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This hearty Vegetarian Chili is thick, smoky, and loaded with three kinds of beans, tender veggies, and bold chipotle spice, all in one pot in just 30 minutes. I make a big batch on a busy weeknight and nobody misses the meat one bit. It is a cozy, healthy dinner, like our white chicken chili.
Three beans, chickpeas, and smoky chipotle make this meatless chili hearty enough to satisfy everyone at the table.
Vegetarian Chili Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 20 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 30 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 6 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 437kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Smoky, hearty, mildly spicy, and savory
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, a quick one-pot dinner, like our minestrone soup
Quick Answer
To make vegetarian chili, heat olive oil in a large pot and saute diced carrots until lightly golden, then add red onion and bell pepper and cook until softened. Stir in the garlic and jalapeno until fragrant, then add the kidney beans, black beans, chickpeas, crushed tomato, chipotle sauce, smoked paprika, oregano, chili flakes, cumin, and water. Stir everything together and simmer for about 20 minutes until the liquid reduces and the flavors meld. Serve in bowls with your favorite toppings like avocado, sour cream, cheese, or tortilla chips.
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Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Hearty and filling. Three kinds of beans plus chickpeas make this chili so satisfying that no one misses the meat.
- Smoky chipotle depth. Chipotle sauce and smoked paprika give it a rich, smoky flavor that tastes slow-simmered.
- Ready in 30 minutes. Everything comes together in one pot in half an hour, perfect for a busy weeknight.
- Naturally healthy. It is packed with plant protein, fiber, and vegetables, and it is easily vegan.
- One pot, easy cleanup. The whole dish cooks in a single pot, so there is minimal mess to clean up.
- Great for meal prep. It keeps and freezes beautifully, and the flavor only gets better the next day.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Three beans, chickpeas, and smoky chipotle make this chili hearty enough to satisfy everyone.
- It comes together in one pot in just 30 minutes for an easy, healthy weeknight dinner.
- It is a cozy, meatless comfort meal, like our white chicken chili.
Key Ingredients
Pantry staples and fresh veggies come together for this hearty, smoky meatless chili.
- Three beans: Kidney beans, black beans, and chickpeas make this chili hearty, filling, and full of plant protein.
- Crushed tomato: Forms the rich, savory base that ties all the flavors together.
- Chipotle sauce and smoked paprika: They add smoky depth and a gentle warmth that tastes slow-cooked.
- Carrots, onion, and bell pepper: A trio of veggies that adds sweetness, texture, and color.
- Garlic, jalapeno, and spices: Garlic, fresh jalapeno, oregano, cumin, and chili flakes build bold, balanced flavor.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
Make this vegetarian chili your own with a few easy swaps.
- Make it vegan: It is already vegan, just top with avocado or dairy-free cheese instead of sour cream.
- Switch the beans: Use pinto, cannellini, or great northern beans in place of any of the three.
- Add more veggies: Stir in corn, zucchini, or sweet potato for extra heartiness.
- Turn up the heat: Leave the jalapeno seeds in or add extra chili flakes for a spicier bowl.
- Make it cheesy: Stir in shredded cheese or serve it over our chili mac and cheese.
How to Make Vegetarian Chili
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot and saute the diced carrots for a minute or two until lightly golden.
- Add the diced red onion and bell pepper and saute until the onion is translucent and the pepper is tender.
- Stir in the chopped garlic and sliced jalapeno and cook for one minute until fragrant.
- Add the kidney beans, black beans, chickpeas, crushed tomato, chipotle sauce, smoked paprika, oregano, chili flakes, cumin, and water.
- Stir to combine and simmer for about 20 minutes until the liquid reduces and the flavors meld together.
- Serve the chili in bowls with your favorite toppings, or use it as a filling for tacos, burritos, or enchiladas.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Saute the veggies first so they build a sweet, savory base before the beans and tomato go in.
- Rinse the canned beans well to remove excess sodium and keep the chili from getting too salty.
- Adjust the heat by leaving in or removing the jalapeno seeds and membrane to taste.
- Let it simmer the full 20 minutes so the liquid reduces and the flavors have time to come together.
- Add water as needed if the chili gets too thick, a splash at a time until it is just right.
- Load up the toppings, like avocado, cheese, and tortilla chips, the way we garnish our white chicken chili.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
This vegetarian chili is a cozy meal all on its own, but the toppings make it special. Pile on diced avocado, a dollop of sour cream, shredded cheese, fresh cilantro, sliced jalapeno, and a handful of tortilla chips for crunch. It is wonderful with a side of cornbread or our chili mac and cheese for a hearty spread.
It is perfect for game day, chilly fall and winter nights, and Meatless Monday dinners. Beyond a bowl, use it as a filling for tacos, burritos, enchiladas, or loaded baked potatoes, or spoon it over rice or nachos.
Store leftover chili in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months, and the flavor only improves over time. For more cozy bowls, try our minestrone soup next.
Vegetarian Chili FAQs
Yes, this vegetarian chili is naturally vegan as written, since it is made entirely with beans, vegetables, tomato, and spices and contains no meat or dairy. Just be sure to choose vegan-friendly toppings, like avocado, dairy-free cheese, or extra veggies instead of sour cream and regular cheese. It is a great plant-based dinner that even meat eaters love.
This recipe uses a hearty trio of kidney beans, black beans, and chickpeas for great texture and plant protein. You can easily swap in pinto beans, cannellini beans, or great northern beans based on what you have. Using a mix of beans gives the chili the most interesting texture, but any combination of canned beans will work beautifully.
This chili thickens as it simmers and the liquid reduces, so let it cook uncovered for the full 20 minutes. For an even thicker chili, mash some of the beans against the side of the pot, simmer a few minutes longer, or stir in a little tomato paste. If it gets too thick, simply add a splash of water or broth to loosen it.
Yes, this chili adapts well to a slow cooker. Saute the carrots, onion, pepper, garlic, and jalapeno first for the best flavor, then add everything to the slow cooker and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours or high for 2 to 3 hours. This hands-off method is perfect for busy days and lets the flavors develop even more.
Vegetarian chili is delicious topped with avocado, sour cream, shredded cheese, cilantro, and tortilla chips. On the side, cornbread, rice, or a simple green salad round out the meal. You can also use the chili as a filling for tacos, burritos, and enchiladas, or spoon it over baked potatoes and nachos for a fun twist.
Absolutely, this chili freezes wonderfully, which makes it perfect for meal prep. Let it cool completely, then store it in airtight containers or freezer bags for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge and reheat on the stove or in the microwave, adding a splash of water if needed. The flavor is often even better after freezing and reheating.
Craving more cozy bowls? Try our white chicken chili next for another easy, hearty chili the whole family will love.
Love a good bowl of chili? Try our smoky turkey chili next.
Round out the bowl with a square of our honey jalapeno cornbread.
Vegetarian Chili
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 carrots small diced
- 1 cup small-diced red onion
- 2 red bell peppers small diced
- 4 cloves garlic fine chop
- 1 jalapeno pepper sliced, seeds and membrane removed
- 15 ounces kidney beans drained and rinsed
- 15 ounces black beans drained and rinsed
- 15 ounces chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 30 ounces crushed tomato
- ¼ cup chipotle sauce
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon chili flakes
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large pot. Add chopped carrot and sauté for a minute or two until lightly golden.1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 carrots
- Add chopped onion with chopped red bell pepper and sauté until onion is translucent and the pepper is tender.1 cup small-diced red onion, 2 red bell peppers
- Then add chopped garlic and sliced jalapeno. Stir for one more minute to be fragrant.4 cloves garlic, 1 jalapeno pepper
- Add canned beans and chickpeas, crushed tomato, chipotle sauce, smoked paprika, dried oregano, chili flakes, cumin, and water.15 ounces kidney beans, 15 ounces black beans, 15 ounces chickpeas, 30 ounces crushed tomato, ¼ cup chipotle sauce, 1 tablespoon smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, ½ teaspoon chili flakes, ½ teaspoon ground cumin, 1 cup water
- Stir to combine and simmer for 20 minutes until liquid is reduced and flavors are well combined.
- Serve into individual bowls and top with your favorite garnishes or use as a filling for Mexican tortillas, burritos, or enchiladas!
Notes
- This is a great make-ahead meal.
- This can be frozen, see my tips above.
- If you want this spicier you can add more chili flakes.
- If you want it less spicy you can omit the chili flakes and the jalapeno or one or the other.
- This can be doubled to serve a large group or stored for later.
- Top with any of your favorite chili toppings, I’ve listed some above.
- Meat can be added to this recipe if you’d like, beef, turkey, steak would all be delicious.
Nutrition
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