Hot-and-sour soup always offers an extravaganza of invigorating textures and flavors. Don't be intimidated by the long list of ingredients here. It's an easy soup to make and doesn't take long to cook. Serve it as an accompaniment to a simple hot or cold Asian-style noodle dish. Adapted from Vegan Soups and Hearty Stews for All Seasons. Photos by Evan Atlas.

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Broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, and peppers mingle in a rich coconut–peanut base, making a stew that's great all year round. Adapted from Vegan Soups and Hearty Stews for All Seasons. Photos by Theresa Raffetto.

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When you need a heaping helping of something fast, inexpensive, and hearty, I can think of few things that fit these criteria better than A Big Pot of Really Good Chili.

I have been making this chili recipe for years. Simple, hearty, and warming, this chili is a great choice for casual winter parties like Super Bowl Sunday, or for everyday meals.

Chili is one of those foods that, I believe, can never go wrong and is great for any occasion. Depending on the setting, you can serve this chili with some homey cornbread, an elegant salad, or even a decadent chocolate cake (for dessert, of course)!

How to Make A Big Pot of Really Good Chili

1. Heat oil in a large pot.
2. Saute onion until translucent. Add garlic.
3. Add all but last 3 ingredients.
4. Simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.
5. Season to your liking.
6. Let chili sit, off the heat, until ready to serve.
7. Serve garnished with cliantro and tomatoes.

Full directions for how to make A Big Pot of Really Good Chili are in the printable recipe card below.

A Big Pot of Really Good Chili FAQs

Why do you let the chili sit after cooking?

If you have time, you can let your chili sit-off the heat-for an hour or so after cooking. This gives the flavors in the chili more time to meld together. I always try to follow this step, but you can totally skip it if you want to!

What is the best way to store leftover chili?

I suggest storing your leftover chili in the fridge. Keep it in an airtight container and eat it within 5 days. You can also freeze your chili (see below).

Can you freeze chili?

Freezing chili is a great way to meal prep! I suggest freezing your chili in serving-size freezer-safe containers or baggies. Then, when you want some chili, simply pull out however many servings you need at a time and reheat them.

You can make an entire batch to freeze, freeze half of the finished chili, or simply freeze whatever leftovers you may have.

Here are more Bean Stews and Chilis.

Recipe

A Big Pot of Really Good Chili

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When you need something fast, inexpensive, and hearty, you'll want to make yourself A Big Pot of Really Good Chili.

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Servings: 12

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Ingredients

• 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 medium onions finely chopped
• 5 cloves garlic minced
• 1 medium green bell pepper diced
• 1 medium red bell pepper diced
• 84 oz beans of your choice try a combination of pinto, pink, and black beans; drained and rinsed
• 28 oz tomatoes diced, with liquid
• 16 oz tomato sauce
• 1 jalapeño peppers or other hot peppers, seeded and minced OR 8 oz mild or hot green chiles, chopped
• 1 tablespoon good-quality chili powder
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 teaspoon ground cumin
• salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• ripe tomatoes chopped, for garnish
• cilantro or parsley, chopped, for garnish

Instructions

• Heat the oil in a large soup pot.
• Add the onion and sauté over medium-low heat until translucent.
• Add the garlic and sauté until the onion is golden.
• Add the remaining ingredients except the last three.
• Bring to a simmer, then cover. Continue to simmer gently for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the peppers are tender and the flavors meld.
• Season with salt and pepper, and adjust the other seasonings.
• If time allows, let the chili stand for several hours before serving. Heat through as needed. The chili should be nice and thick; if your chili is too thick, stir in a cup of water.
• Serve your chili in individual bowls, garnished with tomatoes and cilantro.

Nutrition (Estimate per Serving)

Calories: 313kcalCarbohydrates: 54gProtein: 19gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 219mgPotassium: 1184mgFiber: 17gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 1282IUVitamin C: 38mgCalcium: 87mgIron: 7mg

Vegan-ize any recipe!Grab our free vegan cheat sheet, packed with my favorite easy substitutions to make any recipe vegan.

Recipe from Vegan Holiday Kitchen. Photo by Susan Voisin.

Here’s an offbeat chili and a great introduction to whole hominy, if you’ve never tried it before. It's easy to find—you'll likely be able to get it in any supermarket shelved right near canned corn. Hominy is dried corn whose hull has been soaked off. Reconstituted, it's whole hominy; ground, it becomes hominy grits. Adapted from Vegan Soups and Hearty Stews for All Seasons. [Read more...]

This Roasted Root Vegetable Soup is delicious and comforting. Stew up a batch next time you need a warm, simple, healthy meal!

I make roasted vegetables at least once a week all winter. It's so pleasant to warm the house, make it smell good, and have that panful of roasted vegetables that could be boring but now are glazed with olive oil and sherry, sweetly caramelized, dark brown around the edges.

If possible, use homemade broth for this soup, one that is not too sweet. The roasted vegetables will provide plenty of sweetness. Pair this soup with some tasty cornbread, hearty soda bread, or a refreshing salad.

How to Make Roasted Root Vegetable Soup

1. Roast vegetables.
2. Cook barley.
3. Add roasted vegetables.
4. Simmer soup.
5. Add seasonings and adjust.
6. Garnish.

Full directions for how to make Roasted Root Vegetable Soup are in the printable recipe card below.

Roasted Root Vegetable Soup FAQs

How long does this soup last?

You can store this soup for up to 1 week! Keep it in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. Alternatively, you can store this soup in your freezer for up to 3 months.

How much roasted vegetables should I make?

This recipe yields about double the amount of roasted vegetables you'll actually need for the soup, which you can use in any way you'd like. But if you want to make only what's needed for the soup, cut the recommended vegetable amounts in half-or double the amount of soup ingredients!

Warm yourself up with more fall harvest soup recipes.

Recipe

Roasted Root Vegetable Soup

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This Roasted Root Vegetable Soup is delicious and comforting. Stew up a batch next time you need a warm, simple, healthy meal!

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Servings: 6

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Ingredients

Vegetables

• 1 lb rutabagas about 3 cups chopped
• 1 lb turnips about 3 cups chopped
• 1 lb sweet yams about 3 cups chopped
• 1 lb fennel about 3 cups chopped
• 12 oz carrots about 1 ⅔ cups chopped
• 2 lbs onions about 6 cups chopped
• 4 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoon sea salt
• black pepper freshly ground
• 2 teaspoon thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 teaspoon fresh sage leaves finely chopped; or 1 teaspoon crumbled dried sage
• 3 tablespoon dry sherry

Soup

• ⅓ cup pearl barley
• 1 ½ cups water
• ½ teaspoon sea salt to taste
• 6 cups vegetable broth
• 4 cups roasted root vegetables
• ½ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
• 2 teaspoon sherry vinegar
• fruity green olive oil optional

Instructions

Vegetables

• Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• Peel and dice all the vegetables to a fairly uniform size, about 1 inch. The onions can be cut in slightly larger pieces, as they are less dense.
• Mix the vegetables together in a large bowl with the olive oil, salt, pepper to taste, thyme, sage, and sherry. Adjust the amount of herbs to your taste.
• Spread the vegetables over two shallow baking pans and roast them for an hour or until they are tender and flecked with dark brown spots.
• Mix and turn the vegetables a few times during the roasting. About midway through, reverse the position of the pans between upper and lower racks in the oven.
• Remove tray from oven and let vegetables cool. The vegetables will reduce in volume as they roast, and you should have about 8 cups when they are done.

Soup

• Combine the barley in a large soup pot with water, salt, and vegetable broth.
• Bring the liquid to a boil, lower the heat, cover, and simmer the barley for 35 minutes. The barley will swell to two or three times its original size and maintain its distinctive chewy texture.
• Add 4 cups of the roasted vegetables (you can coarsely chop them first if the pieces look too large to you), and simmer the soup for about 15 minutes to marry the flavors.
• Taste, and add more salt if needed.
• Add the parsley and sherry vinegar during the last few minutes. If the soup seems too thick, add another cup or so of vegetable broth.
• Finish the soup with your favorite garnish, such as a swirl of fruity olive oil.

Nutrition (Estimate per Serving)

Calories: 365kcalCarbohydrates: 64gProtein: 7gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gSodium: 2102mgPotassium: 1417mgFiber: 14gSugar: 21gVitamin A: 21259IUVitamin C: 68mgCalcium: 189mgIron: 3mg

Vegan-ize any recipe!Grab our free vegan cheat sheet, packed with my favorite easy substitutions to make any recipe vegan.

Recipe from Love Soup* by Anna Thomas.

Anna Thomas is the author of Love Soup* as well as the groundbreaking cookbook The Vegetarian Epicure.* Visit her at The Vegetarian Epicure.

*This post contains affiliate links. If the product is purchased by linking through this review, VegKitchen receives a modest commission, which helps maintain our site and helps it to continue growing!

This delicious, earthy vegan mushroom soup is reprinted from The Urban Vegan: 250 Simple, Sumptuous Recipes from Street Cart Favorites to Haute Cuisine* by Dynise Balcavage. [Read more...]