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This Easy Vegan Chili is a hearty one-pot meal packed with protein and fiber thanks to beans and veggies. Ready in just 40 minutes, it’s perfect for chili evenings, meal prep, or freezing for later. Vegan and Gluten-Free; Oil-Free Option.
There’s nothing quite like a steaming hot, hearty bowl of this fuss-free Vegan Chili to warm you up on a cold evening. This easy recipe takes the work out of the classic, thanks to a simple blend of canned beans, tomatoes, and smoky spices. It’s a guaranteed crowd-pleaser for vegans and meat-eaters alike!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ reader review:
“This is one of the first recipes I made as a newly converted vegan. It is DELICIOUS!! Even my non-vegan family members LOVED it!”
– Tece
Table of Contents
The Only Vegan Chili Recipe You’ll Ever Need
This Vegan Bean Chili recipe is proof that you can do some pretty cool things with the canned goods in your cupboard. Just like this Black Bean Stew and this White Bean Puttanesca, it’s a one-pot meal that’s as perfect for weeknight dinners as it is for game days. The best part? You probably have most of the ingredients on hand already, and it only takes 40 minutes to put together.
Everything you want in a bowl of chili is here: smoky, rich, and deeply satisfying flavors, a well-seasoned tomato base, and enough veggies, kidney beans, and pinto beans to fill you up. By the time it’s done simmering, you’ll have a high-protein vegan chili that’s so thick and chunky, even meat eaters will be asking for seconds.
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.
How to Make Vegan Chili
- Sauté the onion in a large pot until lightly browned. Add the bell pepper, carrot, and celery, and sauté for a few more minutes. Stir in the garlic and spices.
- Add the beans, tomatoes, broth, and water to the pot. Cover with a lid and heat to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer.
- Taste the chili and adjust the seasonings as needed. Divide it into bowls and serve warm. Enjoy!
Caitlin’s Cooking Tips
- Finely chop your veggies. This allows them to melt into the chili! I prefer to dice my onions, bell peppers, and carrots to be roughly the same size as the pinto beans.
- Adjust the spice level to your preference. This chili is meant to be as spicy as you want, with most of the heat coming from the ancho chili powder and optional cayenne. To make a milder version, reduce the chili powder to 2 or 3 tablespoons and omit the cayenne. To kick things up a notch, keep the cayenne and consider sautéing a minced jalapeño with the garlic and spices.
Serving Suggestions
We can’t talk about chili without talking about toppings… That’s the best part! Don’t stop at a sprinkle of nutritional yeast or dairy-free shredded cheese. We gotta go big with even more, like sliced green onions, pickled red onions, a dollop of vegan sour cream, diced avocado, and tortilla strips for crunch.
And can you even call it chili without the cornbread on the side? I have to eat every bowl with a soft and buttery slice of this Perfect Vegan Cornbread.
If you’re looking for more meatless chili recipes, you’ll also love this Vegan White Bean Chili with Jackfruit, this 30-Minute Chipotle Black Bean Chili, and this Slow Cooker Bean Quinoa Chili!
How to Store Leftover Chili
After the chili has cooled to room temperature, transfer it to a few single-serving airtight containers. It will keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator or up to 2 months in the freezer. Thaw the chili overnight in the fridge before reheating.
When it’s time to eat, reheat as much chili as you plan on eating in the microwave or in a pot over low-medium heat, stirring often, until it’s warmed through. The chili will thicken as it cools, so feel free to stir in a splash of broth or water to help thin it out, if needed.
Substitutions and Variations
- Oil-Free Variation: Sauté the chopped veggies in 1/4 cup of water before adding the garlic and spices.
- Make it “Meaty”: You can add a package of vegan ground “beef,” chopped vegan sausage (like in this Hearty Vegan Chorizo Chili), crumbled tempeh, or extra-firm tofu for a bulky, “beefy” chili. Add your “meat” of choice to the pan when you add the garlic and seasonings.
- Optional Flavor Boosters: If your chili feels like it’s missing anything, try stirring in a splash of soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, fresh lime juice, apple cider vinegar, or even a teaspoon of cocoa powder at the very end to wake up the flavors.
Recipe FAQs
To turn this into a crockpot vegan chili, sauté your veggies and spices in a pan on the stovetop to develop flavor, then toss everything into the slow cooker. Cook on Low for 6 to 8 hours or High for 3 to 4 hours.
It takes a little more time and patience, but dried beans are great in chili. Soak the beans overnight and simmer them in fresh water until tender the next day. Add them to the chili once they’re cooked through (step 3).
If you don’t love beans in chili, I’d recommend swapping them for 1 to 1.5 cups of dry lentils instead. Just be sure to increase the vegetable broth by about 2 cups and simmer until the lentils are tender.
Try mashing some of the beans in the pot to release their natural starches and thicken the base. You can also simmer the chili uncovered for an extra 10 minutes to let some of the liquid evaporate.
Enjoy! If you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I would also love it if you could leave a comment below with a recipe rating! Thank you for the support 😊
Easy Vegan Chili with Beans and Diced Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil see notes for oil-free version, if desired
- 1 small yellow onion 1/4” dice
- 1 large or 2 small green bell peppers 1/4” dice
- 3 ribs celery small dice
- 3 small carrots small dice
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 4 tablespoons ancho chili powder* (reduce to 3 if you are sensitive to heat)
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper optional
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 15- ounce cans red kidney beans, drained
- 2 15- ounce cans pinto beans, drained
- 1 14- ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 1 14- ounce can diced tomatoes (or sub more crushed tomatoes)
- 1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth (or water)
- 1 cup water
- Optional Toppings: green onions dairy-free cheese or sour cream, etc.
Instructions
- Base Flavor: Warm the oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes, until the edges are beginning to brown. Add the bell pepper, carrot, and celery and sauté for an additional 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Aromatics: Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano, cayenne (if using), and salt. Mix well and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, until the spices are just beginning to stick to the bottom of the pot. medium high saute onion 3 to 5 min.
- Simmer: Add the beans, crushed and diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, and water to the pot. Mix well, scraping any browned bits off the bottom of the pot as needed. Cover the pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, uncover and reduce the heat to medium, maintaining a simmer. Simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the chili begins to splatter you can reduce the heat slightly, or cover it with a splatter screen.
- Serve: Sample the chili and add any additional salt, if needed. Serve warm, and top as desired. Leftovers can be stored 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 2 months.
Recipe Notes
- Chili Powder: Your chili powder should be pure ancho chili powder for better flavor, not a “blend” of various spices and salt. I find that some brands are spicier than others, so you may want to sample a small bit of yours and reduce the amount to 2-3 tablespoons if you are sensitive to heat.
- 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-Free: Sauté the onion, celery, and green pepper in 1/4 cup of water for 3 to 5 minutes, then add the garlic and species and sauté for another 2 to 3 minutes. Proceed with the recipe as written from step 3 onward.
This chili was so easy to whip up and so tasty! I loved the level of spice in it with the cayenne. I dressed mine up with some tortilla chips and vegan cheddar. Definitely recommend!
Glad you enjoyed it, Lauren!
What an excellent chili recipe! Especially on this cold and rainy winter day. It’s just two of us so I expect after eating this for dinner for a couple days that we’ll have a little bit of leftovers to freeze… Yay! 🙂 I made cashew sour cream in my blender which complements the chili perfectly, and garnished with some of the green onions. We love ‘frito chili pie’ so it’s too bad I don’t have fritos to serve with it, but our health is better off without adding chips to such a healthy, already-delicious meal!
Thank you so much for the lovely review, Katelin! So happy you enjoyed it.
A classic winter warmer!
Perfect for an easy meal on a cold night! I had all the ingredients already in my kitchen and it all came together super easily and quickly….AND it was delicious! 😋 It’s got a little bit of heat 🔥 but not too much…just enough to make it interesting. Thanks for another great recipe!
– Alicia from Portland
You’re so welcome, Alicia! Happy you enjoyed it!
This chili was so tasty!! I used fire-roasted crushed tomatoes and regular chili powder. Paired with Siete dip chips, and my husband went back for THIRDS!! Definitely bookmarking this to make again!
Amazing! Thank you so much, Rachel!
Big hit at our house!
I did have to substitute some ingredients since I did not have them in hand but it still came out super tasty. I am trying to add as many veggies to my meals so I included many hidden gems 🤣. I didn’t have any of the beans suggested so I substituted them with green and red lentils. I also added some zucchini, TJ’s Holiday Hash and some Impossible Burger crumbles. I serve this up with some corn muffins.
This recipe was easy to follow and very flavorful. This will definitely go in my recipe box.
Glad you enjoyed it, Patricia! Thank you so much for leaving a review.
I love a lot of Caitlin’s recipes more than this one, which is the only reason I am giving 4 stars instead of 5.
Pros: very easy to make, includes pantry staples/findable ingredients, feel-good healthy recipe with lots of protein and benefits, filling, good for leftovers
Cons: maybe I just don’t love chili? The taste is not one that I’ll crave, but as far as chili goes, this one is as good as a lot of others. I might try to sub black beans for one of the others next time because I just like that flavor a smidge more
I’ll still eat all my leftovers and feel good about the nutritional content!
We appreciate your feedback, Joanie! Glad you still liked it.
This chili is DYNOMITE, ideal for hygge season. When you’re done eating, make sure to loaf on the couch in cozy sweats and chillin’. Great for leftovers — who needs to cook more than necessary when you could be snuggling?? Sour cream is nice for texture and creaminess, and don’t you dare skip out on the green onions. Pairs perfectly with a sourdough loaf. Yum yum yum!
Thank you so much for the review, Dominic!
I don’t have ancho chili powder, but do have dried ancho chili’s. How would I sub those for the powder?
Hi Louwana! You can substitute ancho chili powder with dried ancho chilies. To do this, remove the stems and seeds from the dried chilies, toast them briefly, and grind them into a powder. Adjust the quantity based on flavor preference. Use the ground ancho chilies in the recipe at the same stage where ancho chili powder is called for. The substitution adds an authentic ancho chili flavor to the chili, enhancing its richness.
My husband loved this recipe so much that he wants it for his birthday. He’s a meat eater, I’m not. Thanks
Thank you for making it, Gay!
Very flavorful and yummy but super spicy for those sensitive to spice!
Glad you liked it, Devon. You can adjust the spiciness, too.
Stellar recipe! Added a sweet potato and it was fire! 🔥
Thanks for all your great content Caitlin!
You’re so welcome, Jen!
This chili is the best! I only added some small bits of cut mushrooms for a meaty texture. Will be making this again!
That sounds delicious, Judy!
I made the vegan chilly.Slight adjustments especially the chilly powder
In Australia we are not used to so much chilly.
But yum,yum over boiled potatoes steamed veg.
It’s a meal prep f
Glad you find it yummy, Mary!
Thank you so much for sharing this amazing vegan chili recipe! I can’t wait to give it a try. It looks so flavorful and hearty, perfect for a cozy rainy day meal. I love that it’s easy to make and only requires a few simple ingredients. I also appreciate that you included some tips and suggestions for how to customize the recipe and serve it with different toppings. This is definitely a recipe that I’ll be coming back to again and again. Thank you again for sharing!
Thank you for your lovely comment Rodney, my pleasure!
This chilli is amazing. But how many calories are in this dish?
I have not provided nutrition info for this recipe, but feel free to plug the ingredients into any online nutrition calculator 🙂
You should add “oil free vegan chili” to your keywords. That is a MAJOR bonus for WFPB folks.
Thanks for the recommendation, Steve!
This is so delicious and makes so much! Entire family and friends who are meat eaters love this too!
Happy to hear that!
Love this recipe! I make it regularly in the fall/winter! Sometimes I use can diced tomatoes instead of crushed for a chunkier chili but the recipe is great both ways 😊 we like to serve it over french fries – the perfect filling meal!
Glad you like it, Elizabeth!
Love this delicious Easy Vegan Chili Recipe, super excited to try these with us, will love to try this one.
Awesome!
This Easy Vegan Chili Recipe seems super delicious , super excited to try this unique recipe. Thanks for sharing this one , always excited to try this one.
We’re excited you’re trying it, Rose! Let us know how it went!
Super excited to try this Easy Vegan Chili Recipe, this one seems amazing and unique, super excited to try this one , thanks for sharing with us.
Love this Easy Vegan Chili Recipe, never tried this before . Super excited to try this unique recipe. Thanks for sharing this one with us .
You’re welcome, Rafael!
What’s the calories for one serving a cup? I love this I turned vegan this is mainly what I eat now:)
One serving of this chili could contain 300-450 calories per serving, if the recipe makes 6-8 servings. Keep in mind that this is just an estimate and the actual calorie count may vary. To get a more accurate calorie count, I would recommend consulting a calorie tracking website or app.
Love this Easy Vegan Chili Recipe, this one seems super delicious and unique. Will love to try this delicious one , thanks for sharing this recipe with us . Super excited to try this one .
Loved this recipe added tofu smart ground and green beans, everyone enjoyed. Thank you
Sounds delicious! I’m glad you all enjoyed the Chili, Pat 🙂