Homemade Vegetarian Chili
This simple vegetarian chili recipe tastes incredible! It's easy to make with basic pantry ingredients, vegetables and spices. Gluten free and easily vegan.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on October 3, 2024
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It’s freezing cold outside, and has been for days. All I want to eat is cozy comfort food like this vegetarian chili recipe. It’s my favorite, and leftovers taste even better the next day.
This chili is perfect for watching football games with a crowd, since it’s a hearty meatless option that carnivores will enjoy. Plus, it can be vegan and gluten free if you choose your toppings carefully. This chili will satisfy everyone.
I originally published this recipe four years ago. Since then, it’s become your favorite chili recipe as well (four-hundred reviews and counting).
I’ve cheered when you’ve told me that it won your chili competition, and love hearing that it’s become a staple recipe in your kitchen. Hooray!
How to Make the Best Vegetarian Chili
While the ingredients in this chili recipe are super basic, the flavor is anything but. Simple ingredients can taste exceptional when they start off with aromatics like onion, carrot, celery and garlic.
I added traditional chili spices and some smoked paprika for an extra-savory, smoky note. Canned beans and tomatoes contribute delicious plant-based protein and heft.
Blending a small portion of the chili makes it look and taste like a chili that has been cooking all morning long, but it only needs about 30 minutes of simmering. That’s a little trick that I learned from my lentil soup, which is another cozy option for cold days.
Finishing off the chili with a little splash of sherry vinegar (or lime juice) and fresh cilantro makes it taste vibrant and fresh. The vinegar offers a little acidity and complexity, and it makes all the difference.
Watch How to Make Vegetarian Chili
Chili Toppings
This chili is dairy-free and vegan as written. You can keep it that way by choosing vegan toppings like sliced avocado and tortilla chips.
Here’s a full list of options:
- Grated cheddar cheese
- Sour cream or crème fraîche
- Sliced or diced avocado
- Tortilla chips (crumbled if desired)
- Additional cilantro
- Lime wedges
Leftover Chili?
This chili makes great leftovers, which keep well for four days in the refrigerator. Reheat your chili in a bowl, and it’s good to go.
You can also serve this chili as a protein-rich topping on nachos, baked potatoes or oven-baked fries. Stuff your burritos or quesadillas with chili. Why not?
Please let me know how this chili turns out in the comments! I always love to hear from you.
Stay warm out there, and if you love this hearty soup, be sure to check out the soup recipes in my cookbook.
Homemade Vegetarian Chili
The smoky, complex flavor of this simple vegetarian chili comes from basic pantry ingredients, vegetables and spices! It makes great leftovers, too. Recipe yields 4 large or 6 moderate servings of chili.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium red onion, chopped
- 1 large red bell pepper, chopped
- 2 medium carrots, chopped
- 2 ribs celery, chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt, divided
- 4 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- 2 tablespoons chili powder*
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika*
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 large can (28 ounces) or 2 small cans (15 ounces each) diced tomatoes**, with their juices
- 2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 can (15 ounces) pinto beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 cups vegetable broth or water
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnishing
- 1 to 2 teaspoons sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar or lime juice, to taste
- Garnishes: chopped cilantro, sliced avocado, tortilla chips, sour cream or crème fraîche, grated cheddar cheese, etc.
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, warm the olive oil until shimmering. Add the chopped onion, bell pepper, carrot, celery and ¼ teaspoon of the salt. Stir to combine and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and the onion is translucent, about 7 to 10 minutes.
- Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika and oregano. Cook until fragrant while stirring constantly, about 1 minute.
- Add the diced tomatoes and their juices, the drained black beans and pinto beans, vegetable broth and bay leaf. Stir to combine and let the mixture come to a simmer. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally and reducing heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer, for 30 minutes.
- Remove the chili from the heat and discard the bay leaf. For the best texture and flavor, transfer 1 ½ cups of the chili to a blender, making sure to get some of the liquid portion. Securely fasten the lid and blend until smooth (watch out for hot steam), then pour the blended mixture back into the pot. (Or, you can blend the chili briefly with an immersion blender, or mash the chili with a potato masher until it reaches a thicker, more chili-like consistency.)
- Add the chopped cilantro, stir to combine, and then mix in the vinegar, to taste. Add salt to taste, too—I added ¼ teaspoon more at this point. Divide the mixture into individual bowls and serve with garnishes of your choice. This chili will keep well in the refrigerator for about 4 days or you can freeze it for longer-term storage.
Notes
Recipes consulted during the making of this recipe: vegetarian chili with winter vegetables (The New York Times), vegetarian chili (Saveur) and winter vegetable chili (Food and Wine).
Make it vegan/dairy free: This chili recipe is vegan as written. Just be sure to choose vegan/dairy free toppings, such as avocado and tortilla chips.
If you love this recipe: You’ll also love my butternut squash chipotle chili and sweet potato chili. You might also enjoy my hearty lentil soup and black bean soup.
*Spice note: If you are sensitive to spice or using particularly potent spices (I hear that chili powder purchased outside of the U.S. can be very hot), you might want to scale back on the spice here. Start with half of the amounts listed and add more to taste. That said, I enjoy spicy food and found this chili to be well-balanced as written.
**Canned tomatoes note: I recommend Muir Glen brand—they have the best flavor and their cans are BPA-free!
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Hi Kate
This looks great. Please could you tell me whether it freezes well and if so how long you would recommend to re-heat it for?
Thank you.
HI Julia, this is a great freezer option. Freezer meals usually last 3-6 months then start to degrade after that.
I made this in Australia. Used two teaspoons of chilli powder as it is very strong here. Added leek instead of celery which gave it a nice bit of zest. Great for meal prep made 8 portions served with a small amount of rice. Great for low calorie meal prep.
Made this so many times now and it never fails! Absolutely delicious! I add baby corn instead of celery and add a bit of tomato purée to thicken it up a bit.
Loved it! A little too spicy for my wife and daughter, so I suggest cutting back on the smoked paprika and spicing it up later. I added chopped sweet potatoes, which gave it another dimension.
Made this for the first time and it was very good! Teenage kids liked it. We are in Australia so only used 3/4 tblspn chilli powder, as I think our chilli powder here is pure chillies unlike in the US. Even with that amount it was borderline too spicy! Would reduce to 1/2 tblspn Aus chilli powder next time.
Beautiful chili. I have made it few times and everyone loves it. Thank you for sharing.
You’re welcome, Alex! Thank you for your review.
This is a really amazing recipe! My friends went feral for it, lol.
I love to hear that, Catto!
I have made your recipe a few times and every time its a hit!!!
This is hands down my favorite chili ever! Chock full of vegetables, doesn’t make me bloated, and my body just loves it. I make this almost every week and decided I wanted to come back and write you a review as a big thank you for putting this recipe out in the world. My meat eating kids love it too, and they’re crazy picky! I end up using about 3.5 tablespoons of red wine vinegar and about double the salt to get a rich flavor with a kick. Everything else is as written. Thank you again!
This is so tasty!! Such a hit with the whole family it’s officially become one of the stars of our two-weekly rotation. Healthy, delicious, easy to meal prep, one pot etc. thanks so much for sharing!
Ps Im Australia based and instead of ground chilli used x2 tsp of red chilli flakes (too spicy, next time will only use 1tsp).
I’ve made this quite a few times and it’s wonderful just as written. Last night I made some changes to use up pantry/freezer items. I used 1 can each of pinto, black, and dark red kidney beans; more carrots; and about 3/4C frozen corn. It was still great. In the future I might skip the celery, as I don’t think it brings a lot to the party.
Thanks for all your great recipes! Nancy
You’re welcome, Nancy!
This is such a good recipe to play around with, I love adding a bit of chocolate/marmite in mine for added richness ♥️!
Really good!
Added 2 ears fresh corn and some TVP that I had on hand. Served over elbow noodles.
Will keep this recipe handy!
Great to hear, Cindi!
I’ve made this recipe countless times and only now realised I never even thanked you for making and sharing it, so thank you! It’s always a winner and so easy, perfect for a delicious and healthy meal when you can’t spend too much time in the kitchen.
Very tasty flavorful chili.I made it and enjoy it Thanks
You’re welcome, Irina!
Wonderful recipe, thank you. Made it many times. I added mushrooms.
Deee-lish. Paired it with corn muffins and threw in double the suggested cilantro for funsies, and immersion-blended it a bit. Gorgeous flavors all together!
Thank you for your comment, Caroline!
I really enjoyed the flavors of this recipe, I took it to a church potluck so I tripled the recipe and added corn, it was delicious everyone loved it. Thank you Kate for a great recipe. ( Robert).
This is my partners and my favourite chilli, when I make it we eat one portion, and freeze two more portions, so healthy, easy and delicious! As many have mentioned, I’m in the UK and our chilli powder is pure chilli, so I literally just use a teaspoon! I do add sweetcorn instead of one of the cans of black beans, as we like that.
I cannot overstate how wonderful this recipes is. I’ve added it to our regular rotation and anyone I cook this for is always complimentary. Healthy and delicious.
Great to hear, Sharon!
Can the recipe be doubled for a potluck? I want like to make this in my insta pot
Sure! I hope it’s a hit.
This is a beautiful recipe. Clean and bright. I added a roasted/peeled poblano. Perfect served over Ancient Harvest Organic/non-gmo polenta’s sauteed slices (heat & eat, comes pre-made in a roll, all you do is slice it to suit your recipe). Can be eaten at room temperature during the hottest parts of the year and still enjoyed. Awesome to find my first vegan chili recipe and it be such a winner. But that is Kate’s site for you! Never disappointed!
FYI – in the U.S., chili powder is a very mild ground spice, imparting an earthy, bricky, chili flavor – not usually heat. Beyond the U.S., chili powder might mean something completely different. Kate’s recipe calls for the mild U.S. version that imparts flavor – for heat, we go to cayenne, etc.
I love chili but hadn’t tried vegetarian chili before. I made a double batch for an international student picnic and it all disappeared except one serving that was my husband’s lunch the next day. I didn’t add the cilantro or vinegar because it tasted pretty perfect already. I’ll be putting this on repeat for our student dinners
This is a beautiful recipe – clean and bright and perfect for any time of year. I used a can of white, pinto and kidney beans. I agree with Kate’s tip to use Muir Glen and I used organic everything for the recipe. I chose to “crud” my mirepoix – so named because they look cruddy together when they all get browned a bit, lol – and deglaze with a bit of wine. Crudding adding great flavor depth and notes; takes time but is very worth it! Added a poblano for the bell pepper swap (can’t eat bell peppers). I browned up in a skillet all the slices of polenta (big sale; new discovery; stocked up – ancient harvest has polenta in heat & eat rolls ready made for serving and saute, and they are organic and non-gmo free). Overnighted the chili and served it over the polenta next day. Couldn’t stop eating it, it was so good. Corn is one of the products on the gmo/roundup/high risk list (along with soy) so I was glad to find the ancient harvest polenta and on sale! Had to throw out all the corn products but Mi Rancho apparently has organic non-gmo tortillas and Late July has safe tortilla chips. I mention it because these items are perfect complements to this chili and make a lovely base or accompaniment, and some people have sensitive systems or kiddos. Glad my first vegan chili adventure was this recipe. I don’t feel the need to keep searching! This one is great!
Update – still enjoying this batch on a hot night. Heated to room temperature, added a bit of organic greek yogurt on top, and ate it as a “chunky dip bowl” with Late July’s org/non-gmo tortilla chips. Awesome. Would also be great with chunky veg atop a tamale pie, or by mixing in refried beans to thicken and using it as a burrito filling. Endlessly adaptable and always delicious!
(This is great for those of us who struggle to keep vegan/vegetarian lifestyle calories UP but aren’t big eaters. Mixing it up keeps the appetite interested and eating less of a chore or struggle when you need to eat but just aren’t hungry. Who isn’t always hungry for a burrito or tort chips & dip on a warm night?! ;)
Thank you for sharing, Angelil!
I made this tonight for myself and my three kids. (6, 4, 1) I made as written except I only used two cans beans total, one kidney and one pinto, because it’s what I had on hand. I scaled back the paprika to 1/2 tsp for the kiddos sake. I served over corn chips with cilantro to garnish.. and wow! So wonderful. All three kids devoured it, two even asked for seconds, myself included. Thank you Kate! This recipe is a keeper and it feels healthy and hearty, plus was cheap to make. Win win win!
That’s great to hear, Pearl! I appreciate your review.
I’ve probably made this a few dozen times now. It’s good every single time, even meat eaters like it! Thank you for such a solid and adaptable recipe.
This is a regular recipe for me since I first made it a couple of years ago. Even my carnivore husband loves it! I just made it again and I’m already sad knowing it will be gone in a few days. It’s that good!!
So, first of all, I love this recipe.
Second, if you want a more umami taste, add soy sauce instead of salt.
Also, you can sub Celery for cored and diced jalapeno.
Last, sub regular Diced tomatoes for TJ’S fire roasted Diced tomatoes w/ green chili for a smokier, spicier chili.
Delicious! Used this recipe to clear out some canned beans in the pantry. The recipe was delicious, quick and very affordable!
Thank you for your review, Mandy!
I did not have any bell peppers. I used put the 4 cloves garlic in after chili had completed cooking. I added about 6 leaves fresh basil. I used 3cups dried bean, cooked in 3tbsp milk and pinch of baking soda to soften beans, then rinsed and drained. And added 1/2 cup or so of red wine. Delicious. Thanks so much for the recipe. on point!!!!
You’re welcome! I’m glad you were able to make it work.
Was very happy how this turned out – so easy to make and very tasty. I used Rotel roasted tomatoes. I made in the morning, put in the fridge and reheated 9 hours later. I think adding the cilantro at the end is a critical step – really ups the flavor. It was so good that my veggie-adverse, picky teen went for a second helping!
Great to hear, J! I appreciate your review.
Absolutely love this recipe, a family fave – packed full of goodness! Thank you