4 vegetarian chili recipes for getting cozy this weekend

Holiday shopping and meal planning are officially underway. I like to have a big pot of something delicious and easy to heat and eat on hand after battling the crowds. Chili — especially vegetarian chili — is easy to make and will last for several meals. And, bonus, the longer it sits after it is made, the better it tastes. These recipes are essentially vegan — the dairy garnishes can be left on the side (or left out completely) — and cook up in about half the time of a meat-based chili. (And if you are interested in some fun chili facts and history, Noelle Carter’s ode to chili will feed that hunger as well.)

Three-Bean and Hominy Chili is made with kidney, pinto and black beans and hominy (dried corn kernels treated with alkali in a process called nixtamalization) for flavor and texture. They’re stewed with poblano, jalapeño and New Mexico chiles along with warm spices such as cumin, coriander, achiote and smoked paprika to create a rich, vibrant bowl of chili.

Laden with squash, cauliflower, corn and peas, this vegetarian chili is bursting with flavor.

Chipotle chiles (a.k.a. smoked jalapeños) give Chipotle Chili With Black Beans and Corn a smoky, spicy heat. This recipe calls for pureeing them in the adobo sauce that comes with them in the can, giving the heat an added dimension.

This chili, from chef and cookbook author Margaret S. Fox, helped put Mendocino’s Cafe Beaujolais on the map. The simple preparation belies the complex flavor that results.