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
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.
I have been trying to cook less meat and more veggies. This was fabulous! Don’t get me wrong, I still love my meaty Silver Palate chili recipe, but this recipe just might have put that in 2nd place. Flavors are wonderful and love the addition of vinegar. Thank you for a great recipe.
You’re welcome, Jan!
Wow! This recipe was A1!! Adding the spices before the diced tomatoes & allowing the spices to toast a bit & release oils is what brings out the flavors of the spices.
I doubled the recipe & modified it a bit to fit my tatse. For dietary purposes I subbed the carrots with mushrooms & omitted the vinegar. I also used 2 cans of Organic Dark Red Kidney beans & 1 can of Black Beans (rinsed). Lastly, I used tomato sauce with 2 heaping tsp of Vegetable base in place of the veggie broth. The flavors were fantastic…and the kitchen smelled absolutely divine!! This recipe is defintely a keeper!
Thanks for sharing your variation!
I’m an enthusiastic carnivore and have to admit I was skeptical about this. Made it because a vegan is coming to visit. Wow! I was surprised at how delicious it is.
The only thing I substituted was a can of red kidney beans for one of the cans of black beans (personal choice). Otherwise I followed your recipe to the letter. I served it with tostito chips, sour cream, and shredded sharp cheddar cheese. This is by far the best veggie chili I have ever had! Definitely a keeper! Thanks for sharing. :-))
Great to hear, Lisa!
I’ve made several vegetarian chilis and this is, by far, the best. My son-in-law, who will not eat leftovers, ate this chili for two days afterward!
I’m glad you love this one, Cindy!
I’ve made this tecipe twice now. For our family including two young, fairly picky kids and they LOVE it! Served with a jacket potato and vegan sour cream and cheese, absolutely delightful.
I’m so glad you loved it, Pammy! :)
I made the Homemade Vegetarian Chili. Very good. My only complaint is how long it took to chop up all the ingredients.
I have a favorite chili recipe which uses ground beef and was looking for a vegetarian recipe. Nice alternative.
Thanks for sharing, Kathleen!
Thank you for the recipe, my daughter is absolutely in love with this. It’s nice to find new recipes since my daughter turned vegetarian. I will be checking out different ones as well. Thanks again
Janice
Hi!
I found your website just a few days ago and I already prepared this recipe and another one, both were flawless and my family love them.
For this one I prepared everything from scratch black beans, kidney beans and also the tomatoes and as I already said it was great.
Congrats and thanks for sharing!
The other Chili on your website, with sweet potatoes, was previously my favourite vegan Chili. This is my new favourite! I made it almost exactly as written but I used 1 can of kidney beans instead of 2 cans black. I love all the chopped veggies and extra beans. My favourite way to eat this is with a side of cornbread – I’d love to see a healthier and/or refined sugar free cornbread recipe from you sometime! Love this one Kate :)
I’m glad you found a new favorite! They are both great ones.
Delicious! I usually add lots of veg to to my beef chilli anyway (carrots, celery, beans, sweet corn etc.) and have been looking for a decent vegi chilli recipe for a while that doesn’t use a meat substitute. Didn’t follow the recipe to the letter though – used 1 tin of kidney beans and 2 tins of mixed beans (as I already had them in the cupboard) and also added a sweet potato and some sweet corn. I’m an avid carnivore and was sceptical I would enjoy this as much as a beef chilli – but I was pleasantly surprised. Kids loved it too. Will definately be cooking it again – although I may fry off the sweet potato in the spices first next time (as per the link to the other recipe). Blending up a portion was also a great tip and really improved the texture. Recipe goes a long way too – loads of leftovers for freezing!
This one is a hit for the entire family, Scott! This one freezes well, which I love!
I made this and it came out great! I imagine there would be a tiny more flavor with vege broth but I had no issue with just water. threw in some corn just to fill it out some more.
Thanks for sharing, Mark!
Such a great recipe. I make it then serve it as nachos, then the next night with brown rice and then finally in quesadillas. My meat-lover husband likes it and my baby girl adores it.
Wonderful, Alex! Thanks for your review.
Thanks for sharing, it is been a pleasure to use your recipes, and it is delicious!!!
You’re welcome, Maria. I appreciate your review.
Loved it! Made it exactly as written (except I grabbed crushed tomatoes). Thanks!
You’re welcome, Jenna!
Best chili I’ve ever made! I’m so excited. I used kidney beans, lentils and quinoa instead of the two can of black beans (just because I didn’t have the right ingredients). I also added a little bit of brown sugar and some mustard greens. This is so yummy! Thank you for sharing!!
You’re welcome, Jessica!
Amazing! I can’t stop serving this recipe. Thanks so very much.
I love to hear that! Thanks for taking the time to review, Molly.
I made this yesterday for dinner my son and daughter-in-law who don’t eat meat. I’ve always eaten my chili with beef in it. When I was making it, it smelled delicious. I think the spices were an excellent mix for this chili. I didn’t have any cilantro, so didn’t use it. But I’ll pick some up to use with the leftovers. Anyway, it was delicious. And they do go great with tortilla chips, avocado and a bit of shredded cheese. That was all the adds I had and used them. I would definitely make this again and use the suggestion on a baked potato or even fries.
Thanks for sharing, Carol!
I don’t know if I got an unusually large celery stalk or not but all we could taste in this chili was celery. Any other flavor was overpowered by the taste of celery. Disappointing.
I’m sorry you didn’t love it. You can always adjust this to your tastes next time. Thanks for your feedback!
Looks and tastes amazing!!! Finally something our whole family can eat:)
Thank you for your review, Bayleigh!
Can I make this in a crock pot? Or is a regular pot on the stove better?
I prefer stove top, but I believe others have made it in a crock pot with success. I recommend sauteing everything as directed still. It helps with the overall flavor.
I haven’t been motivated to comment on online recipes before but this was just amazing. Thank you for sharing. We made half the quantity as it was for two. I think that whizzing a quantity before adding back to the pot totally enhances the texture and makes the dish. Spices were spot on thanks again!
I’m so happy you did, Mandy! Thanks for sharing you loved this recipe.
How are tortilla chips vegan?
This recipe doesn’t require tortilla chips. However, most tortilla chips are just corn with a combination of oil, salt, etc.
What a sweet-looking girl and puppy dog. My son and his wife are Christian Orthodox as we are and the church is always fasting. My daughter-in-law has gone through some troubled waters with breast cancer and along with fasting and medical procedures I was looking for a vegetarian chili for them for supper tomorrow. This recipe is just the ticket and I thank you for it may God bless you
Hi Sharon, I’m sorry to hear about your family troubles. I hope this soup can provide some comfort!
This is a very adaptable recipe to which you can add even more vegetables, and ground beef or small cubes of tofu. For a double batch I add 1 sweet potatoe cubed, chopped kale leaves of a whole bunch, 1 zucchini, 1 pkg mushrooms. Even with all these additions, the spices still add some heat. I also like to make one can of beans the refried type to thicken the chile. Yes it’s a lot of work to get all the vegetables ready so l try to chop some the night before I’m going to make the chile. Great recipe – a standard now at my place. Thank you!
Thank you for your review, Alison!
This really is the best, thank you
You’re welcome, Marcia!
First time I made was July 2,2019 it was a hit. I personally picked this recipe because i liked the choice of vegetables . And the the taste with the mixed spices was amazing! It was a hit and all loved it. Thank you for sharing
You’re welcome! Thanks for letting me know what you thought, Linda!
This was a hit at a barbecue recently! Even my picky meat-loving boyfriend liked it (though I refrained from adding the carrots and celery). Delicious. Definitely a keeper!
That’s great! Thanks for sharing, Christina.
I’ve commented here before because I love this recipe, but I wanted to add that I made it again, this time in an Instant Pot. For anyone interested, I sautéed in the Instant Pot on low for steps 1-3. After adding the tomatoes, beans and broth, I sealed and cooked it at high pressure for 8 minutes, then did a quick release after 10 minutes. I followed the remaining steps as written!! Awesome recipe!
I’m so happy you love it! Thanks for sharing about your Instant Pot experience!
This is a terrific recipe. My vegetarian daughter always makes it home for chili night :)
That sounds fun! Thank you for sharing, David.
This is really delicious, I don’t miss the meat whatsoever. It is easily adaptable depending on what you have in; I’ve used tinned mixed beans, kidney beans, sweetcorn and even bulked it out further with lentils and chickpeas. I make a big pan and it’s a quick and easy lunch or dinner with whichever carbs and toppings you choose. It also freezes beautifully x
Thank you for your review, Michelle!
I’m in Australia and our ground chilli is HOT so I used half the amount in the recipe per your note and it was perfect. I also added a touch of Worcestershire sauce to deepen the smoky, umami flavour (even though now the recipe is no longer vegetarian technically). Will be serving this over jacket potatoes topped with a bit of cheese for a warming winter dinner. Thank you!
Thank you for sharing, Michelle!
Ahh thanks for posting, Michelle – I’m in Australia too and was scrolling through the comments just hoping to find this precise info from a local – I’ll be making this in the next few days :-)
This chilli was so so tasty…it definitely packs a punch but i like it spicy so great for me,but you’re definitely right about the chilli powder,i live in the UK and bought it from my local market and it’s so hot! The blending a small amount of it was a great tip,it gave it a lovely thickness..i was also feeling a bit decadent so added a couple of squares of 85% dark chocolate and a teaspoon of honey halfway through the cooking…will definitely make again! Really enjoying trying out your recipes Kate!
I appreciate your review, Sophie!
This is hands down the best chilli recipe ever! I love to add corn and jalapeños to really take it to the next level!
Thank you for your review, Shannon!
BEST CHILI EVER!!!! I made it twice this week!
Great to hear, Kate!
I made this last night for a big group. It was amazing. I made it in my crockpot and I just threw everything in so I needed to make some modifications- no oil and only 1/2 cup of water. I used red wine vinegar and used an immersion blender to thicken it up as suggested. It was really a hit. I also served it with cheddar cheese and crushed up tortilla chips! I would put some crushed red pepper in next time or some hot sauce for a little spice if it was just for our family. I didn’t want to make it spicy for a group. Excellent recipe with great flavor. Thanks Kate!
Happy to hear that, Karen! Thank you for your review.
This is the best Veggie Chilli i’ve ever made! The flavour is amazing. Thanks for the recipe.
You’re welcome, Vickie!
Great recipe. Take the advice and only add half the chilli unless you’re u want it mouth burning hot. I added about 1 1/2 ts but 1 would have been fine. Didn’t think it needed all the salt in the recipe. The salt in the veggie stock was more than enough. The lime juice really finished it off. Love it
You’re very welcome! It can be intense for some. :)
This is my go to chili recipe. I have made it so many times and my entire family including my picky kids love it! I have your cookbook and love every recipe I try. It is my go to Christmas gift for family and girlfriends who also love to cook. Tonight I used an immersion blender to thicken it up a bit and disguise the diced tomatoes. Thanks for a great recipe!
That’s great, Staci! Thank you for sharing.
Hi Kate! I hope you’re having a wonderful day. Just tried this recipe and wow it was amazing! super excited to try some more (:
I’m happy to hear it, Alice!
Delicious! How many calories per serving?
Hi Maria! The nutritional information is below the notes section of the recipe. Make sure you allow pop-ups as this is a plug-in on my blog.
Just wow. So glad that Google brought me here. Made the chilly today and is was so much tastier than I expected. Not missing the meat at all! My gf was super impressed as well. Thanks a lot for sharing the recipe!
Cheers from Australia…
(Ended up using Turkish “Pul Biber” as chilly powder and added a bit of Bulgarian feta as topping.)
I’m happy Google brought you here too. Thanks for your review, Sedat!
I’ve always disliked chilli, but this is revolutionary! My kids generally hate food unless its main ingredient is sugar, but they also loved this. I honestly cant give higher praise than that.
I’m glad this was a hit with everyone!
This recipe was delicious. Thank you.
Thank you for your review, Ann!
Seriously nobody but nobody mentioning the upset stomach afterwards??? My boyfriend had to stop eating how much he was farting.
But anyways, thank you for this recipe, it was delicious, just next time I will put way less beans :D :D :D
Oh no! Tolerance to beans differs for everyone and the amount your eat regularly.
This chili is so good. The secret to your success here is the blending of 1 1/2 cups to give it the chili texture that many vegetarian chilis are lacking. I do like to cook the canned tomatoes after the veggies are sautéed for about 10 minutes so that they start to break down. That’s really my only stray from your delicious recipe.
I agree! Blending it key. Thanks for sharing, Traci.
Your recipes are so delicious! I have got this one simmering as we speak, and it smells like heaven. One question though: 2 cups of water seemed like too little. I added a bit more because mine was already so thick… so you simmer it for 30 minutes uncovered or covered? Thanks so much!
I’m glad you are enjoying them so much, Dina! This is a thicker soup. If you want it with more liquid, feel free to add more.
Turned out great! I cut down on the bell pepper because of my husband’s sensitivity. I also used cans of black beans, red beans, and pinto beans. This will be a favourite forever.
Thanks for your review, Mary!
I didn’t know how to cook black beans until this recipe came along. Simple, delicious and ideal for shabbat! I cooked loads and froze some portions for the weeks ahead. Will definitely be checking out this site again for recipe inspiration. Thank you and greetings from Israel <3 Oops forgot to vote – obviously 5 stars!
That’s great to hear, Eliana! Thank you for your review.
I substituted fire roasted diced tomatoes instead of plain (because that’s what was in my kitchen), but it turned out great!
hi,
i wonder how big a heresy would it be to add zucchini to the recipe?
also, i added some chipotle peppers for a bit of a kick and it takes to a different level!!!
Overall good base recipe but following this recipe is a bit bland and flat definitely needs more sweetness spice and flavor…I have had alot of chili so I’m a bit picky though…I added about 1/3 c or 1/2 c homemade barbeque sauce more smoked paprika, yellow squash instead of carrot+celery, a chopped jalepeno, cinnamon, cayenne , a tbsp of coconut nectar (rich with sweetness like molasses) and a tbsp of cocoa, +tvp to suck up the extra liquids and give it some chewy bits and this ended up being amazingly delcious…one of the best vegan chilis I’ve had. :)
Can this be done in a slow cooker?