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This Easy Vegan Chili Recipe is healthy, hearty, and a perfect cozy meal for chilly days! It’s packed with protein and fiber thanks to beans & veggies.
What’s your go-to cozy rainy day food? For me it’s chili. There’s nothing quite like a steamy, chunky, meaty bowl of chili to satisfy your cravings (and keep you full!). This Easy Vegan Chili is my fuss-free, plant-based twist on the classic chili. Vegans, vegetarians, and even meat-eaters will enjoy it.
This vegan chili is a perfect weeknight or weekend meal! It’d be perfect for game day or entertaining a large crowd, but it’s also easy enough to make for meal prep for a busy week, too.
INGREDIENTS FOR VEGAN CHILI
Not only is this Chili super easy to make, but it’s also full of plant-based protein and fiber to keep you full and satisfied for hours and hours. Plus, you only need 11 healthy ingredients to make it! And I’m betting you already have most of them sitting around in your pantry too…
There are a lot of different ways to make chili, but I decided to stick with the classic flavors for this one. This Vegan Chili is a moderately-spiced, tomato-y stew loaded with chunks of celery, onion, green bell pepper, and carrot. Spices like ancho chili powder, cumin, oregano, garlic, and cayenne pepper add some body to the chili, while kidney beans and pinto beans give a hearty and creamy texture. Once everything simmers together and of those yummy flavors combine, you’ll be left with a chunky and thick chili that has a surprisingly meaty texture. No need to add any animal protein here!
HOW TO MAKE VEGETARIAN & VEGAN CHILI
Did I mention that this chili comes together in only 30 minutes? It’s the perfect fuss-free dinner that’s simple, but still delicious.
- Sauté the base veggies (onion, celery, peppers) and spices to create great flavor.
- Stir in the beans, tomatoes, and vegetable broth, then simmer until all the flavors combine.
- Top as desired, then serve and enjoy!
But wait! We can’t talk about Chili without talking about toppings…that’s like, almost the best part.
WAYS TO SERVE CHILI
I love to top my vegan chili with freshly sliced green onions for a little bite, as well as some nutritional yeast for a “cheesy” taste. I also enjoy a large dollop of vegan sour cream (or thinned out vegan cream cheese) on top of a steamy bowl, but that’s not a deal-breaker in my opinion.You can also top your chili with shredded vegan cheese, avocado, cilantro, and/or tortilla chips for more of a Southwestern flavor!
But most importantly, don’t forget the side of Easy Vegan Cornbread. You can also serve this vegan chili over roasted sweet potatoes or rice for an even heartier main!
COOKING TIPS + FAQ:
- How can I make this chili even “meatier”? If you’re looking for an extra hearty meal, you can always toss in a package of imitation ground “beef” or some chopped vegan sausage – see the recipe notes for more info.
- How long does vegan chili last in the fridge? Freshly made chili will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Can I freeze chili? Yes! Store it in an airtight freezer-safe baggie for up to 2 months. You can also pre-portion your chili for easy-to-reheat meals.
- Canned Beans: I like to make my chili with canned beans out of convenience. If you don’t have any digestion issues, try draining your beans but not rinsing them – this makes the chili have an even creamier texture
If you’re looking for more Vegan Chili Recipes, you’ll also love this Butternut Squash & White Bean Chili and this Slow Cooker Bean & Quinoa Chili! And don’t forget to serve it all up with a side of some EasyVegan Cornbread for good measure.
Finally, if you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I love seeing your delicious recreations 🙂
PrintEasy Vegan Chili Recipe
This easy Vegan Chili Recipe is healthy, hearty, and a perfect cozy meal for chilly days! It’s packed with protein and fiber thanks to beans & veggies.
- Prep Time: 10 Minutes
- Cook Time: 30 Minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 Servings 1x
- Category: Main
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 2 green bell peppers, diced
- 3 ribs celery, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 small carrots, thinly sliced
- 4 tablespoons ancho chili powder*
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (Optional)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 15-ounce (425 g) cans red kidney beans, drained
- 2 15-ounce (425 g) cans pinto beans, drained
- 2 28-ounce (793 g) cans crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup (235 ml) low-sodium vegetable broth (or water)
- Optional Toppings: green onions, nutritional yeast, vegan sour cream, etc.
Instructions
- Base Flavor: Warm a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 1/3 cup (80 ml) of water (see notes for oil version) to the pot and add the onion, celery, and green pepper to a large nonstick pot. Cook until all the water evaporates, stirring occasionally. Once the pot is “dry” and the vegetables start to turn golden brown, deglaze the pot with an additional 1/4 cup (60 ml) of water. This process should take around 10 minutes total.
- Spices: Reduce to medium heat and add the garlic, and carrots to the pot along with the chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt and optional cayenne pepper. Sauté for an additional 2-3 minutes, adding a small splash of water if things start to stick.
- Simmer: Finally, add the kidney beans, pinto beans, crushed tomatoes, and the vegetable broth to the pot. Bring everything to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to create a simmer. Cover and cook for 10 minutes. Remove the lid from the pot and cook uncovered for 5 to 7 additional minutes, until the carrots are tender and the chili reaches your desired thickness. Stir this mixture occasionally, to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot.
- Serve: Serve warm, and top as desired. Leftovers can be store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days and reheated on the stovetop or in the microwave. You can also store this vegan chili in the freezer for up to one month.
Notes
- Chili Powder: Your chili powder should be pure ancho chili powder for better flavor, not a “blend” of various spices and salt. If you use a spice blend with salt, reduce the salt to 1/2 teaspoon, adding more as necessary.
- Beans: You can swap out the pinto beans or kidney beans for black beans, if you’d like. Or check out my Chipotle Black Bean Chili!
- Oil Version: Sauté the onion, celery, and green pepper in 1 tablespoon of oil, stirring only occasionally so they stick to the bottom of the pan. Deglaze with the 1/4 cup of water as instructed in step one, scraping the bottom of the pan as necessary. Continue with the recipe as written.
- Make it Meaty: sauté the vegan “ground” or chopped sausage along with the garlic and spices in step 2.
Keywords: Vegan chili, easy vegan chili, vegetarian chili recipe, healthy vegetarian chili, gluten free chili
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I ran out of cumin and somehow missed the oregano so I added a bbq spice blend and it still turned out great! Thanks!! My little boy liked it and I know my husband will too.
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Glad it turned out great, Jessica!
Easy Vegan Chili Recipe seems so delicious and healthy too. Will love to make this , hope all my members will love this . Thanks for sharing this one.
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Confident they would love it, Yamini!
You are so welcome! Glad you loved it 🙂
Great chili recipe! Always love to make your recipes because they’re so easy to follow and always delicious!
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Thank you so much! 🙂
Any suggestions on how you might edit it for someone who can’t handle a lot of spice? If I put less chili powder would you suggest I increase any of the other seasoning to compensate?
You can start with less and add more to taste, if you’d like
I made this for dinner. Everyone loved it, except a little to spicy. Thank you for this great recipe.
Glad you loved it, Melissa! 😄
This is the most AMAZING CHILI EVER!!! A friend used to make chili all the time, and I thought that it was pretty good, so I should look up a recipe for it. I have made this about 10 times now, and still can’t get enough of it! I also make vegan Spelt flatbread to eat along with it!
I made this a few weeks ago. It was easy and comes out delicious. I used Penzy’s Arizona Dreaming for the Chile powder, as it has ancho in it. I plan to make this against tonight and will try adding Field Roast chorizo sausages. Thanks for the great recipe!
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Amazing recipes. I am glad that I found your blog as I got new snack ideas from it. My daughter always wants new snacks in her tiffin and now I can make it for her. Keep sharing such tasty recipes with the foodies.
Thanks so much! Glad you and your daughter are enjoying them!
this was really delicious made it tonight for the family! we are new to a vegan diet but love your blog!
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Welcome and glad you’re here!
It was really good! I only used about a tablespoon of chili powder because I cannot handle spice unfortunately. I also added some onion powder and nooch at the end and it was delicious!! My non vegan family also approves ????
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Glad you were able to customize it to your taste-buds!
Hi. Am I mincing the garlic? I don’t mince when I make my beans, but I wonder if I should here.
Hey! Sort of a preference, really. We like quarter pieces but mincing works well if you don’t like a surprise piece of garlic.
Recipe was easy to make the
Only thing it takes the carrots longer than 7 minutes to get tender
Making this right now! Instead of 4 cans of beans, I’m only doing two and subbing chopped cauliflower and letting it all rest in the crock pot, I cant wait to see how it turns out!
Cauliflower, that sounds good! Definitely interested in how that works out!
How did this turn out? I always love to add more cauliflower anywhere I can.
Wow just wow! What an amazing delicious dish. Great change from the regular chili, enjoyed so much it will on our daily rotation looking forward in trying some of your other recipes. Thanks for sharing
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Let us know how you like some of the other recipes!
Love this recipe, great for uni students! I cook up a big batch and freeze it, last for a good. Thank you so much!
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It’s totally a perfect meal prep meal!
AMAZING!!!!
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Thanks so much!
DELICIOUS!!!!!!!!Thank you 🙂
Thank YOU for making it!
oh. This is the food I need. It looks so delicious. Easy to do and healthy. I will try to make it. Thanks you!
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Thanks so much! Enjoy!
I did it. Unbelievable, It so delicious. My family like it. Thanks you!
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So happy to hear it! Thanks for making it – glad your family liked it!
This was a great Weekend Dinner! Had my Husband help me chop the veggies, Great way to get him involved 😉 . Wonderful Recipe Caitlin!
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Glad you guys were able to make it together!
Made this delicious chili in an afternoon but my plans changed for dinner so it sat for a day. Maybe tasted better. I didn’t have red kidney beans so used garbanzos. I halved the recipe and had a 28 oz can of Italian style whole tomatoes that I used. This chili was a real keeper.
Glad you liked it! And happy that you were able to use what you had on hand!