My current love affair just got pretty hot and steamy.
He managed to wow me by bringing along a couple of his friends, The Black-Eyed Pea and The Green Pea. Things got pretty exciting…
And by “exciting”, I mean “I made some chili!” Then I ate that chili with some Chickpea Cornbread Biscuits!
This recipe came about out of a need to use the fresh black-eyed peas and the huge stock of veggies from my CSA, and it was, in fact, my first time ever making chili from scratch! I always left that business to my grandmother, who would feed the masses with her huge pots of chili (one with meat and one without) on Superbowl Sundays. My dad would often make chili as well, but it was usually Dennison’s Chili from a can. I also had several run-ins with canned chili in college, as I remember, which is probably what turned me off of chili for the past ten years. Any way, I can now proudly say that my first try at chili from scratch was a complete success!
Loaded with veggies, three types of “peas,” and a smoky sweet heat coming from a Sriracha-laced sauce, this chili is super nutrient dense as well as incredibly delicious and filling. I sat my Chickpea Cornbread Biscuit right on top of the chili, and I would break off a little piece with my spoon for every tasty, hearty bite. It took me right back to all of those old Superbowl Sundays, minus all the screaming coming from my grandpa in the living room. Good times.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 3-4 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
- 3-4 celery stalks, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 2 cups of crimini mushrooms, cut into quarters
- 1 15oz. can Fire-Roasted Tomatoes (organic and BPA-free, like Eden’s Organic)
- 1 cup of corn kernels (fresh or frozen and thawed)
- 1 1/2 cups fresh black-eyed peas, or 1 15oz. can, rinsed and drained
- 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas, or 1 15oz. can, rinsed and drained
- 1 1/2 cups frozen green peas, thawed
- 2 1/2 – 3 cups vegetable broth
- 1 bunch chard, stems removed and roughly chopped
- salt and pepper to taste (smoked salt is really good here, if you have it)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons Bragg Liquid Aminos
- 2-3 tablespoons Sriracha Sauce
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
- 2 1/2 teaspoons cumin
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon coconut sugar (or vegan brown sugar)
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat for about 1 minute. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until the onion has softened, about 3 minutes. Add the carrots, celery, bell pepper, and mushrooms and sauté for about 5 minutes. If things begin to stick, lower the heat a bit.
- While the vegetables are sautéing, make your sauce. Combine the sauce ingredients, tomato paste through coconut sugar in a small cup and mix thoroughly. Add this sauce, along with the fire-roasted tomatoes to the pot and mix to fully combine. Allow to cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the corn, the three types of peas, and 2 1/2 cups of vegetable broth and stir to fully combine. Cover the pot, increase the heat and bring to a boil. Once the chili is boiling, lower the heat to a simmer, partially uncover the lid (just a crack) and let cook for about 30-40 minutes, until most of the liquid has cooked away. If it cooks too quickly, add another 1/2 cup broth, lower the heat a bit, and let cook until most of the liquid has cooked away.
- Once the liquid has mostly cooked away, remove from heat, mix in the chard and cover the pot. Once the chard has wilted a bit, the chili is ready to serve, preferably with some Chickpea Cornbread Biscuits. Enjoy!

First time here? Check out the rest of my Chickpea Love Affair Vegan MoFo Entries!
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Photography by Chris Miller
YUM. This is the most visually appealing, rainbow-colord chili I’ve ever seen, Kristy. And I completely understand your love affair with the chickpea–he is my self-proclaimed favorite, as well. Keep up the great MoFo-ing! 😀
What a delicious looking meal. I am craving some hot soups and comfort meal just like this. I love you MoFo recipes ! Have a nice friday.
chickpeas, black-eyed peas, and peas in a bowl with mushrooms? count me in! this looks perfect, comforting, and hearty!
Oh yes, comforting and hearty it is! Totally perfect for fall! 🙂
Oh my, this looks so good. I love that you put greens in it. I’m addicted to greens and love to find new dishes they can be added to.
Thanks, Liz! I’m like you- If I can find a way to add greens, I will! 🙂
It was in the 40s this morning…which means my food thoughts are all about stews, soups and – – chili! Great pea combo, Kristy! It’s beautiful, too. That handsome rogue, Monsieur Chickpea!
Thank you, Annie! I have a case of the chills today- it’s not that cold outside, but I am freezing and really wishing I had some of this chili left!
Looks yummy Kristy! Love the mushrooms ans greens…I don’t cook with them enough!
YUM!
D-oh….spelling!
Thank you, Shira! I can’t get enough of mushrooms and greens, especially together. 😉 Have a great weekend!
This is such a cool take on Chili! I am a huge Chili fan – but it wasn’t until recently (in my 20’s) that I became one 🙂
Thanks, Heather! If you’re a chili fan, then you will love this one! 🙂 Isn’t it crazy how tastes change? I thought all of the canned chili I’d had would’ve turned me off of it completely, but I was wrong!
This was your first attempt at chili from scratch!? It’s beautiful! I love the addition of the greens in the chili, too.
Thanks, Bobbie! If I can find a way to include greens, I will! 🙂
I can’t believe this was your first time making chili! It was probably one of the first things I learned to make as an adult, because it’s hard to mess up! Yours sounds delicious, and even better is the fact that you don’t have to watch sports while you eat it. (Unless you like sports, I guess…) 😀
Thanks, Cadry! I just never had the interest after so many nights of canned chili. And yes, I prefer eating my chili sports-free. 🙂
i love the stories in the posts. lots of partying with so many peas:)
i heart black eyes peas right after chickpeas, so this is such a perfect fall chili! and oh yes, i havent been getting much sleep:)
Thank you- I’m having fun with the theme. 🙂 You are one talented lady- I just don’t know how you do it. Me and lack of sleep do not go well together. 😉
No one will leave the table hungry after a bowl of your chili. I’m glad you wrote out the recipe because you won’t want to forget a beautiful combination like this. It’s so colorful and it sounds delicious. I don’t know why I’ve never included black-eyed peas in my chili.
Thanks, Andrea! It is a nice, filling, comforting bowl of chili. Black-eyed peas are really moving up to the top of my list of favorite legumes- especially fresh ones! They’re so good!
I might just have my own love affair with chickpeas! I’m getting more and more inspired to cook with it, thanks to your recipes.
I know you’re a fellow chickpea lover, so it’s quite a compliment to hear that you’re finding the recipes inspiring.:-)
Sounds like a saucy affair you have going on there 😉 Love it- they are lucky men!
You’ve got that right! 😉 Thank you for stopping by, Gabby- you are just the sweetest!
Nice success! I love chili! Checking out the biscuits now! So behind with MOFO because of the Forks Over Knives craziness! I promise to view each and every post of yours my dear!
Thank you! I promise to get to all of yours as well, but work is slowing me down in the blog world. 🙂
i LOVE the colors!! sounds so hearty and delicious. perfect for fall!
Thank you! Chili is a fall must-have, isn’t it? 🙂
What a different take on chili. I love it. Not to diss black bean chili but it can get old during the winter. I can’t wait to try this out with those yummly biscuits!
Thanks, Reia! It is a really refreshing change to the typical chili- I hope you like it! 🙂