Vegetarian Smoky Black Bean Chili with Wheat Berries recipe. Easy, delicious, hearty and thick black bean chili recipe perfect for the cold season!

This recipe was developed and written by Diane from Hello Fun Seekers, who is a new guest blogger on my blog! Check her bio and her delicious smoky vegetarian black bean chili with wheat berries recipe below!

Hello Happy Kitchen Rock readers! My name is Diane Hartford and I write and photograph delicious food and fun travel spots. I moved all over the U.S. when I was a child because of my father’s job with the airlines. I learned early on that you really get to know people by learning about their food and culture. My love and exploration of food and travel continues on my site Hello Fun Seekers. Feel free to stop by and say hello!

Smoky Black Bean Chili with Wheat Berries

The first winter storm of the season moved into town this week bringing freezing temperatures and snowflakes flurrying down. While I am not winter’s biggest fan, I do appreciate the change of season’s impact on food. What could be cozier than wrapping your chilly hands around a steaming bowl of chili? Don’t you just love bringing the bowl close to your nose and deeply inhaling the scented steam?

I am so in love with this chili recipe! It is full of black beans and wheat berries (more on these in a minute) which makes it a super satisfying. The addition of mushrooms also lends meaty texture to the chili which may keep the carnivores at the table from grumbling. The smoky flavor comes from chipotle chili powder. If you like extra heat and smoke, you could add a chopped up chile and some of the sauce from a can of chipotle chilies in adobo sauce. The chili is a meatless which is perfect for vegetarians or if you are trying to add a few vegetarian meals into your weekly menu planning.

If you aren’t familiar with wheat berries, I encourage you to give them a try. You boil the whole grains in liquid, usually water or broth, until cooked through. The process is similar to cooking rice. They have a chewy texture and a nutty flavor. You can find wheat berries in the bulk section of many super markets or packaged in the grocery aisle with other whole grains. Wheat berries are sometimes referred to as hard red winter wheat.

How To Make Smoky Black Bean Chili with Wheat Berries

Making a big pot of chili on the weekend means having a warm, hearty meal for dinner and most likely, a leftover bowl or two for lunch the next day. But, this Smoky Black Bean chili is easy enough to put together on weeknight too. If you want to cook this chili on a weeknight, I would recommend cooking the wheat berries ahead of time to make dinner prep even faster. Chili is also a wonderful addition to any potluck meal. I like to make the chili ahead of time and then warm it up in my crockpot the day I plan to serve it.

One of the best things about chili is the toppings or garnishes. For this recipe, I like to add shredded cheddar or pepper jack cheese, chopped green onions, avocados, and squeeze of fresh lime. You could also add crushed tortilla chips, shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, or sour cream.