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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Made this for dinner last night! Even my pickiest eaters ate this and gave it a thumbs up! We added a dollop of non dairy sour cream and dayia cheddar cheese shreds!! Served with vegan cornbread!!! This was the perfect mix!!!
We also used vegetarian refried beans!!
That sounds awesome!! So glad you all enjoyed it!
I love this chili! I used almost the full can of tomato paste. I didn’t use the refried beans. I used three cups of broth. I will make this over and over again!
That’s so nice to hear!!
I am going to give this a try this weekend! Would it be weird of me to add a cut up and peeled potato in place of one of the cans of beans? Kidney, Black and then the potato instead of the pinto? I’ll throw a potato into anything I can get my hands on but wasn’t sure if the starch would change the consistency? Thanks!
haha, I think that would work great!
You know refried beans are not vegan right? They are not even vegetarian.
You can actually buy vegetarian refried beans that also happen to be vegan.
What brands do you recommend for vegetarian/vegan refried beans? I have such a hard time finding any where I live ?
Where do you live? If you have any natural food stores around you they would definitely have them. La Victoria is also a brand I see at regular grocery stores that has a specific vegetarian kind. You could also just put a few scoops of the chili into a blender and and then add it back into the chili to help thicken it!
Do you think this could be adapted to the instant pot?
Definitely! I’d probably just cook it for 8 or so minutes
I absolutely love this recipe. I make it for me and my football buddies who come over on Sunday. My wife isn’t hot on it though. I also added jalapeños, sweet corn and minced garlic also.
I have also ate it for breakfast with over easy eggs overtop of it. Wow.
I’m so glad you like it!!
I loved this chili and I surprised myself. I normally would add more spices, but stuck to the recipe and it was wonderful.
Awesome!! So glad you enjoyed it!
Tried your recipe this past weekend, for my vegan hubby. Had no tomato paste, so doubled the tomatoes, and refried beans, and I also added 2 home-grown jalapenos and half bag of frozen corn I had on hand. It was so delicious, and my hubby LOVED it. Also added some pasta on side–perfection. Thank you for a terrific recipe.
Awesome!! So glad you both enjoyed it!
Fantastic! I added faux beef crumbles and elbow macaroni to my version. Super easy to make and tasty!
Yum!!!
Love this recipe. I’m trying to change my diet for my health and this will likely be a staple in my new eating habits. Also making this to take to family Thanksgiving today!
Yah! So glad you enjoyed it!
Great recipe! I used smoked paprika and added a jalapeño pepper to the sautéed veggies for an added punch. Garnished with vegan cheddar shreds and sliced avocado…Ta-DOW!
Sounds delicious!! So glad you enjoyed it!
I was pleasantly surprised by this totally satisfying dish. I used smoked paprika and added chopped jalapeño pepper to the sautéed veggies for added punch. Garnished with vegan cheddar shreds and sliced avocado…Ta-DOW!
So glad you enjoyed it!!
I made it tonight and my kids love it thank you ?
Yah!!
I have failed countless times making chili, but this was perfect! Thank you for the recipe!
That’s so nice to hear!!
We love this chili! My son was sick with respiratory bug and this chili cured him! Warm and spicey, perfect. I gave the recipie to my younger son who isn’t vegan. I think he will love it. Thank you for a great vegan dish!
That’s so nice to hear!! And glad your son is feeling better 🙂
This is my go-to recipe !!!! I have tried many and every once in awhile still try and this is the one I keep coming back to!! thank you for sharing this recipe with us all
That is so so nice to hear, Ann! Thank you for the kind words and I’m so glad you enjoy my chili recipe!
Made it tonight….. delicious!!
Yah! So glad you enjoyed it!
Made it last night for may family + a friend. Hands down best chili I’ve ever had. I added jalipeno and vegan sour cream and tortillas on the side for dipping.
Thank you SO much!! I’m so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
I made this Chili for a family chili cook off.
There were a total of 5 entries, mine was the only nonmeat chili. In a blind taste testing mine won! I won a $100 gift card! Thanks for the recipe! A wonderful chili!
That’s awesome!! I’m so happy to hear that!
Going to make this for our chili cook-off next week! let’s see what happens!
Awesome! I hope it went well!!
Can you make it in a crock pot?
You definitely can, but I don’t have a crock pot so unfortunately I can’t tell you about temperature and time.
This is the best veggie chili I have made. Thank you.
Yah! That’s so great to hear and I’m glad you liked it! 🙂