Vegan Chili Cornbread Casserole

Hearty vegetarian chili topped with cornbread, this cozy Vegan Chili Cornbread Casserole is the perfect meal to feed a crowd! Comfort food at it's finest. Vegan and gluten-free option.

Could there be anything more wonderfully fall-ish than a veggie chili cornbread casserole? I meeeeeeean...

Don't act like you don't want dive right into this cozy cornbread situation. Comfort food that's packed with veggies and most definitely a meal in a bowl? Let's DO THIS.

We shall not let the mildly lengthy ingredient list today intimidate us. This chili comes together in a jiffy, good people. Have trust.

I haven't posted a chili recipe in a minute, but whenever I make chili, I 100% make cornbread with it. Totally required and not at all optional.

But why not make it all in one so every bite of chili has the perfect amount of cornbready greatness, too?

This Jalapeño Skillet Cornbread is my staple recipe and my inspiration for today's version. It's ridic! And all this messy cornbread chiliness is healthy, too.

We're doing good good things for the body, here.

I gotta say that this chili recipe is THE perfect staple chili recipe. It's full of spice but not spicy and just robust and veggie-forward and all around killing it.

Tomato paste adds concentrated umami flavor and smoked paprika adds lovely depth of flavor. Don't you skip it!

I think you're gonna like this. I think you're gonna love this. You, your kiddos, your romantical partner, your doggy. The whole fam is invited to get all up in this one pot chili cornbread casserole wonder.

And don't get me started on the leftovers. Ohhhhh, the leftovers. They're like fifteen times better.

Now should we make badass some chili moves or WHAT?

Cozy cozy cozy.

Vegan Chili Cornbread Casserole

★★★★★ 5 from 11 reviews

• Author: Alexis Joseph | Hummusapien
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 50 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
• Yield: 6-8 servings 1x
• Category: Main Meals
• Method: Stovetop + Oven
• Cuisine: American

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Description

Hearty vegetarian chili topped with cornbread, this cozy Vegan Chili Cornbread Casserole is the perfect meal to feed a crowd! Comfort food at its finest. Vegan and gluten-free option.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the chili:

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic,  minced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 celery stalks, finely diced
• 1 bell pepper, diced
• ¼ cup tomato paste
• 1 ½ tbsp chili powder
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp oregano
• ¾ tsp salt, to taste + freshly ground black pepper
• 1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes, with juices
• 1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 (15 oz.) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed (can do half chickpeas)
• 1 cup water

For the cornbread topping:

• 1 tbsp ground flax seeds + 3 tbsp warm water
• 1 ¼ cups almond milk + 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 ¼ cups whole grain cornmeal
• ¾ cup white whole wheat flour (sub all-purpose gluten-free flour if necessary)
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• ⅓ cup avocado oil or coconut oil, melted
• 2 tbsp maple syrup

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Instructions

1. Heat oil in an oven-safe dutch oven* medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and a pinch of salt and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes.
2. Add carrots, celery, and bell pepper and sauté for another 7 minutes, or until softened. Add tomato paste, all spices, salt, and pepper, stirring for a minute.
3. Add tomatoes with juice, all beans, and water, stirring to combine. Increase heat to medium-high. Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes while you make the cornbread. Taste for seasoning before you pour batter on top!
4. Preheat oven to 400F. Mix together flax and water in a small bowl and set aside. Add almond milk and vinegar to a liquid measuring cup and set aside.
5. Whisk together all the dry ingredients (cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt) in a large mixing bowl. Add almond milk mixture, flax mixture, oil, and maple syrup, stirring until just combined. Do not over-mix.
6. Pour batter on top of chili. Bake for about 20-22 minutes or until a fork comes out clean. Let her rest for 15 minutes before devouring!

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Notes

*If you don't have a dutch oven, you can cook the chili in a pot and transfer to a 2-3 qt. casserole dish prior to baking.