Best Vegetarian Chili Frito Pie Recipe
The BEST Vegetarian Chili Frito Pie recipe made in just under 30 minutes! It's a quick weekday or weekend meatless meal that can be made ahead of time and used when needed or freeze for later.
Servings 4 servings
Calories 872kcal
Ingredients
- ½ cup bulgur wheat
- 1 ½ cups water
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion , chopped
- 2 medium red or green bell peppers , chopped
- 3 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon Tabasco or use ¼ teaspoon cayenne powder
- 28 ounce can of fire roasted tomatoes , diced and undrained
- 2 cups fresh or frozen cut corn kernels (I use frozen roasted corn; no need to thaw first)
- 15 ounce can of black beans , drained and rinsed
- 15 ounce can of small red beans or kidney beans , drained and rinsed
- salt to taste
- 10 ounces corn chips
- 1 recipe of pico de gallo
optional accompaniments: sour cream, shredded cheese, chopped cilantro, and diced avocado
Instructions
COOK THE BULGUR:
- Place water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, add the ½ cup bulgur, stir well, and cover with a lid. Simmer gently until cooked, but still chewy (about 15 minutes).
MAKE THE CHILI:
- While the bulgur is cooking, heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Sauté 1 large chopped onion until slightly soft (about 3 minutes).
- Add the 3 cloves of garlic, 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon cumin, and 1 tablespoon Tabasco or ¼ teaspoon cayenne powder. Cook for another 2 minutes.
- Add the 2 chopped bell peppers and sauté for 5 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to low, add the 28 ounces of tomatoes with their juice, 2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels, and both 15 ounce cans of black and red beans. Stir well, cover, and cook for about 15 minutes, or until fully heated though and tomatoes have broken down a little.
- Add the cooked bulgur to the chili. Stir well, cover, and let the chili simmer for a few minutes to allow flavors to all meld together. Add salt to taste.*Chili will be super thick, so can add a little water at this time to thin it out to desired consistently.
MAKE THE FRITO PIES:
- Divide the amount of corn chips between 4 bowls and cover with a generous portion of chili.
- Top with sour cream, cilantro, avocado, cheese, and pico de gallo.
Video
Notes
- Store leftovers in a covered tightly container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or freeze up to 2 months.
- Can use pinto beans in place of black or red beans, if desired.
- Use chili to fill tacos, burritos, lettuce cups or make NACHOS!!
- Slightly adapted from the Red, Gold, Black, and Green Chili recipe from Moosewood Restaurant Cooks At Home.
Nutrition
Calories: 872kcal | Carbohydrates: 132g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 1387mg | Potassium: 1259mg | Fiber: 28g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 3287IU | Vitamin C: 90mg | Calcium: 281mg | Iron: 9mg