Cozy up to this deliciously smoky and comforting bowl of Vegan Bean Chili! Every spoonful is filled with hearty beans and scrumptious veggies. This is the perfect one-pot meal for the whole family, and it’s so quick and easy to make!
Who doesn’t love to cozy up to a big bowl of hot chili? I think this is the best vegan chilli there is!
Delicious flavors come together to create an amazing one-pot meal. It’s great for game days, cold days, rainy days, or any day!
If you don’t finish this on the first night, no worries because it’s even better the next! And this three-bean chili is very healthy and hearty!
Honestly, I think this big pot of love can be award-winning, but I've just been a little too shy to enter it into my local chili cook-off competition. Maybe you can!
If you're looking for more hearty and comforting soups, be sure to check out my Gnocchi Soup, Pot Pie Soup, and Potato Soup!
Reasons You’ll Love this Recipe
- Irresistible flavors
- Simple ingredients
- Warm and comforting
- Easily comes together
- Perfect for cold or rainy days
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
Beans - Three cans of beans are used in this recipe. Red beans, pinto beans, and black beans come together so nicely and provide a dynamic taste and texture. Look for the ones that are lower in sodium to let the other seasonings and flavors shine through. Feel free to change it up with the bean variety here!
Tomatoes - Tomato sauce and canned fire-roasted tomatoes provide a rich flavor that pulls everything together. Again, look for the lower sodium options. Use regular diced tomatoes if you can't find fire-roasted.
Fresh Veggies - A green bell pepper, jalapeños, yellow onion, and garlic cook in olive oil to form a flavorful and hearty medley. Toss in any other favorite vegetables if you'd like!
Vegetable Broth - Low-sodium vegetable broth provides a delicious base. Water can be used instead if you prefer or a mix of water with Better than Bouillon.
Seasoning - Chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, and paprika take this bean chili recipe over the top! Then, we add a bit of vegan brown sugar for a sweet element.
Garnish - Garnish the chili with freshly diced onions, fresh cilantro, and a squeeze of lime juice. Or, top it off with any of your own favorites!
How to Make Vegan Bean Chili
Dice the bell pepper, garlic, and onions. Deseed and devein the jalapeños, then dice them. Drain the canned beans.
Bring a large pot to medium heat. Add olive oil to the pot and then add most of the onions when the oil is heated. Reserve some of the onions for toppings. Sauté the onions for about 2 minutes or until they are slightly translucent. Next, add the garlic and continue to stir for 1 more minute.
Add all of the other ingredients, except for the garnish items (cilantro, lime, and diced onions). The beans should be drained, but be sure to keep the extra juice from the fire-roasted tomatoes. Stir everything together.
Keep the heat set at medium and cover the pot. Revisit the chili occasionally to stir it and then re-cover it. After cooking the chili for 30 minutes, mash some of the beans with a potato masher. Then, let the chili cook uncovered for 10 more minutes.
Let the chili cool down for a few minutes. Before eating, garnish it with diced onions, fresh cilantro, and a squeeze of lime. Or, top it off with your favorite toppings such as vegan cheese, vegan sour cream, and avocados. You can also enjoy this chili with your choice of tortilla chips, crackers, tortillas, or bread.
Notes
- Deseed and devein the jalapeños before dicing them.
- Drain the canned beans, but do not drain the fire-roasted tomatoes.
- Cut the vegetables to a size of your preference such as fine diced or a rough chop for more of a heartier texture.
Recipe Variations
- Use bean varieties of your choice, or even freshly made beans.
- Throw in some vegan meat crumbles for added flavor and texture.
- Add toppings such as vegan cheese, vegan sour cream, avocados, etc.
- Spice it up with a dash or two of cayenne, red pepper flakes, or other chili peppers.
Make-Ahead or Leftovers
This chili is a great make-ahead meal as the flavors come together even more over time! Just let it cool and store it covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Reheat
Reheat refrigerated chili in the microwave or on the stovetop. If frozen, let the chili thaw in the refrigerator overnight before heating it up.
Vegan chili is very healthy for you! The beans are filled with protein, folate, fiber, iron, magnesium, and phosphorous. The vegetables in the chili also offer many benefits. For example, they are high in antioxidants, potassium, folate, and vitamins A, C, and K. One area to be cautious of is the amount of sodium you add to your chili. Make sure the beans, canned tomatoes, and vegetable broth are all low in sodium, if possible.
Related Recipes
- Do you love beans and all of their nutrients like me? Try this White Bean recipe or serve up these amazing Walking Tacos!
- For more ultra-comforting meals, check out this Vegan Potato Soup recipe or this hearty Casserole with Rice!
I hope you love this recipe! Please consider leaving a star rating and comment below. You can get my latest recipes sent directly to your inbox. Click here to subscribe to my email list!
Vegan Chili
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 4 cloves garic, diced
- 15 ounces red beans, canned
- 15 ounces black beans, canned
- 15 ounces pinto beans, canned
- 15 ounces tomato sauce, canned
- 1 large green bell pepper, diced
- 2 cups vegetable broth, low-sodium
- 2 medium jalapeños, diced
- 15 ounces fire-roasted tomatoes, canned
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ tablespoon brown sugar
- garnish with fresh cilantro, diced onions, & lime wedges
Instructions
- Dice the onion, garlic, bell pepper, and jalapeños. Drain the liquid from the beans.
- Add the olive oil to a large pot over medium heat. Sauté most of the onions for 2 minutes (reserve some for garnish). Add the garlic and cook it for 1 minute.
- Add all of the other ingredients except the garnish (cilantro, lime slices, and remaining onions). Stir everything together.
- Cover the pot as the chili cooks over medium heat. Revisit it occasionally to stir and then re-cover it. After 30 minutes, mash some of the beans with a potato masher. Let it cook for 10 more minutes, uncovered.
- After cooling for a few minutes, garnish the chili and enjoy! You can top it with cilantro, diced onions, a squeeze of lime, or any of your favorites!
Video
Notes
- Deseed and devein the jalapeños before dicing them.
- Drain the canned beans, but do not drain the fire-roasted tomatoes.
- Cut the vegetables to a size of your preference such as fine diced or a rough chop for more of a heartier texture.
Recipe Variations
- Use bean varieties of your choice, or even freshly made beans.
- Throw in some vegan meat crumbles for added flavor and texture.
- Add toppings such as vegan cheese, vegan sour cream, avocados, etc.
- Spice it up with a dash or two of red pepper flakes, cayenne, or other chili peppers of your choice.
Make-Ahead or Leftovers
This chili is a great make-ahead meal as the flavors come together even more over time! Just let it cool and store it covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.Reheat
Reheat refrigerated chili in the microwave or on the stovetop. If frozen, let the chili thaw in the refrigerator overnight before heating it up.Nutrition
The nutrition information is estimated and can vary depending on brands and measurements used.
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