Ok this recipe…it’s unreal. If you’re only going to try one of my recipes, let it be this one! This 13 bean chili with cornbread waffles feels so indulgent yet is pretty healthy. It’s packed with fiber, has a bit of heat from the taco seasonings, and stores well in the fridge, making this the perfect recipe for your Sunday meal prep.
This 13 bean chili can be made in the instant pot or in the Crockpot and is SO easy. It is the epitome of a dump and go recipe. Now, my favorite part of this recipe is that it uses a 13 bean mix. Using a variety of beans gives this chili great texture. I got my 13 bean mix from Bob’s Red Mill and have linked to the exact one I used here! I’ve also seen 15 bean mixes and that would work perfectly fine too! Just be sure to remove the seasoning package that it comes with.
Doesn’t that look so pretty?! Bonus points for you if you can name all of the beans in the comments below!
Making the 13 bean chili in the instant pot:
Now all you need to do is sauté together the onion, bell peppers, jalapeno and taco seasoning packets directly in the instant pot for about 10 minutes or until soft.
Then, add in the dry beans mixture (no soaking required) and 6 cups of water. Mix together and then twist on the lid! Set the Instant Pot to cook on Manual high pressure for 45 minutes. That’s it! So unbelievably easy.
Now, after the instant pot has naturally de-pressurized for 15 minutes, you can release the rest of the pressure. Once you remove the lid you might be thinking what I first thought when I made this…uh oh!
when you first remove the lid, it might look like it did not cook properly.
When I first made this and saw it look like this after removing the lid I immediately thought to myself, alright, I guess we’re having take out tonight! But don’t you worry!! It actually really is cooked. Stir it together and you will find that it is PERFECT. All of the beans are cooked well and all it needed was a good stir. At this point, add in 2 cans of diced tomatoes and 1 can of green chilis. Stir to combine. Afterwards, your chili should be looking something like this and is ready to eat!
now about the cornbread waffles..
The waffles are SO easy and basically fool proof. All you’re going to do is mix together the ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Allow your waffle iron to preheat. Once ready, scoop about ¾ cup of the batter onto the waffle iron at a time. I cooked mine on setting 5 on my waffle iron and they were crispy, yet moist on the inside! So delicious and much more fun than regular cornbread! Such a good recipe to wow any dinner guests.
13 Bean Chili with Cornbread Waffles
Ingredients
Chili
- 2 ½ cups 13 bean soup mix can also use 1 [20 ounce] 15 bean chili soup mix bag
- 1 large red onion diced
- 2 bell peppers deseeded and diced
- 1 jalapeno diced (omit or change to your spice preference)
- 2 packets vegetarian chili seasoning packets about 4 tablespoons
- 4-6 cups of water or vegetable broth for a more salty chili 4 cups for Instant Pot, 6 for Crockpot
- 2 (15 ounce) cans diced tomatoes (reserve for after cooking)
- 1 (4 ounce) can green chilies (reserve for after cooking)
Cornbread Waffles
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup cornmeal medium grind
- 1 ¼ cup unsweetened plant-based milk
- 1 flax egg 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed + 2 ½ tablespoons water
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- ⅛ cup avocado oil or other neutral cooking oil
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
For Serving
- green onion
- The Best Cashew Sour Cream or plain vegan yogurt
- fresh dill
- vegan cheese shreds
Instructions
Instant Pot Instructions (6 QT Pot)
- Dice the red onion, bell peppers and jalapeno.
- Using the sauté function on Instant Pot, sauté the onion, bell peppers and jalapeños for 5-8 minutes, or until soft and translucent.
- After soft and translucent, add in the chili seasoning and stir well to combine.
- In a fine sieve, thoroughly rinse and drain the bean mixture and discard any bad beans. Next, add bean mixture directly to the instant pot (no soaking).
- Add in 4 cups of water or broth for saltier chili. Stir well to combine.
- Add Instant Pot lid, set valve to SEAL and cook on manual high pressure for 45 minutes.
- Allow instant pot to de-pressurize naturally for 15 minutes before releasing rest of pressure.
- Finally, stir in the 2 cans of diced tomatoes and green chilis if using.
- Serve with cornbread waffles, vegan sour cream, vegan cheese shreds, green onion, etc.
- Storing: Store chili in fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days. Flavor will deepen over time.
Crockpot Instructions
- Dice the red onion, bell peppers and jalapeno.
- In a fine sieve, thoroughly rinse and drain the bean mixture and discard any bad beans.
- Add bean mixture directly to the Crockpot along with the diced red onion, diced bell peppers, diced jalapeno, vegetarian chili seasoning and water to the crockpot (no soaking of the beans or sautéing of veggies required).
- Stir all ingredients together until well combined, add Crockpot lid and cook on high for 4 hours.
- After 4 hours, stir in the 2 cans of diced tomatoes and 1 can of green chilies and cook on high for 1 more hour (total cook time of 5 hours).
- Serve with cornbread waffles, vegan sour cream, vegan cheese shreds, green onion, etc.
- Storing: Store chili in fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days. Flavor will deepen over time.
Cornbread Waffles
- In a small bowl, mix together 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed and 2 ½ tablespoons of water and set aside to allow flax egg to form, about 5-10 minutes.
- Preheat your waffle iron to setting 5 (medium high heat).
- In a large bowl, mix together the maple syrup, avocado oil, and soy milk.
- Next slowly add in the all purpose flour, corn meal, and baking powder.
- Fold dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until a batter is formed. Do not overmix.
- Finally, gently fold the flax eggs into the waffle batter.
- Once the waffle iron has pre-heated, scoop about ¾ cup of batter onto waffle iron and cook according to your waffle iron settings.
- This recipe should make about 3-4 full size waffles.
Notes
- This chili is a bit on the spicier side. Adjust the jalapeno, green chili, and taco seasoning to your spice preference.
- Cook the waffles while the chili is in the instant pot or crockpot to save time. These waffles also freeze well and can be made ahead of time. I just reheat them in the toaster!
- I do not spray my waffle iron with oil before cooking the waffles because my waffle iron is nonstick. If your waffle iron generally needs oil to prevent sticking, I would recommend spraying your iron with oil before cooking generously.
Disclaimer: The Nutritional Information provided for this recipe is only an estimate. The accuracy of the facts listed is not and cannot be guaranteed.
We have now made this recipe a few times now and it gets better and better each time. It’s hearty, cozy, and delicious and makes the house smell so good!
So happy to hear this!