This healthy, fat-free and sodium-free vegan crock pot chili has beans, mushrooms, zucchini, bell peppers, and more. Each serving has 21 g of protein and 15 g of fiber.
This recipe comes from Dr. Joel Fuhrman's Eat to Live Cookbook.
Dr. Fuhrman, for those of you who may not know, is a physician who specializes in preventing and reversing disease through nutritional and natural methods. I have long been a fan of Dr. Fuhrman so I was only too happy when I was asked to review the book which is packed with 200 recipes for everything from smoothies to breakfast recipes, dips, salads, soups, main dishes, fast food and desserts. Most recipes are vegan-- in fact, the non-vegan recipe section is separated out at the end of the book so you don't have to go there unless you want to.
But this is not just a cookbook. Dr. Fuhrman includes valuable tips on living a "nutritarian" lifestyle-- a lifestyle that focuses on eating nutrient-rich, natural foods. Nutritarians, he adds, recognize that plant foods have disease preventive, therapeutic and life-extending properties.
Okay, so as vegans you already knew that, but it does feel good to have a doctor confirm it, doesn't it? The book also includes practical tips, like how to pick out the perfect fruit-- something I haven't mastered after years of being an eater and a cook. Do you know, for instance, how to tell the difference between a ripe starfruit and an unripe one?
The book even includes a list of Dr. Fuhrman's top 25 super foods and an Aggregate Nutrient Density Index (ANDI) score system for many common foods in our diets.
I bookmarked a ton of recipes as I flipped through this book, including Dr. Fuhrman's Famous Anti-Cancer Soup, Lemon Cauliflower Risotto, Quinoa Mango Salad, Goji Berry Walnut Squares with Chocolate Drizzle, and many more, but the first recipe I tried was the Crockpot Mushroom Chili because the recipe had instant appeal in these frigid days of winter. It contains a mix of vegetables and beans and was rich and smoky and absolutely delicious. Even better, it was fat-free and salt-free. A single serving of this chili packs 21 grams of protein and nearly 15 grams of fiber. How amazing is that?
Even Desi, my resident omnivore, loved the chili-- despite the fact that it was healthy. You know how those guys are! This is definitely going to be my go-to book in the new year.
More vegan chili recipes:
- Vegan Three Bean Chili
- Vegan White Bean Chili
- Chipotle Cumin Spiced Chili
- Instant Pot Vegan Chili
- Vegan Low Carb Keto Chili
Fat Free Vegan Crock Pot Chili
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
- 1 zucchini, diced
- 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
- 3 cups diced tomatoes, fresh or packaged in BPA-free cartons
- 3 cups cooked kidney or pinto beans or 2 15-ounce cans low-sodium or no-salt-added kidney beans
- ½ cup water
- 2 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- Dash of cayenne pepper or to taste
Instructions
- Combine all infredients in a crock pot. Cover and cook on low for 7 hours.
Lynn
Omigosh. I made this today, & I was worried about the different number of veggies that were in here. I needn't have. It was good. I might add a little salt next time, but I had compliant corn muffins in the freezer, so I thawed a couple, cut them up and put them on the bottom of my bowl (as trained when growing up!) & poured the chili over it. Perfection! I will definitely make this again! Thank you so much for sharing the recipe. I love and respect Dr. Fuhrman!
Jane Wakefield
My goal for 2015 is to be as helpful as I can to as many people as possible to help others reach their nutritional goals. As for me I plan on just eating more greens.
John Alexander
I love chili, I love mushrooms, and I'm always looking for vegan versions of traditional dishes. I've been using Gardein with kidney beans, etc., for my recipe, but using mushrooms, which I eat tons of just roasted, is a great idea because I don't think the "fake meat" adds much to the flavor, and it's kind of expensive. What do you think of Gardein's products?
BTW, you have great blog: great recipes, great attitude, great writing. I'm a big fan!
Vaishali
Hi John, thanks for your kind words, and welcome to Holy Cow!
I agree on the fake meat-- it rarely has the right texture to substitute for meat, and is almost always bland. I have used some Gardein products and while they are good enough as vegan substitutes, they too don't have the right texture. And yes, they are expensive which is definitely a consideration for me.
I often just use TVP chunks when I want a "meaty" texture in stews and curries and when vegetable substitutes like mushrooms or eggplant won't do. They also add a strong protein hit, they are relatively easy to find compared to other meat substitutes, and they are also fairly inexpensive.
Have a great weekend! 🙂
Maddalen
Just posting once again ... I made this stew this AM with a few slight variations (cranberry beans, basil and much more hot peppers) - it was going to be for dinner, but hubby wanted some ... and he had seconds! SCORE! Thank you!
Vaishali
Maddalen, your additions sound delicious. Glad you liked it!
Maddalen
Hi Vaishali,
I am not Indian, but I cook a lot of Indian food. My husband and I just transitioned to Dr. Fuhrman-style eating, mostly to lose weight but also to get healthier. I've been inventing a lot ofIndian-style dishes for our dinners (spicy dhals with lots of greens and some tofu). It is weird not to be creating the seasoned oil, but the food seems to come out nice and tasty. I went looking for some Fuhrman-style recipes (or at least recipes that I can adapt for Fuhrman-style eating) and found your site! I'm really happy I did, and plan to browse it for inspiration and recipes. Thank you!
Vaishali
Hi Maddalen, welcome to Holy Cow! and so happy you found your way here. 🙂 I love the Fuhrman style of eating too and try to follow his GBOMBS guide whenever possible. Hope you find what you need here, and let me know if you have questions!
Nancy Rakoczy
I resolve to cook and eat more vegan for health reasons.
Paula Lepler
This mushroom chili looks great! I am attempting to drink more water and amp up my veggie intake this year, while decreasing "bad" carbs.
paula rothman
to be more patient with others when educating about vegan lifestyle
Krithika
Hi Vaishali,I enjoy reading your posts! My New Year resolution is to incorporate more fruits and veggies into my diet. I recently got myself a Nutribullet and have been using it diligently.
Vaishali
Hi Krithika, great resolution. I have never used the Nutribullet but it sounds like a good tool.
Teneko
Oh my! I came here for the first time today while searching for some dairy-free alternatives for Palak Paneer.
My NY Resolution? I need to be more strict about being gluten-free. Too often, I sneak in a little something at a restaurant that I know probably has gluten in the sauce and think it won't be a problem...but sadly, it is.
Hand in hand with that is to take the time to cook more for myself and my fiancé. There is a bag of red lentils in my cupboard begging to be made into dal soup!
lavanya
Hi vaishali
long time reader . I have enjoyed reading your posts over the years and trying a lot. I have been diagnosed diabetic recently. My goal for 2014 is to make changes in the food andlifestyle so I can try and beat it.
Vaishali
Hi Laavanya, thanks for the comment! I am thrilled you've enjoyed the blog. Good luck with your health. As you likely already know, a vegan diet is highly beneficial for diabetics and I hope you will beat it!
Peace
Have more meaningful conversations.
Sunila
Wishing you and your dear ones a Very Happy Healthy & Peaceful New Year!
Was browsing through T.S.Eliot 's verses on the last day of 2013 and promptly decided upon his last line..."
... And to make an end is to make a beginning.”
-- T. S. Eliot
And so I shall , by carving some quality time for - spending more time with family, my reading, volunteer work, & looking at the positive side of life !..
Vaishali
Sunila, that's lovely. Here's to carving more quality time and looking at the positive side of life! 🙂
Twilla Hill
My resolution is to live a more healthy life and get as many of my family and friends to do the same
Vaishali
Sounds wonderful, Twilla. Good luck, and hope you get to your goals!
One Vegan Fatty
My resolution is to quit procrastinating and see my projects through to completion!
Vaishali
A noble resolution! Good luck, and hope this new year gets you to your goals.