This Vegan Chilli Soup offers cozy comfort of hearty vegetables, triple bean blend, herbs & spices, and is my go-to meal during the winters!

What good is the warmth of summer without the cold bitterness of winter to give it its sweetness?

Last week, I rushed in my submission for the Winter issue of The Supper Club (Have you seen the gorgeous Fall issue??? Order a copy here, if heartfelt stories, delicious food and gorgeous photos are your thing!). The theme of the next issue is Nourishing Dishes and Stories to Begin Again; I dug deep into locked away emotions, to bare my heart and write about the darkest time in my life. Ever since writing the piece, I’ve been in a strange and pensive mood, contemplating the inner workings and unfathomable complexities of life as we know it.

Sometimes when life’s got you down, you can’t help but feel weakened by the weight of it all. You can’t help but wonder, “Why me?”. I do remember asking my mother that exact question once, to which the wise woman that she is, replied: “You’ve been chosen to bear this burden today, so that someone weaker than you can be spared its crushing weight. If you can’t do it, no one else can.”. Her words have given strength to many a moment of weakness and sorrow since then, and enabled me to pull myself out of the inevitable self-pity and wallowing that would otherwise have slowed me down from dealing with the problem.

Understanding that you and only you can lift yourself out of the pit is a very powerful thing – you stop waiting for someone to save you and quickly get to task saving yourself.

Soon after submitting the article, I got a text from my brilliant editor, Michelle and we began discussing (among many other things) the role of pain in our lives. While naive me wistfully wondered how much more wonderful life would be if it were all sweet as roses, wise-beyond-her-years Michelle said and I quote, “Ah, but we wouldn’t discover so much of ourselves without it. Pain, grief and darkness, it truly does help us bloom. It reminds our ever forgetful human minds to love harder and to risk everything for what we want to do. At the end of the day, there’s really no reason not to. It’s all so short and goes by so fast.”

There are few truths in this world truer than that – and sweet Michelle’s words keep echoing in my head ceaselessly. Without the cold darkness of the night, the brightness of morning light has no glory. And without the hardiness of winter to endure, there is no joy in awaiting the sweetness of summer. Even water tastes sweeter after sampling something tart and sour. And so will life’s sweetness pass by without notice, if we didn’t taste its bitterness every now and then.

Before we know it, the winter solstice would be upon us and as we deck our hearts and souls with the warm comforts of the festive season along with the hopes and dreams that the New Year unfailingly brings, let’s also shore up our bodies with foods that strengthen and rejuvenate.

This One pot Vegan Chilli Soup is my go-to winter staple, and as the weather grows colder with each passing day, my kitchen has been spewing out an endless parade of hot, comfort foods. I find myself constantly wrapped in my favorite throw blanket, so much so that it now feels like a second skin. A cross between the traditional bowl of chilli and a thick soup, my version slides down with nary an effort, delivering the ultimate coziness in under 30 minutes!

With a warm bowl of Vegan Chilli Soup to soothe me, the fragrances of herbs de Provence and cumin energizing the very air around me, I am emboldened to face the brutal onslaught of (literal and metaphorical) winter, and come what may, I will stay strong and face it all. Cause if I cannot, no one else can.

Recipe notes:

1. Swap Herbs de Provence with Italian seasoning every other time for a slight variance in flavor.
2. The measurements in the recipe were taken after the vegetables were prepped and chopped i.e., does not include weight of peel/seeds.
3. Feel free to experiment with different seasonal vegetables – winter squash would work beautifully.

When you make this Vegan Chilli Soup (which I really think you SHOULD!), be sure to SHARE YOUR PHOTOS with me through Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. I’d love to see what you cook from here!