do my best to reply to all your comments. And snap a photo to post to Instagram. I’ll add the photos to my Insta stories as I love seeing all your creations.

Also check out my Facebook and Pinterest pages for lots of fabulous foodie stories and videos, cooking tips, and recipes.

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