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 🙂 In the past I’ve always added an entire can of tomato paste to my chili and a can of crushed tomatoes, usually with the juice. As much as I love tomatoes, for this version I decided to go lighter on the tomato flavor and use something else to help thicken it.
I decided to go with refried beans and it worked like a charm! I added 2 tablespoons of tomato paste and then half a cup of refried beans and this Best Vegan Chili Recipe is so thick and delicious! I also added some bell peppers, onion and fresh tomatoes to balance it out a little bit.
When it comes to chili I’m also all about the toppings! I need to have some fresh herbs, onion and something crunchy. I don’t eat Fritos very often, but they go so well with chili I have to give in sometimes 🙂 Crackers are great too!
Recipe tips for The Best Vegan Chili Recipe:
- 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!
The Best Vegan Chili Recipe
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
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Pin RecipeDescription
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!
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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Cathy says
November 12, 2018 at 6:53 pmThis is the best veggie chili I have made. Thank you.
★★★★★
She Likes Food says
November 12, 2018 at 10:37 pmYah! That’s so great to hear and I’m glad you liked it! 🙂
Julie says
November 19, 2018 at 11:05 amCan you make it in a crock pot?
She Likes Food says
November 19, 2018 at 11:12 pmYou definitely can, but I don’t have a crock pot so unfortunately I can’t tell you about temperature and time.
Cindy says
February 3, 2019 at 9:31 pmI 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!
★★★★★
She Likes Food says
March 6, 2019 at 9:37 pmThat’s awesome!! I’m so happy to hear that!