RecipesFrom the test kitchen
Bean and Vegetable Chili
A one-pot, plant-based chili built on beans and dark greens for a high-fiber, high-protein dinner with real staying power.
Method
- 1
Warm the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion with a pinch of salt and cook 5 to 6 minutes until soft and translucent, then stir in the garlic for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- 2
Add the chili powder, paprika, and oregano. Toast the spices in the oil for about 1 minute, stirring constantly, so they bloom and lose any raw, dusty taste.
- 3
Pour in the tomatoes and their juice, scraping up anything stuck to the bottom. Add the cooked soybeans and 1.5 cups water, then bring to a gentle boil.
- 4
Lower to a simmer, partly cover, and cook 20 to 25 minutes, stirring now and then, until the flavors meld and the beans are very tender.
- 5
Stir in the chia seeds and simmer uncovered another 5 minutes. They will thicken the chili into a glossy, spoon-coating body without any flour.
- 6
Fold in the chopped spinach and cook just 2 minutes, until wilted and bright green, then kill the heat.
- 7
Stir in the lime juice, taste, and adjust salt. The acid wakes up the whole pot.
- 8
Ladle into bowls and shower each with hulled hemp seed. Serve hot.
Why this scores well
Original analysis by NutriVerdict
The plant foods doing the heavy lifting here rank high on NutriVerdict's Nutrient Density Score. Soybeans (score 84) bring the most complete plant protein of any common legume plus a serious dose of fiber, and raw spinach (score 100) tops our vegetable rankings while folding in folate, vitamin K, and iron. Chia seeds (score 83) thicken the pot with soluble fiber and plant omega-3s, while hulled hemp seed (score 76) sprinkled on top is a quick protein and magnesium boost. It leans on the highest-scoring foods in our reference set to stay filling on plants alone.
Tips
- No time to cook dried soybeans? Canned soybeans or edamame work; drain and rinse first.
- Want more chew? Swap 1 cup of the beans for cooked bulgur stirred in at step 5.
- Kale holds up better than spinach for leftovers; add it a few minutes earlier so it softens.
- Leftovers thicken overnight thanks to the chia. Loosen with a splash of water when you reheat.
Note: Not medical advice. This bowl is rich in fiber and plant protein from soybeans, chia, and hemp, plus micronutrients like folate, vitamin K, and iron from the spinach. USDA data puts cooked soybeans and chia among the densest fiber sources you can spoon into a bowl, which is what makes this chili satisfying without any meat.
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