Easy Quinoa Chili with Salsa

This Easy Quinoa Chili with Salsa is a delicious one-pot vegetarian meal loaded with white beans, potatoes, quinoa, and green salsa. Serve with all your favorite toppings. Gluten-free.

This easy quinoa chili has tons of flavor thanks to green salsa. You can adjust the spice level based on the salsa you choose. 

Use your favorite salsa verde and have a great meal!

Jump to:

• Why you'll love this recipe
• Ingredients and substitutions
• Step-by-step instructions
• Serving suggestions
• FAQs
• More one-pot recipes
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Why you'll love this recipe

• Simple ingredients from the pantry
• Easy chili recipe
• Gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan

Ingredients and substitutions

Here are a few quick notes about the main ingredients in this recipe. You can see a complete list of ingredients and instructions in the recipe card below.

Baby potatoes - Yellow or gold baby potatoes give this hearty chili staying power. 

Quinoa - Although a seed, quinoa is considered and used like a whole grain in cooking and baking. It adds additional protein to this vegetarian chili. 

Green salsa - This recipe uses a 16oz jar of salsa. Choose the heat level of salsa verde you prefer. I usually go with medium salsa verde, but a mild salsa or hot salsa works great too. 

Diced tomatoes - These small chunks of tomatoes and its tomato juice compliment the green salsa.

Yellow onion and garlic - A medium onion and minced garlic give this recipe a delicious flavor base.

White beans - Great northern beans are used here but other white beans like cannellini or navy beans work great too. Don't have white beans on hand? Black beans, kidney beans, or pinto beans can be subbed!

Vegetable broth - Broth or stock work here and if you don't need it to be vegetarian or vegan, chicken stock or broth can be substituted. 

Step-by-step instructions

Before you start: Prep your onion and potatoes. 

Step 1: In a 4-qt saucepan or large pot, heat olive oil on the stove top over medium heat. Add onion and potatoes, stirring occasionally, until onions become translucent and potatoes start to soften, about 10 minutes. 

Step 2: Add the garlic, followed by the chili seasoning (cumin, chili powder, dried oregano, salt and black pepper). Add green salsa and tomatoes. Stir. Add the vegetable broth and quinoa, stir to combine. Bring to a boil.

Step 3: Once at a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, add beans, and cover. Simmer over low heat until quinoa is tender, about 20-25 minutes. 

Step 4: Stir to evenly combine and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve in bowls with toppings of choice. 

Serving suggestions

What to serve with this delicious chili? Whether its for game day or a weeknight meal, serve this one pot quinoa chili with salsa with some extra garnishes and sides. 

• Add a dollop of dairy-free sour cream or Greek yogurt
• Sprinkle with green onions or cilantro
• Put tortilla chips on the side
• Add avocado slices
• Serve with sweet potato cornbread or polenta fries

Helpful tip

If you don't need this to be meat-free, this vegetarian chili is a great way to use up leftover chicken or turkey. 

FAQs

Salsa verde shines in so many kinds of dishes. This salsa verde chicken is a great weeknight meal. And salsa verde amps up this easy chilaquiles recipe.

In the mood for more chili? Check out Alyssa's butternut squash chili! Or, if you have avocado on the brain, this bacon avocado soup recipe looks delicious.

More one-pot recipes

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