This Creamy Vegetarian White Bean Chili Recipe is healthy, hearty and filling! It’s similar to regular chili, but made with white beans, green chili and cream cheese. It’s great for dinner and you can use the leftovers as lunch.
I have a few different regular chili recipes on here, but this is my first White Bean Chili recipe and I’m so excited about it! This Creamy Vegetarian White Bean Chili is completely different than regular chili, but so good.
There are a few main differences between regular and white chili: regular chili uses crushed tomatoes and tomato paste, whereas the white chili uses white beans, no tomatoes and I add some cream cheese in for creaminess.
Creamy Vegetarian White Bean Chili Recipe Ingredients and Substitutions
- White Beans – You can use either cannelloni beans or Great Northern beans for this recipe. The main difference between the two beans is that Cannellini beans have a thicker t skin, which keeps the inside texture creamy. Great Northern beans have a more tender skin and slightly less creamy flesh. I actually used a mixture of both because that is what I had on hand.
- Green Pepper, Onion & Garlic – The green pepper, onion and garlic are the main aromatics in this white bean chili recipe. You could definitely add some red pepper and tomatoes if you like, but they aren’t traditional in white chili recipes. If you want some extra spice, you could add some chopped jalapeño.
- Salsa Verde – Most white chili recipes call for a jar of salsa verde. I didn’t have any on hand so I blended up some roasted green chiles that I had leftover from New Mexican Chopped Salad. It probably ended up being a little thicker than a jar of salsa verde but it still worked great! You can use either green Chile or salsa verde. Let me know if you have any questions!
- Corn – I just used one can of sweet corn. You can use canned, fresh or frozen corn for this recipe.
- Cream Cheese – The cream cheese is what makes this white bean chili creamy. You could also use vegan cream cheese or even some thick, canned coconut milk (unsweetened).
- Vegetable Broth – I like to use a concentrated vegetable broth because it lasts much longer in the refrigerator than boxed liquid broth. You can use whatever you like.
- Lime Juice – I recommend adding a big squeeze of fresh lime juice either to your pot of chili or to your individual serving. It adds such a nice fresh flavor!
- Spices – I added cumin, paprika, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, dried oregano and salt and pepper. Feel free to adjust seasoning amounts to your palette!
- Toppings – I love going a little crazy with my toppings when it comes to chili. I topped mine with tortilla strips, corn, avocado, cilantro, tomato, onion and a little salsa verde.
How To Make Vegetarian White Bean Chili
- Heat a large pot over medium heat and add a few teaspoons of olive oil, chopped onion and green bell pepper. Add a pinch of salt and cook until onion and pepper are softened, about 5 minutes, stirring every so often. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
- Next, add in the white beans, corn, spices and salt and pepper. I like to mix everything together and let cook for a couple minutes. Then, add the salsa verde and vegetable broth. Mix well and let chili come to a simmer. Simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- I like my chili thick so I take a couple ladels of the chili, add it to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth, then add back into the chili. Add the cream cheese into the chili and cook on low until the cream cheese is completely melted, stirring often. Add a big squeeze of fresh lime juice to the pot of chili and season with salt and black pepper, to taste.
- Garnish with your favorite chili toppings and enjoy!
White Bean Chili Recipe Frequently Asked Questions
- Is this recipe vegan? No, I do use dairy cream cheese but you can easily use dairy-free cream cheese or even canned unsweetened coconut milk.
- Is this recipe gluten free? Yes! Just make sure the veggie broth you are using is gluten free.
- Is this white bean chili freezer friendly? Yes, freeze in a freezer friendly air-tight container for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter or in a pot on the stove.
- Can I make this chili in the instant pot? Yes, I have not made it in the IP myself so I don’t have instructions, but it should be pretty easy!
- How long will leftovers last? If stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, they should last about 4 days.
Have a question I didn’t answer? Ask me in the comment section below and I will get back to you ASAP!
Looking For More Hearty Vegetarian Chili and Soup Recipes?
Pumpkin Chili with Black Beans
Butternut Squash Chili with Black Beans
Veggie Packed Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Soup
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Creamy Vegetarian White Bean Chili
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This Creamy Vegetarian White Bean Chili is healthy, hearty and great for lunch or dinner! Add your favorite toppings and enjoy!
Ingredients
Scale
- 2–3 teaspoons olive oil, or oil of choice
- 1 small yellow onion, small diced
- 1 large green bell pepper, small diced
- 2–3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 (15 oz) cans Cannelloni or Great Norther Beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (15 oz) can sweet corn, or about 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen corn
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 1/2 cups salsa verde (or blended roasted green chilis)
- 2 1/4 cups vegetable broth (I like my chili pretty thick, so feel free to add extra broth if you don’t want it thick)
- About 1/2 block cream cheese (room temp is best) You can add more or less depending on how creamy you want your chili
- Fresh lime juice
- Salt and black pepper, to taste (I probably used about 1/2 teaspoon pepper and between 1 and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. The salt will depend on how salty your vegetable broth is)
- Optional chili toppings: tortilla strips, crackers, avocado, onion, tomato, green chili, shredded cheese, sour cream, greek yogurt, etc…)
Instructions
- Heat a large pot over medium heat and add a few teaspoons of olive oil, chopped onion and green bell pepper. Add a pinch of salt and cook until onion and pepper are softened, about 5 minutes, stirring every so often. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
- Next, add in the white beans, corn, spices and salt and pepper. I like to mix everything together and let cook for a couple minutes. Then, add the salsa verde and vegetable broth. Mix well and let chili come to a simmer. Simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- I like my chili thick so I take a couple ladels of the chili, add it to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth, then add back into the chili. Add the cream cheese into the chili and cook on low until the cream cheese is completely melted, stirring often. Add a big squeeze of fresh lime juice to the pot of chili and season with salt and black pepper, to taste.
- Garnish with your favorite chili toppings and enjoy!
Notes
Lots of recipe notes included in post text!
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Category: Vegetarian, Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
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