Low-Calorie, Almost Fat-Free Vegetable Chili

By
Jolinda Hackett
Jolinda Hackett
Jolinda Hackett has written five books about plant-based cooking and has developed hundreds of vegan and vegetarian recipes.
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Updated on 02/20/22
Low calorie vegetable chili recipe

The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 50 mins
Total: 70 mins
Servings: 8 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
120 Calories
1g Fat
23g Carbs
7g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 120
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 1g 2%
Saturated Fat 0g 1%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 700mg 30%
Total Carbohydrate 23g 8%
Dietary Fiber 7g 23%
Total Sugars 8g
Protein 7g
Vitamin C 83mg 415%
Calcium 85mg 7%
Iron 2mg 12%
Potassium 584mg 12%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Using extra vegetables, tomato juice and tomatoes with fewer beans keeps this vegetarian chili lower in calories. Though meatless chili is already a healthy and low-fat choice, this version is extra low-cal.

This was one of those recipes that came about purely because of what someone had on hand in the kitchen, which happened to be lots of veggies and not so many beans. It's really more like a chili-spiced tomato soup than a hearty chili.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 medium onion, coarsely chopped

  • 2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced

  • 2 tablespoons water

  • 1 large carrot, thinly sliced

  • 1 medium green bell pepper, finely chopped

  • 1 small red bell pepper, finely chopped

  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce

  • 1/2 cup corn kernels

  • 1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans

  • 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes 

  • 1 (12-ounce) can tomato juice, or V8

  • 1 small jalapeño, or other small spicy pepper, minced

  • 1 tablespoon chili powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

  • 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

  • 1 thinly sliced green onion, for garnish, optional

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for low calorie vegetable soup
    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

  2. In a large nonstick pot, heat the garlic and onions for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the water and carrots and heat, stirring for an additional 3 to 4 minutes.

    Heat garlic and onions
    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii 

  3. Add green bell pepper, red bell pepper, and soy sauce, stirring to combine well. Heat for just another minute or two.

    Add bell pepper
    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

  4. Reduce heat to medium-low and add all the remaining ingredients, except for the green onions.

    Reduce heat to medium low
    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

  5. Cover and allow to slowly simmer for at least 25 minutes and up to 40 minutes.

    Cover and simmer
    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

  6. Adjust the seasonings to taste. Garnish with some green onions or even a bit of cheese or sour cream if you're not eating vegan.

    Adjust seasoning
    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii