Cozy up to this deliciously smoky and comforting bowl of Vegan Bean Chili! Every spoonful is filled with hearty beans and wholesome veggies. This is the perfect one-pot meal for the whole family, and it’s so quick and easy to make!

Vegan three bean chili with toppings.

Who doesn’t love to curl up to a big bowl of hot chili? Well this is probably going to become your newest go-to recipe!

It is so easy to make and incredibly delicious. I truly think this is the best three-bean chili there is!

Delicious flavors come together to create an amazing soup, all in one pot. It’s great for game days, cold days, lazy days, rainy days, or any day!

If you don’t finish this homemade chili on the first night, no worries because it’s even better the next! And this naturally vegan three-bean chili is very healthy and filling!

A big bowl of vegan bean chili.

Honestly, I think this big pot of plant-based love can be award-winning, but I’ve just been a little too shy to enter it into my local chili cook-off competitions. 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 Chili

  • Irresistible flavors
  • No meat, no dairy
  • Simple ingredients
  • Warm and comforting
  • Easily comes together
  • Hearty and high in protein
  • Perfect for cold or rainy days

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Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

vegan chili ingredients
  • Beans – Three cans of beans are used in this recipe. Red, pinto, 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 other beans or use homemade like these Black Beans or these White Beans!
  • Tomatoes – Tomato sauce and canned fire-roasted tomatoes provide a rich flavor that pulls everything together. Again, look for the lower sodium options if possible. Use regular canned 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 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 balance of flavors. 
  • Garnish – Garnish the chili with vegan cheese, freshly diced onions, fresh cilantro, jalapeños, and a squeeze of lime juice. Or, top it off with any of your own favorites!
Bean chili with vegan cheese.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Dice the bell pepper, garlic, and onions. De-seed and de-vein the jalapeños, then dice them.

Bring a large pot to medium-high 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 until they are translucent. Next, add the garlic and continue to stir for another minute. 

Add all of the other ingredients. The beans should be drained, but be sure to keep the extra juice from the fire-roasted tomatoes. Stir everything together.

chili ingredients cooking

Lower the heat to medium and cover the pot. Revisit the chili occasionally to stir it and then re-cover it. After cooking the chili for 30 minutes, you can mash some of the beans with a potato masher if you want a thicker consistency. 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.

A large pot of bean chili.

Notes

  • De-seed and de-vein 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 chunkier texture.
  • If you’re short on time, the chili can come off the stove after 20-25 minutes, but the flavors come together better if it’s cooked for the full amount of time.

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.
Plant based chili with beans.

Make-Ahead and Leftovers

This vegan bean 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.

I hope you loved this recipe! If you try it, please let me know what you think with a rating and comment below. Your feedback really supports my blog and is helpful to other readers! 🙂 You can stay updated on my latest recipes by following me on Pinterest and joining my Email List.

Close view of vegan chili.

Vegan Chili

Every spoonful of this delicious Vegan Bean Chili is filled with hearty beans and scrumptious veggies! Such an easy meal to make that's perfect for when you're craving something flavorful and comforting!
5 from 7 votes
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Bonnie – Serene Trail

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories: 356kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 small yellow onion, diced
  • 4 cloves fresh garlic, diced
  • (3) 15 ounces cans of beans, red, black, pinto, (439g)
  • 15 ounces can of tomato sauce, (425g)
  • 15 ounces can of fire-roasted tomatoes, (411g)
  • 2 cups vegetable broth, or bouillon + water, (240ml)
  • 1 large green bell pepper, diced
  • 2 medium jalapeños, diced
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 tablespoon brown sugar

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-high heat. Sauté the onions for 3-4 minutes or until they're softened. Add the garlic and cook it for 1-2 minutes.
  • Add the remaining ingredients and stir everything together. Lower the heat to medium.
  • Cover the pot as the chili cooks. Revisit it occasionally to stir and then re-cover it. After 30 minutes, you can mash some of the beans with a potato masher if you want a thicker texture. Let it cook for 10 more minutes, uncovered.
  • After cooling down for a few minutes, garnish the chili and enjoy!

Video

Notes

  • De-seed and de-vein 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.
  • If you’re short on time, the chili can come off the stove after 20-25 minutes, but the flavors come together better if it’s cooked for the full amount of time.

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

Calories: 356kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 3.7g | Saturated Fat: 0.6g | Sodium: 823mg | Potassium: 855mg | Fiber: 16g | Sugar: 7.7g | Calcium: 97mg | Iron: 8mg

The nutritional information provided is an estimate from third-party calculations.

Did you make this recipe?I’d love to hear what you think! Drop a comment below or share it on Instagram and tag me @serene.trail.
Vegan Chili Pinterest Pin
Pinterest pin of vegan bean chili.
Pinterest pin of vegan bean chili.

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5 from 7 votes (7 ratings without comment)

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