Tex-Mex chili sin carne with beans and corn Recipe
Chili sin carne is a vegetarian version of the popular Texan chili con carne, but without meat – instead it’s packed with beans and vegetables. In the USA it’s often served at student parties and family gatherings, because it’s easy to feed a lot of people from one pot. The flavors are a bit like a thick bean stew, but with a distinct note of tomatoes and spices.
Tex-Mex is the borderland cuisine of Texas and Mexico, combining Mexican spices with a more “stew-like” format familiar from the U.S. The meatless chili sin carne is a modern adaptation of classic chili con carne for people who eat little or no meat.
Tex-Mex chili sin carne is a one-pot dish inspired by the cuisine of the Texas–Mexico border, but in a completely meatless version. The thick tomato sauce, beans, corn and aromatic spices create something between a stew and a warming soup. Thanks to cumin and paprika the dish has a distinct character, yet it still feels familiar to anyone used to Polish-style bean dishes.
Why this version works
- Blooming the spices in oil before adding liquids brings out their aroma and gives a deeper flavor.
- A mix of chopped tomatoes, passata, and stock creates a sauce that’s thick but not heavy.
- Canned ingredients shorten the cooking time without a major loss of flavor.
- Letting the chili rest covered after cooking allows the flavors to round out and softens the heat.
Chef's tips
You’ll get the best flavor if you let the chili rest for a bit – even 15–20 minutes covered after cooking will help the spices settle. If you’re using canned beans, be sure to rinse them to remove excess salt and the heavy taste of the brine. The heat is easy to adjust: start with a smaller amount of hot paprika, then add more towards the end of cooking, tasting as you go.
How to serve
Serve the chili in bowls with rice, tortillas or simply with a thick slice of fresh bread – for a cozy “movie night” all you need is a big pot in the middle of the table and a bowl of nachos. It tastes great with toppings: a dollop of thick yogurt, grated cheese, fresh coriander or chives that everyone can add themselves. To drink, serve lime water, a light beer or homemade apple compote if you’re cooking for a family lunch.
Watch out for
- Don’t add beans straight from the canning liquid – the sauce will turn floury and too salty.
- If the heat is too high after adding the tomatoes, the sauce will splatter and may catch on the bottom.
- Don’t overdo the hot paprika at the start; it’s easier to add more heat at the end than to tone it down.
Ingredients
- red kidney beans canned, drained and rinsed - 400 g
- corn canned, drained - 150 g
- chopped tomatoes canned - 400 g
- tomato passata - 200 ml
- onion diced - 1 piece
- red bell pepper diced - 1 piece
- carrot coarsely grated - 1 piece
- garlic finely chopped - 2 cloves
- vegetable oil - 2 tablespoons
- ground cumin - 1 teaspoon
- sweet paprika - 1 teaspoon
- hot paprika or less if you prefer a milder dish - 0.5 teaspoons
- vegetable stock - 200 ml
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- fresh coriander chopped, for serving; can be replaced with parsley - 2 tablespoons
Preparation
- Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté for 3–5 minutes, until it softens, turns translucent and smells slightly sweet, but doesn’t brown around the edges.
- Add the finely chopped garlic, diced bell pepper, and carrot grated on the coarse side of a box grater. Fry for about 5 minutes, stirring, until the vegetables soften and get a few golden spots, and the bottom of the pot starts to turn lightly golden.
- Add the cumin, sweet paprika, and hot paprika. Stir for about 1 minute, until the spices coat the vegetables, become very fragrant, and start to foam slightly in the fat; make sure the bottom of the pot doesn’t turn dark brown.
- Add the chopped tomatoes, passata, and stock. Stir thoroughly, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot, and bring to a boil until clear bubbles appear on the surface.
- Reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until the sauce thickens slightly, turns an even red-orange color, and no longer separates into water and pulp.
- Add the rinsed and well-drained beans and the corn. Stir and cook for another 10–15 minutes over low heat, until the chili is as thick as a stew and the beans are very soft but not yet splitting.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. If the chili is too thick and starts to stick to the bottom, add a splash of water or stock; if it’s too thin, cook it uncovered for a few more minutes until it visibly reduces.
- Take the pot off the heat, cover, and let stand for 10–15 minutes so the flavors meld. The surface should thicken slightly and stop bubbling vigorously. Before serving, sprinkle with chopped cilantro or parsley.
- If you want an even thicker consistency, after the resting time lightly mash some of the beans with a potato masher or spoon against the side of the pot until the sauce becomes creamier and less watery.
Storage
No storage information available for this dish.
I always cook this chili when we have friends over for board games – the pot quietly bubbles away on the stove and everyone can ladle themselves a portion whenever they get hungry. I usually make a double batch, because the next day in lunchboxes it tastes even better than freshly cooked.
