Vegetarian 3-bean chili is perfect for serving at casual parties. I love to set up a DIY chili bar to serve a crowd. This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of KC Masterpiece®. The opinions and text are all mine.

A party chili bar with vegetarian chili, cornbread, and chili fixin's!

Last week was my husband’s (read: husband’s wife’s) turn to host his manly book club. You may not have noticed, but I’m not the “manliest” of eaters. I’d much prefer a tofu salad with hemp seeds to steak, and prosecco with a strawberry always wins over beer. But I had to beef things up a bit. And you know what… it was really fun and tasty. Other than the actual buying beef part, but we’ll just skip right over that and get to the delicious vegetarian 3-bean chili sweetened and spiced with BBQ sauce. As I had 10+ dudes to feed while getting a 4 and 6 year old ready for bed, a chili bar was the answer. I made everthing the night before and in the morning. Did I mention that chili fixin’s are of the utmost importance? They really are.

party guacamole

To start: guacamole and chips. Is there anything better? Get the best guacamole recipe here!

Vegetarian 2-bean chili in a Dutch oven.

I absolutely love vegetarian chili and make it all the time. Beans are a great source of protein. You can toss in any veggies you love. In summertime, zucchini or yellow summer squash would be fantastic added at the end.

KC Masterpiece sent me a jar of their new 35th Anniversary sauce and I thought it would be a fun addition to our chili. BBQ sauce just screams summer to me, and I love the flavor. The sauce I’ve relied on in the past, however, has ended up being too spicy for our kids. Other sauces contain high fructose corn syrup, which is a big no-no in our house. I loved that the new KC Masterpiece sauce was sweet and smoky, but not too spicy for the kids. And it’s gluten-free and made without hfcs. A little of this BBQ sauce added a lot of tasty summertime flavor to our veggie chili.

Cornbread and honey butter is another critical chili accoutrement. Just stir honey into some room temperature butter until it tastes delicious.

gingersnap ice cream sandwiches in a party bowl

Easy dessert: One of my girlfriends shared this amazing combo with me. Trader Joe’s gingersnaps with vanilla ice cream in the middle. It’s so simple but so delicious. And you can make them the night before and keep in the freezer until dessert-time. Double win!

beautiful pink peonies

Just in case you didn’t know…. it’s peony season. And it’s fleeting, so go get yourself some. I’m certain none of the book club dudes noticed my peonies, but there was not a drop of chili left.

Big thanks to my hubby for thinking of this chili bar idea and KC Masterpiece for inspiring the BBQ chili idea and sponsoring this post!

KC Masterpiece® barbecue sauce has been delivering authentic barbecue taste and creating culinary masterpieces for 35 years. For more recipe ideas, tips and tricks visit www.KCMasterpiece.com.

Yield: serves 8

Vegetarian BBQ 3-Bean Chili

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes

This easy and delicious vegetarian and vegan chili is made with three types of beans. The secret ingredient is a splash of BBQ sauce. This veggie chili is perfect for serving to a crowd and always gets rave reviews.

A DIY vegetarian chili bar

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion, chopped
  • 3 carrots, chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 1/2 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1/2 tablespoon cumin
  • 1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 26-28 oz. crushed or chopped tomatoes
  • 2 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
  • 1 (15 oz.) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 (15 oz.) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1/4 cup BBQ Sauce
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • Chili fixin's: shredded Mexican cheese, avocado, jalapeno, sour cream, cilantro, green onions, fresh tomato, corn chips, and salsa are all great additions

Instructions

  1. Over medium heat, saute onion and carrots in olive oil until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the bell pepper and spices and saute another minute. Add the tomatoes and vegetable broth and simmer over low heat until thickened, about 20 minutes.
  2. Stir in the corn, beans, and BBQ sauce and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add more chili powder to spice up if necessary. I've started with only a small amount here so that it's not too spicy for kids, so feel free to add more spices! Simmer another 5 minutes or until ready to eat.
  3.  Serve with your favorite chili fixin's!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 664Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 734mgCarbohydrates: 136gFiber: 38gSugar: 74gProtein: 33g