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.
Just made this! Very, very good recipe, though I personally like a bit more spice in my chili. I really appreciated the immersion blender tip – I’ve had some veggie chili that was more watery or like stew, and this texture was way closer to traditional chili (though I much prefer this version to one with meat in it any day)! Thanks for the nice, hearty meal :)
This is absolutely the best Chilli ever!! My husband who is a red meat lover could not even tell there was no meat in it! Fabulous! Thank you
so much. This is a real keeper!
Absolutely awesome . One dish where vegetarian me and my carnivore teenager are at peace 100 percent .
Thank you so much
So delicious!! I love this for lunch!! Can you comment on the calories per serving?
Made this tonight with the following adjustments (mostly just for taste, cost, and what we had on hand): added mushrooms, subtracted celery, used a jalepeno and a dash of liquid smoke because smoked paprika is kind of pricey.
Super delicious and we have tons of leftovers! Really great recipe.
Your version sounds delicious, Jamie.
Just made this and loved it! Perfect spicy level and texture. I used no salt added beans so the sodium levels is much lower than suggested in the nutrition info. Thanks for the recipe!
You’re welcome, Arianna!
Made the chili tonight and it’s our new favorite chili recipe. Substituted 1 package of Morningstar breakfast sausage patties chopped up because that is all that was available for one of the cans of black beans. Loved it!!
Great! I’m glad it worked with what you had on hand, Rachel.
I have made this on several occasions and always goes down very well, its full of flavour and friends have asked for the recipe.
Great! Thanks for the note, Mark!
My 4-year-old son LOVEs this recipe! He is always asking me to make it! Perfect combination of sweet and spicy!
Great to hear this, Adriana! I love it when a recipe gets the kiddo seal of approval.
Officially a household favourite. The flavours are spectacular and after cooking this a couple times the recipe is fast and simple to follow.
Because it made a large portion, I froze multiple containers to thaw during the week and BAM! Even better after thawing and cooked from the freezer, making it nice and thick.
Note: It may make a flavour difference that I made my own chili recipe via Google because I had none store-bought, not too sure!
Oh, I’d love to get your chili powder recipe! That sounds delicious. And YES this recipe is even better the next day, as the flavors settle in and the soup thickens up. I totally agree.
2 tbsp paprika
2 tsp oregano
1 1⁄2 tsp cumin
1 1⁄2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (I’m a bit of a sissy with spicy foods and this is the perfect amount for me)
Really lovely, tastes so good I have made this twice now, and each time it tastes even better. would definitely recommend making!
Thanks so much, Grace!
I made the Vegetarian Chili yesterday! It was absolutely delicious and satisfying. I added a table spoon of Sriracha. Gave a nice little kick. My husband, who is the ultimate carnivore, LOVED IT!
Great! I’m so glad you both enjoyed it, Tracey!
That looks great! I’m going to try it.Love the recipe
Omg! Thank you SO much! I made this at home and it was delicious! A lot of other veg chili recipes seem very complicated. This one is easy peasy and SO worth it. It also was VERY inexpensive and will last a few days
thanku
Awesome! Thank, Sohani! This is a good one to hold you over for a couple days.
This was soooo good!! However I totally forgot the vinegar and purposely left out the chili because my husband doesn’t like. So yummy! My little one even enjoyed some! Didn’t even miss the meat! Thank you for sharing!
I’ve been vegetarian over 30 years and never made chili (I know, I know…). So this was my first chili, and it was FANTASTIC! Delicious combination of spices with lots of healthy veg and beans. With fall here and winter coming, I can foresee making this many more times.
ahhh thank you!! I just made this and it was sooo good. especially for a rainy day, and one serving (I ended up dividing it into 6) was just enough to make me full but not push me over the top. such a great recipe!
Ian trying to eat a more vegetarian diet. This chili was a lot better than I thought it would be. I will make it again.
just keep coming back to this recipe – I can confirm that frozen portions make a great lunch or quick dinner. Last week we also had a portion as vegan sloppy joes! SO good
So I recently found out something really important about Chili Powder.
Chili Powder in Nth America refers to a spice mix / seasoning used to make Chili the dish, and is a not very spicy mix of chili, cumin, garlic, and other herbs.
Chili Powder in Australia is just pure ground chilis. This may also be the case in other countries outside north america (eg UK, Europe, Asia) where ‘chili’ the dish isn’t so popular that it has its own spice mix. And that may be why you have a lot of reviews claiming it was WAAAAAAAAAAY too spicy. Using 2 tbsp of pure chili would make the dish virtually inedible… (I used 1 Tbsp of this and it was pretttty hot still https://shop.coles.com.au/a/a-nsw-metro-greenacre/product/masterfoods-chillies-ground-hot )
It may be worth noting this in the recipe…
Next time I’ll try making my own mix of “Chili powder/seasoning” using recipe below and actually use 2 tbsp of it. I think the entire flavour of the dish is going to be different (probably better!)
https://www.budgetbytes.com/2014/01/chili-roasted-potatoes/
I did this recipe, with the only 2 differences that I added soy to it to emulate the “meat” part of the chili and I used uncooked beans, so the cooking time was more, it turned out great, full of flavor and my boyfriend couldn’t get enough of it. Thank you so much for such a great recipe!
This chile is every bit as good as chile con carne. It is an easy dish and my family loves it.
New wife and mama here: I’m always looking for easy and healthy meals. So I was happy to stumble upon this recipe. With it being fall/football season, I crave chili. My changes – halved the chili powder as I regretted not doing so with a different recipe last week. You can always add more, right? Also, after sautéing veggies and adding spices, I transferred that mixture and added remaining ingredients to warmed crockpot until we eat in about an hour.. mainly because I don’t have a large enough pan. It’s smelling so good, can’t wait to eat it with cheesy toast.
Best chili I made. Love the flavor and the texture (mashing/blending some of the beans is a great idea). Thank you!
Won 3rd place at an omnivorous neighborhood party!
Winner! That is great. Thank you, Julie.
Great recipe, my 4 year old twins loved it as well as my hubby. Will definitely keep for use again. Thanks Kate, and cookie too :)
That is great! And thank you, Alicia. I will be sure to let Cookie know ;)
Ahhhh! Vegan Chili!! Made this last night and was/still is DELICIOUS!! Stirring in the cilantro and the bright perk of the vinegar at the end make such a tasty difference! But the star of the show is the blended thickening portion – the whole texture of this chili is exponentially better than any other homemade/from scratch chili I have ever made or tried! This is now my Go-To chili recipe. Even omnivore hub loved it. Thank you!
Hooray! I love a winner. It is so so good. Thank you, Rhiannon. If you wouldn’t mind, I would greatly appreciate a star review since you loved it so much :)
This was amazing! I have recently been trying to eat vegetarian and this is the best chili I have ever had.
That is great, Jessica! I really appreciate your star review and feedback. Of course the blog is all about vegetarian recipes, but I also have a cookbook called Love Real Food available on Amazon. It would be a helpful resource as well!
I made this for my very picky vegetarian son and he loved it! It’s so full of fantastic flavors! Follow the instructions to go easy on the smoked paprika. I used a scant teaspoon. Will definitely be making this again!
Winning over picky eaters is music to my ears! Thank you, Michelle! Glad it worked :)
About how many cups is in a serving?
If I remember correctly, the recipe yields about 8 cups, you’re looking at four large 2-cup servings or six 1.5-cup servings.
I cooked this for dinner tonight & it turned out delicious! Personally I thought the carrots were a bit too much after I finished my bowl, but all the veggies went well together. Thank you for the recipe, will be making this again :)
Finally a chili recipe I actually love!
Made this tonight and it will definitely be on the regular rotation :) adding in the immersion blender step… brilliant! Makes a huge difference. Thanks for such a great recipe!
Immersion blenders are so great, right?! You are very welcome, Samantha. I am happy you enjoyed it! Since you loved it so much, if you would want to leave a star rating, that would be awesome!
This is so good I could cry! Thank you!!!
Delicious!! I did use some hot red pepper as well as the red bell, and used my immersion blender for a few seconds. That really made the texture and thickness perfect. Some of the best chili I have made!
I like the touch of adding some extra spice, Stacy! Your review and comment is appreciated. Thank you!
I had to come back to leave a comment on this recipe – it is SO good! I had unexpected dinner guests and whipped up this veggie chili praying it would impress and it did!! Absolutely scrumptious with some homemade whole wheat bread and a side of cornbread (I like my carbs!) thanks for the delicious and fail safe chili, this recipe is going into the fall rotation :)
I am so happy you did! Thank you, Sarah. If you wouldn’t mind to leave a star review, I would appreciate it!
Made this for dinner tonight and it turned out great. Thanks! I reduced the smoked paprika by a half teaspoon, but it was still a little spicy for the kids, so next time I’ll use even less. I also put about three cups in the blender instead of 1.5, which made it less chunky for the kids. My 7-year-old said it wasn’t as awful as he thought it would be, which is pretty much a rave review from him!
This is the best vegetarian chili I’ve made yet – and I’ve tried dozens of recipes! Can’t wait to make it again, thank you!
Win! That is great to hear, Erin! Thanks for your review, I really appreciate it.
We have a yearly chili cook off at work every Halloween and since there usually aren’t many vegetarian chilis made for this event, I have cooked vegetarian the last couple of years. I found your recipe and it won first place out of about 15 other chilis (both meat and vegetarian)or so! I just added a couple of Anaheim Chilis and forgot the cilantro and lime juice at home so didn’t add those ingredients
Thank you for your wonderful recipe!!!
(5 stars in case the stars disappear as I post- they aren’t staying…)
Winning! That is great, Sue. Great job :) Thank you so much for providing a comment!
I made this earlier, to offer as lunch tomorrow and also keep myself fed over the next few nights. So good. I swapped out one of the tins of black beans for a tin of kidney beans, added three fresh red chillies plus a teaspoon of cayenne pepper, and topped with cashew sour cream. I blended a bit too much of the dish (my own fault for not measuring it and just throwing a few serving spoonfuls into the blender), but I’ll know for next time. I’ll probably add some more cayenne, too,and perhaps include some mushrooms, just to add another texture. I did have to cook it for an extra 20 minutes or so, because the carrots refused to soften. Skipped the coriander, and used lime juice instead of vinegar and it is ridiculously good. So much so, in fact, that I have come out of hiding to post my first ever comment on an online recipe.
I love how healthy and hearty this dish is. I’ve divided it into five portions, had one for dinner, and didn’t need to add rice. It was wonderfully filling all on its own.
I’ve seen a few comments asking for nutritional values. Based on my few tweaks (minus the cashew sour cream, and no garnishes), I’ve come up with this, per serving:
Calories: 320
Protein: 14g
Fat: 6.5g (Saturated: 0.3g; Polyunsaturated: 0.1g; Monounsaturated: 0g)
Sugars: 12g
Sodium: 166.5mg
Obviously my additions, subtractions and substitutions mean that this can only be a ballpark figure, but I hope it helps.
Thank you, for sharing!
This is one of the few recipes I remember getting all of my family to eat. This is a huge success for a mama of little ones (4 and 9)! I did halve the paprika and chili powder (used Frontier brand) and it was perfect. I topped it with some shredded cheese, sour cream, and Organic Harvest hot pepper sauce (my new fave!) for the grown ups. Thank you so much for this great recipe. The chopping did take quite awhile, but it was worth it!
Glad it was worth it, Kim! Getting the whole family (adults and kids) to agree on a meal they like can be challenging. Happy this one is a winner in your family. Thanks so much for the review!
Just want to let you know that this is an AMAZING chili!!! Love it. I make this for every potluck at work and it is always a huge hit!! Thank you!
That’s great! Thank you, Lila. I do truly appreciate your review.
Trying to cut back on my meat consumption but was in the mood for a hearty, spicy chili. This recipe fit the bill. It was delicious and tasted just how I needed it to. I cooked it in the crockpot and it turned out great.
I have heard that before about this recipe from others as well. I am glad you felt the same and didn’t miss the meat, Jason! Thanks so much for your review. It is a nice healthy go-to for a hearty cooler day meal for sure :)
My jet lagged vegetarian daughter loved your recipe. Thank you!
Great! Thanks so much for the review, Kathy.
REALLY NICE….
Thank you!
Made this tonight and it was so yummy! My new go to chili. I didn’t have any peppers. I used a red onion. I added in a cut up green squash I needed to use up, two cut up sweet potatos, a half a jar of tomato sauce, and a few shakes of parsley since I didn’t have cilantro. I used small white beans in place of the pinto beans. But overall this was a great base recipe for me. Served over brown rice. Delish!
I just had a bowl, an waow! The best vegetarian/vegan chili I have ever had! So good, and packed with vegetables. The only change I made: added some Bragg amino acid for an umami flavor. And I made my own chili powder. I bet this will be even better tomorrow. I am subscribing to your email recipes. Thank you so much for sharing this!
Well, thank you! Happy you enjoyed it so much.
I forgot to rate this: 5 stars. And, also: I had it with store bought coconut kefir in lieu of sour cream. Delish!
Thank you!
Just made the recipe. It turned out delicious! I omitted the vinegar and only added two cans of beans. This recipe is a keeper.
Happy to hear it, Marian. Thanks so much for the review!
Phenomenal! We are a newly vegetarian family and this recipe was fantastic! My kids (ages 6 &9) LOVED it and even got a heaping bowl of seconds. This seems great to even pack away for a ‘hot lunch’ for school. I will take a nice picture and post it on Instagram later this week. Thank you!!!
Jen
Hooray! Thanks for sharing. So happy to help in your family’s journey. I really appreciate the review.
In the ingredients you list 2 cups vegetable broth or water but never say when to add it in the instructions. Still a good recipe though.
Thank you for your question, Jordan! If you look at step #3, it says to add the vegetable broth after the beans. Hope this helps!
Okay…we are not vegans, nor are we vegetarians, however, my teenage daughter has been experimenting with both so we are doing our best to support her choices. We made this vegetarian chili tonight and is absolutely delicious. Very close in flavor to our typical family chili that we make with ground turkey. We will definitely make this a regular choice in our home when the weather calls for tasty chili. Thank you for the great recipe!!
That is so great of you, Tom! I am happy my blog can be of some help and that you enjoyed this recipe! It is a favorite for sure. Thanks so much for the comment and review.
This is simmering away now, just had a question. I am making a big batch of this for two friends that just had babies and bringing it to them as an easy meal. I am portioning them into aluminum containers to freeze, but am wondering how they should reheat them? Since they’re in aluminum, they can’t just toss them in the microwave. Thaw and then heat? Toss in the oven on a low temp?
Thank you!
You are kind, Stephanie! I recommend thawing in the fridge for a few days and then reheating in a pot on the stove. That way you avoid the microwave issue and get an even reheating without recooking. Hope this helps!