What Are The Best Beans For Chili? A Healthy Recipe
Choosing the best beans for chili is important and makes a big difference in the flavor and consistency of your chili. For many, as we head into fall and football season, chili becomes a popular dish. I really enjoy its bold flavors, and when made properly homemade chili can be very healthy.
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Beans in general are tremendously healthy for you, and choosing the best beans for chili does make a difference in the texture and flavor of your dish. Ultimately though, the best beans for chili are going to be the beans you will eat.
There are several types of beans that work very well in chili, mainly because of their size and texture. First let’s dive into some of the wonderful health benefits of eating beans in general.
Health Benefits of Eating Beans
Beans are some of the healthiest foods on the planet. They are a packed powerhouse of nutrient density, and much research has been done on the benefits of eating beans. Beans are beneficial for all kinds of health conditions, including heart disease, diabetes, gut issues, inflammation, cancer and more. Beans have also been researched for longevity purposes in general.
Not only do beans contain plenty of vitamins and mineral, they also contain lots of fiber. Fiber helps us maintain a healthy weight as well as lower our risk of heart disease, diabetes and cancer.
Beans are an excellent source of clean protein, and do not contain the inflammatory properties that animal proteins have, like saturated fat, arachidonic acid, and carnitine.
And finally, according to THIS study, legumes may be the most important dietary predictor of survival in older adults around the globe.
Beans and legumes may be the most important dietary predictor of survival in older adults around the globe.
So now that you know how healthy beans can be, it’s mainly important to eat whichever kind of bean you like and will eat.
Let’s talk about specific beans that work well in chili recipes, because you may also like those too!
Best Beans For Chili
In my experience there are three best beans for chili. The traditional kidney bean, black beans, and pinto beans. Mainly because they are a larger type bean, and they hold their consistency and texture well.
- Kidney beans – kidney beans are the traditional chili bean, and for good reason. They are a larger type bean, hold together well, so they do not make your chili a big bowl of mush.
- Kidney beans are low in fat and a good source of protein and fiber.
- Kidney beans are also are a good source of iron, phosphorus, and potassium.
- Kidney beans contain phytonutrients, which are plant compounds that are good for your health overall.
- Black beans – black beans are delicious in flavor, and also a little bit smaller than a kidney bean. They too are quite sturdy when cooking. Black beans are also probably one of the healthiest beans you can eat.
- Black beans have the highest antioxidant count with “potent inhibitory activity” against human colon, liver, and breast cancer cells.
- Black beans help control type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance.
- And they are high in potassium, which can help to lower your risk of stroke.
- Pinto beans – pinto beans are my final choice for best beans for chili. This bean is about the same size as a black bean, and has a really nice texture. It’s lighter in color than the black bean or red kidney bean, but it has a mild and delicious flavor.
- Pinto beans are another great nutrient dense bean, and a good source of B-vitamins and fiber.
- Eating pinto beans is a great way to help lower cholesterol and prevent heart disease.
- Pinto beans also help to improve the gut microbiome, which protects us against diet induced inflammation and glucose intolerance.
Three Bean Combo
These are my top three best beans for chili, and why I prefer to use them over other beans in my chili recipes. Instead of trying to pick just one bean to use for your chili recipe, why not try all three together?
Each individual bean will taste great of course but in combining more than one bean together, you will make a delicious, nutrient dense chili for the upcoming fall season.
Coming from Wisconsin, I grew up in a family who LOVED the Green Bay Packers. We still do, and in fact we all continue to hold stock in the Packer organization.
So in the fall, when football season comes around, you can bet there are big batches of homemade chili on the stove. Homemade chili with homemade sourdough bread, watching a Packer game? Boy oh boy…nothing better! 😉
Best Beans Chili Recipe
Because I value my health and it’s important to me to eat healthy, I now changed my traditional chili recipe to a much more healthy version. The taste is similar, at least that is what my son says, but the ingredients are a far better quality.
Notes About This Recipe
Water sauteing is a healthy way to cook onions and garlic without adding a lot of fat and calories to your chili. May I suggest getting into the habit of using this technique when you are cooking.
If you are not a fan of tempeh, feel free to leave it out. But then add another cup of beans to your chili. You can use more black beans or kidney beans, but you can also use any other kind of bean you desire. Consider pinto beans, as they taste really good in chili!
You can use either tomato juice or vegetable juice. Oftentimes I will use a spicy vegetable juice for an added kick.
If you prefer to not have pasta in your chili, feel free to leave it out.
I like to add leafy greens into my meals as much as possible. You can add a handful of baby kale or arugula on top of your chili in your serving bowl. Finish it off with some lovely vegan cheese and ENJOY!
Handy Kitchen Tools For This Recipe
- Instant Pot – this is one of my favorite tools in my kitchen, and an absolute must during the fall and winter when you are making lots of soups and stews.
- measuring cups – these have worked great for me in my kitchen, as I try to stay away from as much plastic and metal as I can.
- measuring spoons – same with these – so good.
Best Beans Chili Ingredients
- onion – you can use a red or yellow onion in this recipe. I’ve used both.
- fresh garlic – if you don’t have fresh garlic, feel free to use garlic powder.
- tempeh – this is an awesome clean, plant-based, source of protein. Note that it is best to buy organic tempeh to help reduce pesticide exposure.
- tomato or vegetable juice – sometimes I will do half & half to mix it up and give my chili a little kick.
- vegetable broth – if you do not have vegetable broth on hand, it is perfectly fine to use water.
- red kidney beans – the traditional chili bean
- black beans – another great bean for chili recipes
- brown rice – you can swap this rice out for another kind but an organic brown rice will be the most nutritious.
- whole wheat elbow pasta – this is optional. Most of the time I won’t put pasta in my chili but some people feel it’s a must. I get it. 😉
- seasonings – chili would not be chili without these fabulous seasonings – chili powder, ground cloves, smoked paprika, salt, pepper.
optional ingredients you may want to consider
These are all great additions to top off your bowl of Best Beans Chili
- vegan cheese – always a nice touch on top of chili
- fresh parsley – more seasoning, flavor, and nutrition
- leafy greens – throw them on everything and anything you can! Very nutrient dense.
- lemon juice – gives your chili just that extra bit of tang. It will make you keep coming back for more.
Best Beans Chili Preparation
- Measure out black beans and kidney beans, rinse thoroughly, and set aside.
- Measure out rice and pasta (if using). Rinse rice thoroughly, and set both aside.
- Finely dice yellow onion, and set aside.
- Peel and mince garlic cloves, and set aside.
- Open tempeh packages, and set aside.
- Set Instant Pot to saute, and allow to heat up while preparing other ingredients.
Best Beans Chili Directions
- Pour 1/4C of water into the heated Instant Pot, saute onion until tender, approximately 10min.
- Add minced garlic, and stir to combine with onions.
- Add tempeh to the onion mixture, breaking it apart into pieces. Using a wooden spoon, continue to mash and break apart the tempeh until crumbly (similar to ground beef). Continue to add water as needed to prevent sticking.
- Add all of the spices (chili powder, cloves, paprika, salt, pepper), and stir to combine.
- Add tomato/vegetable juice and vegetable broth OR filtered water to the tempeh mixture. Stir thoroughly.
- Add rice and pasta (if using) to the Instant Pot. Stir to combine all of the ingredients thoroughly.
- Close and lock the lid of the Instant Pot. Select “Pressure Cook” or “Bean/Chili” mode on the Instant Pot, and cook for 40min.
- Allow the Instant Pot to pressure release on its own. Do not manually release the steam.
- Once the pressure release button has dropped, open the Instant Pot carefully, and gently stir.
- Ladle spoonfuls into serving bowls, top with some vegan cheese, fresh parsley or leafy green if desired, and ENJOY!
How To Store
This Best Bean Chili stores well in the fridge for about 5-6 days. Just make sure to store your chili in a glass container with a tightly fitted lid.
You can also freeze some of your chili if you feel you won’t eat it all right away. Again, store in a tightly fitted glass container, and make sure to leave a bit of room at the top to allow for expansion when your chili freezes.
check out these other simple, delicious, healthy recipes
A Sugar Free Peach Cobbler With Drop Sourdough Biscuits
My Favorite Oatmeal Vegan Cookies & Gluten Free
Let’s be social together
If you make this Best Beans Chili recipe, I would love it if you give it 5 stars and comment below.
And feel free to post your beautiful creation on Instagram with the hashtag #parkinsonsandus!
You can also follow me and my life on Cape Cod on my Instagram page @parkinsons_and_us.
FREE Green Smoothie Guide
Enjoy this FREE Green Smoothie Guide to help you stay healthy as a care partner. From peanut butter and chocolate smoothies to beautiful, creamy fruit smoothies, there is at least one recipe in this guide for you.
Staying healthy as a busy care partner is critical, and green smoothies will help you stay on track. Grab your guide and get blending!
VIDEO: Step by step directions on how to make my Best Beans Chili recipe
Printable Recipe For You To Enjoy
Best Beans Chili
Ingredients
- 1 small onion – diced you can use either red or yellow.
- 2-3 cloves fresh garlic – minced you can swap fresh for 1tsp garlic powder
- 16 oz tempeh organic is best to reduce pesticide exposure.
- 4 cups tomato or vegetable juice
- 4 cups vegetable broth you can also use water instead
- 1 cup red kidney beans
- 1 cup black beans
- 1/2 cup brown rice
- 1/2 cup whole wheat elbow pasta optional
- 4 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- vegan cheese, fresh parsley, leafy greens optional, this is a nice addition to top off your bowl of chili
Instructions
Preparation:
- Measure out black beans and kidney beans, rinse thoroughly, and set aside.
- Measure out rice and pasta (if using). Rinse rice thoroughly, and set both aside.
- Finely dice yellow onion, and set aside.
- Peel and mince garlic cloves, and set aside.
- Open tempeh packages, and set aside.
- Set Instant Pot to saute, and allow to heat up while preparing other ingredients.
Cooking Instructions:
- Pour 1/4C of water into the heated Instant Pot, saute onion until tender, approximately 10min.
- Add minced garlic, and stir to combine with onions.
- Add tempeh to the onion mixture, breaking it apart into pieces. Using a wooden spoon, continue to mash and break apart the tempeh until crumbly (similar to ground beef). Continue to add water as needed to prevent sticking.
- Add all of the spices (chili powder, cloves, paprika, salt, pepper), and stir to combine.
- Add tomato/vegetable juice and veggie broth OR filtered water to the tempeh mixture. Stir thoroughly.
- Add rice and pasta (if using) to the Instant Pot. Stir to combine all of the ingredients thoroughly.
- Close and lock the lid of the Instant Pot. Select "Pressure Cook" or "Bean/Chili" mode on the Instant Pot, and cook for 40min.
- Allow the Instant Pot to pressure release on its own. Do not manually release the steam.
- Once the pressure release button has dropped, open the Instant Pot carefully, and gently stir.
- Ladle spoonfuls into serving bowls, top with some vegan cheese, fresh parsley or leafy green if desired, and ENJOY!
Notes
- Water sauteing is a healthy way to cook onions and garlic without adding a lot of fat and calories to your chili. May I suggest getting into the habit of using this technique when you are cooking.
- If you are not a fan of tempeh, feel free to leave it out. But then add another cup of beans to your chili. You can use more black beans or kidney beans, but you can also use any other kind of bean you desire. Consider pinto beans, as they taste really good in chili!
- You can use either tomato juice or vegetable juice. Oftentimes I will use a spicy vegetable juice for an added kick.
- If you prefer to not have pasta in your chili, feel free to leave it out.
- I like to add leafy greens into my meals as much as possible. You can add a handful of baby kale or arugula on top of your chili in your serving bowl. Finish it off with some lovely vegan cheese and ENJOY!
