Vegetarian Soup, Stew, and Chili Recipes (2024)

Chilly nights (and even not-so-chilly ones) call for a comforting bowl of something warm and filling. These vegan and vegetarian soup, stew and chili recipesare packed with veggies, and many are perfect for freezing in batches.

Recipe Title: 30-Minute Vegetarian Pho

Description: This vegetarian pho is the perfect weeknight meal. It's ready in 30 minutes—pho real.

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Recipe Title: African Peanut Soup

Description: Fresh cilantro, chile peppers and coconut milk make this vegan African Peanut Soup absolutely breathtaking—and addictive.

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Recipe Title: Creamy Wild Rice & Mushroom Soup

Description: No ham, turkey or bacon here. This vegetarian wild rice soup is creamy, but much lighter than the traditional Midwestern recipe.

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Recipe Title: Cauliflower and Chickpea Coconut Curry

Description: There are only two ways to make a vegan coconut curry better: cauliflower and chickpeas.

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Recipe Title: Vegetarian Chicken Noodle Soup

Description: No one should miss out on this classic—especially not during cold and flu season. This vegetarian chicken noodle soup is just as comforting.

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Recipe Title: Veggie-Loaded Chili

Description: Let this be your new standby vegan chili recipe. It's full of veggies and freezes well.

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Description: There are so many ways to use chickpeas, but this is one of our favorites. This vegan chickpea stew also includes black beans, allspice and thyme for a healthy, Caribbean weeknight dish.

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Recipe Title: Middle Eastern Lentil & Rice Soup

Description: This lentil and rice soup is full of Middle Eastern flavors like lemon, cumin and coriander.

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Recipe Title: Fresh Corn Soup with Herbed Croutons

Description: Nothing could top this fresh, vegan corn soup—except maybe these herbed sourdough croutons. The light broth is made by simmering the corn cobs in thyme-infused water!

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Recipe Title: Vegan Cincinnati Chili

Description: Why, yes you can create a healthier, vegan Cincinnati chili—and here's the proof! Lentils, whole wheat spaghetti and vegan cheese make it possible.

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Recipe Title: Chickpeas and Dumplings

Description: Chicken and dumplings is a staple of winter, so this vegetarian version (made with chickpeas) will definitely hit the spot, even on the coldest of nights.

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Recipe Title: Thai Red Curry Soup

Description: A vegan curry soup that's ready in 25 minutes? Sounds like you have a new go-to weeknight meal.

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Recipe Title: Roasted Acorn Squash Soup

Description: What to do with all those acorn squash? Make soup, of course. This lovely fall soup is vegan, thanks to almond milk.

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Recipe Title: Vegetarian Irish Stew with Sweet Potatoes & Tempeh

Description: A meat-and-potatoes stew for the vegetarian set.

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Recipe Title: Leek & Wild Mushroom Stew

Description: Leeks and buckwheat groats make this vegan mushroom stew extra hearty.

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Recipe Title: Slow Cooker Vegetarian Gumbo

Description: Sure, a vegetarian gumbo made in the slow cooker isn't necessarily authentic. But it's a great meatless version for those who can't live without this Southern classic.

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Recipe Title: Creamy Mushroom + Roasted Garlic Soup

Description: Roasted garlic makes this soup fragrant and delicious!

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Recipe Title: Red Lentil Cashew Soup with Curry Toasted Cashews

Description: Cashews and lentils make this soup creamy without using dairy.

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Recipe Title: Vegetable Lasagna Soup

Description: It's veggie lasagna in a bowl! The perfect winter dinner.

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Vegetarian Soup, Stew, and Chili Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between soup stew and chili? ›

Though many people think of chili as its own category, it is technically just a type of stew, with origins in Tex-Mex cuisine. Chili isn't a soup mostly because it usually is more solid than it is liquid, with most chili recipes containing majority meat and/or vegetables that are simmered in a tomato sauce.

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What is the difference between soup and stew? ›

Soup Uses More Liquid

In soup, the liquid is the primary ingredient. Soup can be completely liquified or it can consist of other elements (like meat and vegetables) that are fully submerged in water, stock, or broth. Stew, meanwhile, is typically "chunkier." It contains just enough liquid to cover the main ingredients.

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What makes a stew a chili? ›

Chili is often considered a type of stew, but with smaller chunks of food and less overall variety: They are usually made with beans, tomatoes, meat, and chili or chili powder.

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What are the best beans for chili? ›

The best beans for chili are pinto, kidney, and black beans, like in this easy and tasty recipe. This 3-bean chili freezes great for meals later in the week. If you prefer thinner chili, add an extra can of tomato sauce. The green chiles are not hot and add a wonderful flavor, so don't be afraid to use them.

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At what point does a soup become a stew? ›

Generally speaking, if there is so much liquid that the ingredients are fully submerged, it's a soup. If the chunks dominate the dish, it's a stew.

What makes a stew a stew? ›

Another way to look at it: Soup is any combination of ingredients cooked in liquid. Stew is any dish that's prepared by stewing—that is, submerging the ingredients with just enough liquid to cook them through at a simmer in a covered pot for a long time.

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What makes a stew not a soup? ›

Amount of liquid: Soup typically contains more liquid than stew, as it has a higher ratio of liquid to other ingredients, such as meat, vegetables or legumes. Stew usually has just enough liquid to cover the ingredients and has less liquid than soup. Technique: Soup is made by simmering ingredients in liquid uncovered.

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What thickens soups and stews? ›

6 ways to thicken soup:

Blend all or part of it. If you've made a broth with chunks of vegetable in it, such as minestrone soup, then pour the soup through a sieve. ...
Add cream or yogurt. ...
Add flour or cornflour. ...
Use a butter and flour paste. ...
Blend in bread. ...
Add lentils or rice.

What makes a stew a stew and not a soup? ›

The main difference between these two dishes is the amount of liquid that's used for each, with stews generally containing less liquid than soup. While there isn't really a mathematical way of differentiating these two, the point at which a soup becomes a stew is determined by how long it is simmered and reduced.

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Should chili have meat in it? ›

From a restaurant perspective, chili is typically assumed to be a meat dish: chili con carne. This a Spanish term that means “Chili peppers with meat.” Vegetarian chili has been around for a long time, but if a restaurant serves it, it's typically called “vegetarian chili” or “bean chili”.

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What is the broth in chili? ›

Chicken Broth: I like the depth of flavor from using chicken broth as it adds a nice contrast to the beef, but feel free to use beef broth or a combination of both. You'll want to drain the kidney beans, but rinsing them is optional. Doing so will reduce the amount of sodium that gets carried into the dish.

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Should chili have beans? ›

The majority of us believed that beans are an essential part of our favorite chili recipes, but there were a few caveats. According to our Associate Culinary Producer Justin Sullivan, "BEANS GO IN CHILI unless it's specifically called 'Texas' chili."

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Which onion is best for chili? ›

Sweet onions are great for caramelizing due to their higher sugar content. You can cook them into your chili, serve them raw over top, or even elevate your chili with a sophisticated caramelized onion topping! Some of my favorite sweet onions are Walla, Walla, Maui, and Vidalia Onions.

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Are pinto beans the same as chili beans? ›

Editor: Chili beans are something you'll find in the canned good aisle at your grocery store. I believe they are usually pinto beans in a mild chili-spiked sauce. If you can't find chili beans, you can likely just substitute pinto beans.

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What is chili with beans actually called? ›

Chili with beans could be called chili frijoles or chili con carne con frijoles. I've not seen any other name than “chili with beans.”

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What makes a chili a chili? ›

Traditionally, chili combines ground or coarse-chopped beef (or other meat), dried red chili powder, onion, garlic, some liquid, and sometimes comino, oregano, beef suet, tomato, and masa (finely ground corn meal) to thicken. Texas-style chili has no beans. Southerners and Midwesterners generally add beans.

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What makes something considered chili? ›

Beans and non-vegetable fillers such as rice and pasta are not allowed." If that sounds a bit uptight, the ICS's Homestyle Chili competition defines chili as: "any kind of meat, or combination of meats, and/or vegetables cooked with beans, chili peppers, various spices, and other ingredients.

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Why do they call it stew? ›

The root of stew is the Old French estuver, "bathe or stew." Back in the fourteenth century, stew was also a slang word meaning "brothel or bath house." thick stew made of rice and chicken and small game; southern U.S.

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What makes a soup a soup? ›

Soup is a primarily liquid food, generally served warm or hot (but may be cool or cold), that is made by combining ingredients of meat or vegetables with stock, milk, or water. Hot soups are additionally characterized by boiling solid ingredients in liquids in a pot until the flavors are extracted, forming a broth.

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