It’s chili season, and today, I have The Best Vegan Chili Recipe for you. It’s super thick, loaded with beans and veggies, and so flavorful! It’s the perfect cozy meal for the fall and winter seasons!
It’s chili season! I eat chili all year round because I love it so much, but since it’s so warm and cozy, it’s perfect for the colder seasons. I’ve made a lot of chili recipes, but this one I’m sharing with you today really is the best vegan chili recipe! I’ve even had a reader win a chili competition with it!
There are a few things I’m picky about when it comes to chili: I don’t like it to be super tomato-y, but I love it when it’s really thick. In my opinion, if it’s not thick, it’s more of a soup. And, while bean soup is good, it’s not chili 🙂
Vegan Chili Recipe Ingredients & Substitutions
- Beans – I like to use three cans of beans and I use three different kinds. My go-tos are pinto, kidney and black. You can use all of the same kind or even just two kinds if you like.
- Vegetables – I like loading my chili recipes with tons of veggies. I like to use, onion, garlic, green and red pepper, and tomato. You can also add corn, zucchini, squash, or any other veggie you like.
- Tomato Paste and Refried Beans – I don’t like to use a ton of tomato paste in my chili because I don’t want it to taste too much like tomato, so I just use a couple of Tablespoons and then thicken up the rest of it with some refried beans. It may sound strange, but it works so well!
- Spices – The spices are one of the most important parts of this vegan chili recipe. I like to use cumin, paprika, onion, garlic powder, chili powder, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.
- Broth – I use a vegan, low-sodium veggie broth. You can use water, but you might need to add a few more spices since water will not add any extra flavor to the chili.
How To Make The Best Vegan Chili
Chili is one of my favorite one-pot meals, and it’s so easy to make!
- Heat a large pot over medium heat and add olive oil and onion. Cook until soft, 2-3 minutes, and then add garlic and bell peppers. Cook for another 5 minutes.
- Add the beans, tomatoes, refried beans, tomato paste, and all the seasonings. Mix until combined, and then add the broth and mix again.
- Cover the chili, bring to a simmer, and cook until thick, at least 15 minutes. You can cook longer if you like.
- Serve hot with your favorite chili toppings!
Recipe Tips For Making The Best Easy Vegan Chili
- I like my chili super beany, but if you aren’t as much of a fan, I suggest using two cans instead of three cans.
- You can use whatever kind of beans you like! I like a variety, so I usually use pinto, kidney, and black beans, but you could use all one kind if you prefer.
- Peppers and onion are usually my go-to chili vegetables, but you can add as many veggies as you like to your vegan chili. I have a vegetarian chili recipe that also includes zucchini, summer squash, carrot, corn, and sometimes even sweet potato.
- Feel free to add extra seasonings if you like! Everyone prefers a different level of heat and spice in their chili, so definitely taste as you go and add more if you like.
- As I said above, I love super thick chili, so I only added two cups of broth to mine, but if you prefer a soupier consistency, you can add three cups.
- I like to use my Le Creuset pot for soups like this!
- Chili usually tastes best after it has sat for a while, so you can always make this vegan chili the day before you need it, refrigerate it overnight, and reheat it the next day for maximum flavor.
How To Store Your Vegan Chili
If you have leftovers, you can either refrigerate them or freeze them. Chili seems to soak up some liquid while it sits, so you may want to add extra broth when heating up.
- Refrigerate in a container with a lid for up to 4-5 days.
- Freeze in an airtight container for up to 6 months. Thaw on the counter or refrigerator, or put the frozen chili in a large pot.
Have a question about this recipe? Ask me in the comments and I’ll get back to you ASAP.
Check Out Exactly How I Make My Favorite Vegan Chili Recipe Below!
Looking for more hearty vegan soup recipes?
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The Best Vegan Chili Recipe
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Vegan Chili is thick and delicious! Load it up with your favorite toppings for an easy and hearty weeknight meal!
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1/2 yellow onion, diced (or one whole onion if small)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 1 cup diced tomato, or one 15 oz can diced tomatoes, drained
- 3 (15 oz) cans beans, drained and rinsed (I used black, pinto and kidney) If you don’t like a ton of beans in your chili you can use 2 cans.
- 1/2 cup refried beans
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2–3 cups vegetable broth (I used 2 cups because I like a thick chili but you can use 3 if you like a more brothy chili)
Instructions
- Heat large pot over medium heat and add olive oil and onion. Cook until soft, 2-3 minutes, and then add garlic and bell peppers. Cook for another 5 minutes.
- Add the beans, tomatoes, refried beans, tomato paste and all the seasonings. Mix until combined and then add the broth and mix again.
- Cover chili, bring to a simmer and cook until thickened, at least 15 minutes but you can cook longer if you like.
- Serve hot with your favorite chili toppings!
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Category: Soup, Vegan, Gluten Free
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of the chili
- Calories: 418
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 835 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 71 g
- Fiber: 25 g
- Protein: 24 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
*Nutrition Facts are calculated by using MyFitnessPal.com, they may differ depending on what brand of ingredient you use.
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I made chili for the first time and to my regret I completely forgot about the refried beans ((especially since in my country I have never even heard of such a thing, I had to look for how to make it….), but I live alone anyway and it turned out very tasty, thank you 🙏
I’m so glad you enjoyed the chili, despite not having the refried beans! The refried beans help make the chili pretty thick, so if you don’t have them I would reccomend blend about 1-2 cups of the chili in a blender and then pouring it back in!
I’ve made this so many times I could have sworn I wrote you a glowing 5 star review, but I have not until now. Such a good easy recipe. I always make a double batch for the two of us so I can freeze a couple containers. This time I didn’t have canned refried beans so used homemade and had to reconstitute dried bell peppers but it turned out great as usual. So very very good and you have the spices just right.
Thank you so much!! So glad you love this recipe!
My family loves this recipe. Thank you
That’s so nice to hear!!
There are not many easy-to-cook vegan recipes available online but this is my favourite. I love how I can add any veggies and still make it yummy!
Yah! So glad you enjoyed it!
Loved it. My husband, who doesn’t always like my vegan recipe experiments, rated it Excellent.
Awesome!!!
This chili was quite flavorful, which is generally the problem I encounter every time I’ve made it in the past. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. It will be my go-to going forth.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!!
Not sure if I’ve already commented on this, but we are obsessed with this recipe. We don’t change a thing. Favorite chili ever, and we aren’t even vegan.
Aw, yah!! That’s so nice to hear!!
My husband hates everything vegan but finally a winner! Wish there were more stars1
Haha, so glad you both enjoyed it!!
I’ve made this recipe a good 4 times, at least, since I found it. It’s my fav chili recipe ever! The spices are perfect. Best of all, this recipe is literally fool-proof! I think eachTime I’ve made it the ingredients have varied just based on what I had on hand at the time and it’s ALWAYS a winner! Thank you!
Yah!! That’s so nice to hear!
I’ve made this recipe 5 times now for both Vegans and Carnivores alike. We LOVE it! It gets tweaked here and there with whatever beans or veggies I happen to have that week & everyone likes adding their toppings. Thank you so much!
That’s so nice to hear!!
This was indeed delicious. I only had 1 bell pepper, so added 2 thinly sliced small carrots. Not sure why in my mind that equaled things? But it was fabulous. I dont think you need to add anything- vegan sour cream, cheese, nothing. So amazing by itself. Yum! And thanks.
Yah! So glad you enjoyed it!!
A friend held a “chili cook-off” for his birthday, and I WON with this recipe (plus a bit of hot sauce) over many non-vegan chilis!
That is amazing to hear!! Congratulations! I’m so happy everyone enjoyed it!