This NEW AND IMPROVED Vegan Keto Walnut Chili is a delicious Gluten Free, High Protein, Low Carb Dinner Recipe that vegans and carnivores alike will want to CRUSH.
So this winter has been a real doozy. I’m sure if you’re reading this from your balcony in LA you’re probably like “WTF is this chick talking about?” but for the rest of us east coasters or Canadians, the struggle has been REAL. Honestly, sometimes the only thing that gets me through the cold nights is a warm meal (sorry salad, you’re out). This is where this Vegan Keto Walnut Chili totally comes into play.
How to Make this low carb Vegan Walnut Chili recipe
So I was inspired to make this walnut chili from a Marilyn Denis segment I did for heart health. Walnuts are such a heart healthy ingredient, since they have about twice as many antioxidants as other nuts, and they pack both monounsaturated fats and omega 3s. I was brainstorming yummy easy ways to incorporate them in a recipe that was more than just a sprinkle on top and this recipe came to me. When crushed really fine, walnuts actually have a similar texture as ground beef but without the saturated fat. It also makes this recipe for chili totally safe for my plant-based friends, yet CRAZY satiating across the board.
In addition to the walnuts, this Walnut Chili has a lot of other really heart healthy ingredients going on. Tomatoes and bell peppers are rich in lycopene which is an amazing antioxidant. And dark chocolate is everyone’s favourite antioxidant. I will take any excuse to eat more chocolate!
This new and improved chili has 10 grams of net carbs, 28 grams of fat, and 353 calories per serving making it the perfect high protein low carb vegetarian keto recipe.
What’s your favourite meal for staying warm this winter?
Want to try another tasty chili? Check out this super decadent Chocolate Chili here!
If you liked this recipe, you may like:
Healthy Pizza Soup
Vegan Roasted Cauliflower, Parsnip and Chickpea Soup
Vegan Yellow Beet Coconut Curry Soup
Vegan Roasted Fennel Tomato Soup
Vegan Keto Walnut Chili
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive Oil
- 5 stalks celery finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 4 tsp ground cumin
- 1 ½ tsp smoked paprika
- 2 peppers large chipotle in adobo minced
- 2 green bell peppers finely diced
- 2 zucchini diced
- 8 oz cremini mushrooms minced in a food processor
- 1 1/2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
- 3 cups water
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
- 2 1/2 cups soy meat crumbled
- 1 cup raw walnuts minced
- 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
To serve:
- 2 tbsp Fresh cilantro leaves
- 1 Avocado sliced
- 2 tbsp Sliced radishes
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the celery and cook for 4 minutes. Add in the garlic, cinnamon, chili powder, cumin and paprika and stir until fragrant, about another 2 minutes.
- Add the bell peppers, zucchini, mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add the chipotle, tomato paste, tomatoes, water, coconut milk, soy meat, walnuts and cocoa powder. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 20-25 minutes until thick and the vegetables are soft.
- Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Top with avocado, radishes, and cilantro.
Video
Updated on June 23rd, 2020
Abbey Sharp is a Registered Dietitian (RD), regulated by the Ontario College of Dietitians. She is a mom, YouTuber, Blogger, award winning cookbook author, media coach specializing in food and nutrition influencers, and a frequent contributor to national publications like Healthline and on national broadcast TV shows.
Karlene says
This recipe looks delicious! Can it be made ahead of time & frozen? Maybe add the walnuts when heating it up, so they don’t get soft?
Thanks
Abbey Sharp says
Hi Karlene. Thanks for the rating! Yes you can certainly do that if you prefer a a crunchier texture but it also works just fine if you freeze everything all together as the walnuts should take on a softer texture similar to ground meat.
Elizabeth says
Hi! I am allergic to mushrooms (and eggplant!) – is there another vegetable that you could recommend to sub-in instead? Thanks a bunch, can’t wait to try!
Abbey Sharp says
ah damn i was going to say eggplant. maybe you can just add more of any other veg or more meat
Angelica says
Love this recipe, followed it precisely. I just have one question, in the ingredients section, you state the walnuts should be minced, but in the picture it looks like they are whole/halved? And some other users also made it seem like they were not minced. Could you kindly clarify? I am, unfortunately, a stickler.
Abbey Sharp says
I used minced walnuts in the chili and then garnished the chili with a few walnut halves
Veronica L @ Sharktank says
This Walnut chili is the perfect amount of spicy that makes your taste buds tingle without really hurting I simply loved the burst of flavor the chili provides!
Abbey Sharp says
Amazing! Thank you 🙂
Dianne Cooper says
Just made this chilli from the updated recipe but swapped soya meat for crumbled tofu (didn’t have any soya meat). My tomatoes were sugar free so no worries there. It is absolutely delicious. Thank you for taking time to share this recipe for free. I will definitely make it again. Have a great day x
Abbey Sharp says
Amazing! Thanks for sharing Dianne
Michelle says
Sorry to reply to this comment, but I don’t see anywhere else to leave a comment. My question is about beans. The pic looks like the chili has beans, but I don’t see beans listed in the ingredients. Are there supppsed to be beans?
Abbey Sharp says
Hey Michelle. We actually had to edit the recipe to make it more keto friendly, so we had to remove the beans. If you’re not looking for a keto recipe, you can add a can of your favourite beans and it should work just fine.
Leslie Matteoli says
What’s the nutritional values and serving size
Abbey Sharp says
The nutrition is listed in the recipe and it serves 6-8 people.
Tony says
Hello,
Just a quick question when do we add the 2 tsp chili powder?
It’s in the ingredients list but not in the recipe.
Thank you
Abbey Sharp says
Sorry Tony, you can add the chili powder when you add the other spices in the first step of the recipe. Enjoy!
Claire says
Is the original recipe anywhere, before it was updated for the complainers? I really liked it but didn’t save it and now wish I had.
Abbey Sharp says
I can try to dig around for it.
Tina Ramirez says
Please do! I did it off of memory since I printed it and practiced making it 3 different times. I’m sorry everyone was being mean about it being “misleading “ I think it was perfect before! I lost my printed recipe for the old one. Me and my husband and even family members who were not vegan loved it!
Corinna says
My favorite comfort food before going vegan-keto was chili cheese and rice. I know, I know.
I’ve been looking for a meat free chili that is keto and you’d be surprised how hard that is to find! Thank you for this recipe. I’m looking at some of the comments and like “whoa”, but I figure if I’m not eating Hormel Chili with a butt-load of cheese and a pack of Uncle Ben’s rice, this is going to serve me nutritiously fine!
Ordering Miracle Noodles Rice now, going to make a big pot of this (and maybe can some?) and going to get my favorite dish back!
Thank you for this!!
Abbey Sharp says
Enjoy!
Carolyn says
Can you sub other mushrooms in place of cremeni?
Abbey Sharp says
Yup, for sure
jasmin olpinski kopiec says
Hello. How keto friendly are soy chunks? Is there any replacement for them?
Abbey Sharp says
Soy meat is a great source of protein in a keto diet.
Em says
Hello, I just wanted to leave a comment to all of those people seeing soy beans and tomatoes in the recipe and losing their minds over it. As Abbey says, these things CAN be keto in moderation. Just because something has 0 carbs does not mean you should be eating 10 pounds of it, for instance. That said, I was curious enough about this recipe (as someone who has been on a ketogenic diet for over 6 years now), and put it through a recipe analyzer. Here are the nutrition results if you divide the recipe up into 6 servings:
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 221
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 12.8g 16%
Saturated Fat 2.1g 11%
Cholesterol 2mg 1%
Sodium 211mg 9%
Total Carbohydrate 19.8g 7%
Dietary Fiber 6.5g 23%
Total Sugars 4.8g
Protein 9.6g
So, that’s about 13.5 carbs per bowl of chili. Not GREAT, but certainly not keto-breaking. Especially if you’re also even moderately active or you eat this on a workout day.
My critiques about the recipe would be, the % of dark chocolate is not mentioned. For my recipe analysis I assumed 70% dark chocolate, but you could get less carbs if you went with something like 80% or higher. I tend to use unsweetened cocoa powder in my chili, as it has far fewer carbs and also acts as a thickener of sorts. I would also point out that while this chili is low calorie, it only has 10 grams of protein and around 13 grams of fat. Not great macros for keto, but you can boost those by adding avocado and sour cream or plain, full-fat Greek yogurt as toppers.
Abbey Sharp says
Thanks so much for sharing!
Ronda Martens says
8 don’t understand how you can qualify this as no carb/low carb when it has beans and carrots. Those are high in carbs so your recioe is very very misleading!!
Please explain
Abbey Sharp says
Hi Ronda, the black soy beans are low in carbs.
Jen says
Sounds delicious, absolutely not keto tho
Greg says
I made this recipe for myself and vegan girlfriend. We both love it! However, it’s extremely spicy and I’m wondering if I read the ingredients wrong. Is “2 large chipotle in adobo, minced” supposed to mean “2 large cans chipotle in adobo, minced”? If not, I put way too many peppers in it. lol
Abbey Sharp says
just 2 adobo peppers. Sorry about that. That would be wayyy too spicy
Tiffany says
So… to clarify… is it two cans of chipotle in adobo?
Abbey Sharp says
no, only two adobo peppers.
beckie pulse says
Very good !! My whole family loved it !!
Abbey Sharp says
so glad to hear!
Lindsay Doyle says
Hey hun, I just wanted to say that I’ve been a vegan for over 2 decades and I’ve been keto for over 3 years now, including during my last pregnancy. I use soy products, black soy beans, lupin Beans, etc and guess what….I’ve been in ketosis the entire time! To thoese dissing this recipe and calling it misleading… They are just hating and not thinking outside the box. Oh and BTW, you can still be in ketosis if you go over 20 grams of net carbs…. especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or an athlete. 20 grams is recommended for getting into ketosis and staying there for at least the first 2-4 months depending on weight to be lost etc.
Abbey Sharp says
Hey Lindsay! Thanks so much for your comment!
LaShay Crayton says
Hi abbey!! Can’t wait to try it!! Thank you. I’ll omitbtge corn and beans! May add a little bit of carrots.
Abbey Sharp says
Enjoy love!
genusstester.com says
It’s difficult to find well-informed people
about this topic, but you sound like you know what you’re talking
about! Thanks
Abbey Sharp says
thank you!
Gina says
Made this and love it?? My only question is, as it makes a lot. How long will it keep in the fridge and can you freeze it?
Anon says
I made this last night. I rarely comment on stuff but need to as I often use other people’s comments for inspiration! My partner enjoyed this and I thought it was okay. I halved the recipe, added a chopped serrano, and omitted the celery and chipotle and I think the latter was a mistake. I have some chipolte chili powder I could have subbed but forgot. So I felt like it was missing something in my version. Next time I would cut some of the walnuts in half, too.
Abbey Sharp says
Great, thanks for sharing!
Tom says
As good as the recipe seems please don’t say it is keto. It isn’t. I don’t know if you are just trying to make keto a relevant keyword for ranking or what. This is a disservice to people who are on the diet. Carrots are completely against keto. So are sweet onions, all beans and legumes, canned tomatoes are loaded with sugar. Calling it meatless, vegan, or what have you is fine. But don’t call it keto chili. You are simply lying to viewers.
Abbey Sharp says
Hi Tom, thanks for your comment. Carrots and onions are okay in a keto diet as long as they are eaten in moderation. Obviously, I am not saying this chili should be eaten everyday if you are on keto. It is fine if you are having it once in a while and watching your carb intake throughout the day. The canned tomatoes I used do not have any added sugar or additives so that is okay. Thanks for your comment and I am in no way trying to lie to my viewers.
Kristen says
One bowl of this contains an entire daily allowance of carbs! I agree with Tom.
Jn says
Beans are NOT keto.
I was all excited but soy and beans are not keto so calling it keto isn’t correct. Keto is more than keeping it within 20-30 net carbs. This might lazy keto, but not keto. Maybe consider correcting your name for this.
Abbey Sharp says
Hey, actually these type of beans are super low carb and considered keto
Aseel says
What about the beans? Should a keto dieter eat them in moderation too? You are a hypocrite trying to sell your ideas to people in any way possible just to get traffick on your website/youtube. I thought you were against keto but you had to ride the wave right?
Abbey Sharp says
Hi there, the beans in this recipe are low in carbs
Abbey Sharp says
Hey Tom,
Just a FYI, we have re-tested this recipe and updated it to lower the carbs even further. It’s now 10 net carbs/ serving.
T says
Seriously. So misleading
MK says
I think if you halved or quartered the higher net carbs mirepoix components and remember this makes 6 servings, this could be keto adapted. I just wonder if the flavor will get lost. I am trying to stay below 19g of net carbs per day. I will try this, doing everything it takes to keep a serving under 9g and report back. I love the idea of it and it does seem like it would be delicious. Always looking for one pot meals to plan lunches for the week.
Caroline says
I agree this recipe is very misleading
Abbey Sharp says
Hey Carolyn
Just a FYI, we have re-tested this recipe and updated it to lower the carbs even further. It’s now 10 net carbs/ serving.
Ry says
How has this recipe been retested and now it’s 10 carbs? Did she change the recipe?
Abbey Sharp says
Yep changed the recipe and retested it (so the nutritional have also changed!)
IG says
Ya’ll need the calm down. Such negativity and straight up nasty/condescending comments. Its chili. Not anything to be so hateful about. Go protest on a street corner or something TOM.
Jaker says
Nobody’s being hateful … just pointing out some facts which I’m glad I read before making this … new to keto people like myself who never would have known any of this would have turned around and made/ate it, totally screwing us up. So thanks TOM for the heads up!
Abbey Sharp says
This won’t “screw you up”, it’s actually low in carbs. The beans are a low carb bean.
Jaker says
Yikes! Glad I read this! I just started keto and was going to make this!
Abbey Sharp says
Hey Jaker,
Just a FYI, we have re-tested this recipe and updated it to lower the carbs even further. It’s now 10 net carbs/ serving.
Jennifer says
Any tips for a crockpot version? Sounds delicious but trying to save time for a busy lifestyle. Thanks!
Danielle says
This sounds delicious, but I think calling it “keto” might be misleading. Keto requires fewer than 20g net carbs per day (total carbs minus fiber), and this seems like it would be much more than that in just one serving. Do you have the nutritional information for a serving?
Abbey Sharp says
Hi Danielle, with keto the daily net carbs can be around 20-30g, and one serving of this keto chili is around 24 grams of carbs without fibre.
Ian says
Which proves it is not keto
Abbey Sharp says
Hey Ian
Just a FYI, we have re-tested this recipe and updated it to lower the carbs even further. It’s now 10 net carbs/ serving.
Angela Cardamone @marathonsandmotivation.com says
Yum! this looks absolutely amazing!! I can’t wait to try this recipe 🙂
Abbey Sharp says
Enjoy lovely
Chrissy says
I’m all about the walnuts and chocolate in this chili! Such creative additions. It was cold here and snowed over the weekend, so this is perfect.
Abbey Sharp says
yes! this chili is perfect for this annoying weather
Laura K says
Wow, that’s absolutely perfect recipe! All the great ingredients that I need for my meal.
Abbey Sharp says
Amazing! Thanks so much Laura, enjoy!
Emily says
I’ve never thought to add walnuts to my chili!! I love how it would give it some crunch without croutons/chips.
Abbey Sharp says
Totally. Such a game changer. I highly recommend
Kelly says
I love how versatile walnuts are. They’re great in everything. I do vegan walnut taco meat with them.
Abbey Sharp says
mmm totally agree. So fun to cook with
Deborah Brooks says
Love the idea of walnuts for texture and some healthy fats. Looks delish
Abbey Sharp says
Totally. Adds the perfect crunch
dixya @food, pleasure, and health says
the weather hasnt been as horrible but i am up for chili anytime. your version sounds really comforting and im interested to try walnut version soon.
Abbey Sharp says
For sure. Chili anytime is a must!
Samantha says
I’ve never thought about putting walnuts in my chili! Yum!
Abbey Sharp says
Totally delicious. You won’t regret it