One-Pot Plant-Based Protein & Bean Chili
with Hot Sauce Crema & Monterey Jack Cheese
- Milk
A good chili has well-seasoned protein, creamy beans, and tender vegetables. A great chili, however, has all that and comes together in one pot in under an hour. This vegetarian chili is made with plant-based protein and beans, and we’re pretty sure you’ll agree: it’s one of the greats. Not to mention, these bowls are adorned with some delicious fixings: tangy hot sauce crema and melty Monterey Jack. If you’ve got some on hand, why not crumble up some tortilla chips and sprinkle them on top for a crunch?
Ingredients
9 ounce
Ground Plant-Based Protein
1 unit
Tomato Paste
1 unit
Onion
2 tablespoon
Sour Cream
14 ounce
Diced Tomatoes
1 unit
Jalapeño
1 unit
Black Beans
1 unit
Mushroom Stock Concentrate
¼ cup
Monterey Jack Cheese
(Contains: Milk)
1 tablespoon
Mexican Spice Blend
1 tablespoon
Southwest Spice Blend
1 teaspoon
Hot Sauce
Not included in your delivery
teaspoon (tsp)
Black Pepper
2 teaspoon (tsp)
Cooking Oil
teaspoon (tsp)
Salt
Nutrition Values
Utensils
Cooking Steps
• Wash and dry produce. • Halve, peel, and dice onion. Thinly slice half the jalapeño into rounds; mince remaining jalapeño. TIP: Remove ribs and seeds for less heat.
• Heat a large drizzle of oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and minced jalapeño; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until softened, 5-7 minutes.
• Add half the plant-based protein* (all for 4 servings), Mexican Spice, Southwest Spice, salt, and pepper to pot. Cook, breaking up protein into pieces, until browned and cooked through, 4-6 minutes. (Save any remaining plant-based protein for another use.)
• Stir tomato paste into pot. Cook, stirring, until dark red and combined, 1-2 minutes. • Stir in diced tomatoes, beans and their liquid, stock concentrate, ¼ cup water, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, until thickened, 8-10 minutes. • Turn off heat. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
• Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine sour cream with hot sauce to taste; season with salt and pepper. Stir in water 1 tsp at a time until mixture reaches a drizzling consistency.
• Divide chili between bowls. Top with Monterey Jack, hot sauce crema, and as much sliced jalapeño as you like.
Customer reviews
Review summary
Updated on Dec 2025- Flavor: Many enjoyed the rich, spicy taste; some found it bland or too tomato-heavy. Adjust seasoning to preference.
- Ease of prep: Quick and simple one-pot recipe that comes together easily, perfect for weeknight dinners.
- Suggestions: Consider adding extra veggies, beans, or corn for more texture. Serve with cornbread or tortilla chips.
- Plant-based protein: Mixed reactions; some loved it, others found the texture off. Using the full package improved results.
- Spice level: Opinions varied widely; adjust jalapeños and hot sauce to your heat preference 🌶️.
Reviews from our home cooks
It was very easy to cook and came together quickly. However, if a serving for 2 is supposed to use half the packet of plant-based protein, then perhaps you should halve the packet? I used the whole packet, personally, because I usually make chili with 1lb of meat. Anyway, it just wasn't my taste, personally. It lacked something to round it out and read as one note. But I did have to avoid the crema as I'm allergic to sour cream, so perhaps that would've helped? I did add a cornbread muffin to help with some depth for the meal.
So easy to make! I was nervous to make it because sometimes Chili takes a while to come together, but loved the plant-based protein replacement, and how flavorful this one was!
Easy & quick to make. Great flavor. Would like more dinners with the plant based protein please. One of my favorites!
One-pot and plant based- what else could be easier. I did add cumin and crushed red pepper. I am looking forward to more plant-based meals.
I didn't feel like the instructions were great around browning the plant based protein. By adding dry ingredients (spices) to the protein which came without much liquid, the 'meat' burned very quickly, so I had no choice but to add the beans and tomatoes faster in order to avoid more burning. I would maybe add the onions and 'meat' at the same time so the liquid from the onions can prevent the 'meat' from burning, but still browning both items at the same time. However, the overall taste of the meal was great!
I am slowly trying to implement more plant based meals. This one is a great one to start with. The chili flavors are on point. I thought it would be too spicy bc of the jalapenos. I think it has the right amount of bite.
Yummy and spicy! First time trying plant based protein and it was good. I'm not vegan or vegetarian but I try to have meatless options once or twice a week and Hello fresh makes it easy.
This was absolutely delicious!! To avoid waste we used all the plant based protein to make it extra "meaty", which meant there was a bit more to go around and even more protein in it! Would definitely have again
I have never had plant based protein and it was so good! All the flavors in the recipe made the best chilli I have made in a long time.
This was delicious! I've been wanting to try more vegetarian meals, and couldn't resist trying this plant-based protein. We didnt tell our 12 and 15 year old adventurous eaters that it wasn't meat until after they said they liked it.
