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Easy Vegetarian and Vegan Recipes

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The Best Vegan Chili Recipe

October 4, 2020 55 Comments Dairy Free, Dinner, Gluten Free, One Pot Meals, Refined Sugar Free, Soups, Vegan, Vegetarian

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It’s chili season and today I have The Best Vegan Chili Recipe for you!  It’s super thick and loaded with tons of beans and veggies!  It’s the perfect cozy meal this fall and winter season!

It’s chili season!  I actually 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!

There are a few things I’m picky about when it comes to chili: I don’t like it to be super tomato-y and I love it when it’s really thick.   In my opinion, if it’s not super thick it’s more like soup.  And, while bean soup is good, it’s not chili 🙂

 

What You’ll Need For The Best Vegan Chili Recipe

  • 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 he same kind or even just two kinds if you like.
  • Vegetables – I like to load my chili recipes up with tons of veggies.  I like to use, onion, garlic, green and red pepper and tomato.  You could also add in 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 on the of the most important parts of this vegan chili recipe!  I like to use cumin, paprika, onion and garlic powder, chili powder, Italian seasoning and of course salt and pepper.
  • Broth – I use a vegan low sodium veggie broth.  You can use water but you might want to add a few more spices if you do since it won’t add any extra flavor to the chili.

 

How To Make Vegan Chili

Chili is one of my favorite one pot meals and it’s so easy to make!

  1. You start by sautéing your vegetables until they are softened.
  2. Next, you add in your beans, tomato paste, refried beans, tomatoes and all the seasonings.  Mix well and then add in your broth.
  3. Cover chili and let simmer for at least 30 minutes, but longer if you like.  I like to stir the chili pot every 5-10 minutes to make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom.  The more flavor will develop the longer you let it cook but I’m usually in a hurry so only do about 30 minutes or so.

 

Recipe tips for Easy Vegan Chili:

  • I like my chili super beany but if you aren’t as much of a fan I would 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 but you could use all one kind if you prefer.
  • 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!

How To Store Your Chili

If you have leftovers, you can either refrigerate them or freeze them.  Chili does seem 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 in the refrigerator or just put the frozen chili in a large pot.

Enjoy other hearty vegan soup recipes here:

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Curried Lentil Quinoa Soup

Pumpkin and Black Bean Chili

Butternut Squash Chili

Print

The Best Vegan Chili Recipe


★★★★★ 5 from 16 reviews
  • Author: She Likes Food
  • Prep Time: 20 mins
  • Cook Time: 30 mins
  • Total Time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: 4-6 1x
  • Category: Soup, Vegan, Gluten Free
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegan
Print Recipe
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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

  1. 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.
  2. Add the beans, tomatoes, refried beans, tomato paste and all the seasonings.  Mix until combined and then add the broth and mix again.
  3. Cover chili, bring to a simmer and cook until thickened, at least 15 minutes but you can cook longer if you like.
  4. Serve hot with your favorite chili toppings!

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.

This post contains affiliate links, thank you for supporting She Likes Food!

 

55 Comments

« Healthy Vegetarian Meal Plan – Week 9
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Comments

  1. Cathy says

    November 12, 2018 at 6:53 pm

    This is the best veggie chili I have made. Thank you.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • She Likes Food says

      November 12, 2018 at 10:37 pm

      Yah! That’s so great to hear and I’m glad you liked it! 🙂

      Reply
  2. Julie says

    November 19, 2018 at 11:05 am

    Can you make it in a crock pot?

    Reply
    • She Likes Food says

      November 19, 2018 at 11:12 pm

      You definitely can, but I don’t have a crock pot so unfortunately I can’t tell you about temperature and time.

      Reply
  3. Cindy says

    February 3, 2019 at 9:31 pm

    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!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • She Likes Food says

      March 6, 2019 at 9:37 pm

      That’s awesome!! I’m so happy to hear that!

      Reply
    • Laura Wedemeyer says

      November 5, 2019 at 10:31 am

      Going to make this for our chili cook-off next week! let’s see what happens!

      Reply
      • She Likes Food says

        November 18, 2019 at 4:49 pm

        Awesome! I hope it went well!!

        Reply
  4. jason says

    November 12, 2019 at 5:40 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • She Likes Food says

      November 18, 2019 at 4:36 pm

      Thank you SO much!! I’m so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂

      Reply
  5. T says

    November 13, 2019 at 7:50 pm

    Made it tonight….. delicious!!

    Reply
    • She Likes Food says

      November 18, 2019 at 4:32 pm

      Yah! So glad you enjoyed it!

      Reply
  6. Janet Osborne says

    November 20, 2019 at 9:34 pm

    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!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • She Likes Food says

      November 21, 2019 at 4:08 pm

      That’s so nice to hear!! And glad your son is feeling better 🙂

      Reply
  7. Suzy says

    November 23, 2019 at 11:24 am

    I have failed countless times making chili, but this was perfect! Thank you for the recipe!

    Reply
    • She Likes Food says

      November 29, 2019 at 8:21 pm

      That’s so nice to hear!!

      Reply
  8. Chinon says

    November 23, 2019 at 10:18 pm

    I made it tonight and my kids love it thank you 😊

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • She Likes Food says

      November 29, 2019 at 8:17 pm

      Yah!!

      Reply
  9. Kathy May says

    November 25, 2019 at 10:29 pm

    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!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • She Likes Food says

      November 29, 2019 at 7:50 pm

      So glad you enjoyed it!!

      Reply
  10. Kathy May says

    November 26, 2019 at 1:43 am

    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!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • She Likes Food says

      November 29, 2019 at 7:45 pm

      Sounds delicious!! So glad you enjoyed it!

      Reply
  11. Chad says

    November 28, 2019 at 10:36 am

    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!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • She Likes Food says

      November 29, 2019 at 7:46 pm

      Yah! So glad you enjoyed it!

      Reply
  12. Julie says

    December 1, 2019 at 10:26 pm

    Fantastic! I added faux beef crumbles and elbow macaroni to my version. Super easy to make and tasty!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • She Likes Food says

      December 2, 2019 at 3:24 pm

      Yum!!!

      Reply
  13. Lourdes S Townsend says

    December 10, 2019 at 8:16 am

    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.

    Reply
    • She Likes Food says

      December 16, 2019 at 7:09 pm

      Awesome!! So glad you both enjoyed it!

      Reply
  14. Brigit says

    December 17, 2019 at 7:23 pm

    I loved this chili and I surprised myself. I normally would add more spices, but stuck to the recipe and it was wonderful.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • She Likes Food says

      December 18, 2019 at 5:18 pm

      Awesome!! So glad you enjoyed it!

      Reply
  15. JR Brown says

    December 28, 2019 at 5:59 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • She Likes Food says

      January 7, 2020 at 6:11 pm

      I’m so glad you like it!!

      Reply
  16. Rachel says

    January 3, 2020 at 8:01 am

    Do you think this could be adapted to the instant pot?

    Reply
    • She Likes Food says

      January 7, 2020 at 6:06 pm

      Definitely! I’d probably just cook it for 8 or so minutes

      Reply
  17. Brooke says

    January 19, 2020 at 5:38 pm

    You know refried beans are not vegan right? They are not even vegetarian.

    Reply
    • She Likes Food says

      January 21, 2020 at 3:47 pm

      You can actually buy vegetarian refried beans that also happen to be vegan.

      Reply
  18. Ami H says

    January 24, 2020 at 11:13 am

    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!

    Reply
    • She Likes Food says

      January 30, 2020 at 5:25 pm

      haha, I think that would work great!

      Reply
  19. Jenni says

    January 25, 2020 at 6:05 pm

    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!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • She Likes Food says

      January 30, 2020 at 5:22 pm

      That’s so nice to hear!!

      Reply
  20. Nikki says

    February 6, 2020 at 10:46 am

    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!!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Nikki says

      February 6, 2020 at 10:47 am

      We also used vegetarian refried beans!!

      Reply
    • She Likes Food says

      February 10, 2020 at 1:45 pm

      That sounds awesome!! So glad you all enjoyed it!

      Reply
  21. JJ says

    February 13, 2020 at 7:16 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • She Likes Food says

      February 24, 2020 at 6:38 pm

      Yah! So glad you enjoyed it!!

      Reply
  22. Viv says

    March 11, 2020 at 1:59 pm

    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!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • She Likes Food says

      April 6, 2020 at 7:18 pm

      That’s so nice to hear!!

      Reply
  23. Marcene says

    March 18, 2020 at 6:58 pm

    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!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • She Likes Food says

      April 6, 2020 at 7:15 pm

      Yah!! That’s so nice to hear!

      Reply
  24. Bobbie Jay says

    October 10, 2020 at 7:41 pm

    My husband hates everything vegan but finally a winner! Wish there were more stars1

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • She Likes Food says

      October 19, 2020 at 4:41 pm

      Haha, so glad you both enjoyed it!!

      Reply
  25. Jenny says

    January 9, 2021 at 6:55 pm

    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.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • She Likes Food says

      January 11, 2021 at 3:46 pm

      Aw, yah!! That’s so nice to hear!!

      Reply
  26. Kristal says

    January 10, 2021 at 8:50 pm

    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.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • She Likes Food says

      January 11, 2021 at 3:45 pm

      I’m so glad you enjoyed it!!

      Reply

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