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 made it and it is an instant favorite at our house (including my husband who likes meat)! Really really delicious. Love it.
Great! This soup tends to win over even the meat eaters :) Thank you for your review, Bianca!
Great recipe. I personally reduced the smoked paprika by a half teaspoon but will reduce more next time. I like the smokiness but it’s to overpowering for me. I added garlic powder and increased the cloves garlic to 6 instead of 4. I also finished with hot sauce instead of vinegar.
This is similar to the sweet potato & black bean chili that I always made at home. But kids already had sweet potato fries for lunch. Therefore, I decided to try your recipe. Since I only have one can of organic black beans left, I added about 3/4 cup of organic pink split red lentils and 1 cup of organic frozen corn. I also used “simply organic” brand cumin, oregano, and chili powder (already including paprika). It’s a bit hit with my kids. Thanks!
Sounds like a great way to substitute, Tracy! Thanks so much for your review.
I left a comment and rating earlier but the rating doesn’t show for whatever reason. I really enjoyed this recipe and simply tailored it to my favorite flavors. This is my new go to base recipe.
Thank you, Melanie!
I liked it a lot. Doubled up on the smoky paprika and added some chipotle for heat and some TVP for texture. I’ll definitely keep this recipe. Thanks!
Sounds like great adjustments for your taste, Kevin. Thanks for the comment!
This recipe is now a firm family favorite. I’ve made it many times for my immediate family ( my husband and 21 yr old son die hard carnivores who loved it) for friends for casual dinner, for others who’ve had baby’s or recovering from surgery. So easy, delicious and budget friendly
Thank you, Kathy!
This chili is so good. I’ve made it multiple times and it’s gotten great reviews!! My husband requested I make it for his work potluck!!
Made your vegetarian chili tonight, and LOVED IT!! I especially liked your hint about blending half of it before serving to create a thick gravy! An awesome trick I will remember for other recipes!
Served it with cubed avocado and a bit of grated cheddar. Hmmm!!! Thakns for sharing!
John & mMichelle
Waco, TX
You are welcome, John! Since you liked it so much, I would welcome a star review – if you wouldn’t mind :) Thank you!
Glad to oblige, Kate. I resubmitted my comment, with a 5-star rating. Sorry I overlooked that the first time. And now I see I overlooked the link to “Click here to reply.” Sorry…just making a big mess. Feel free to delete or clean this up however you like.
John
P.S. I shared the recipe with my daughter, and she spoke highly of your web site, having gleaned several recipes from you. My wife and I have just recently steered our ship towards vegan, as a result of the research reporting by Dr. Greger at https://nutritionfacts.org. I guess you’re now part of “our vegetarian family!”
Made your vegetarian chili tonight, and LOVED IT!! I especially liked your hint about blending half of it before serving to create a thick gravy! An awesome trick I will remember for other recipes!
Served it with cubed avocado and a bit of grated cheddar. Hmmm!!! Thanks for sharing!
John & Michelle
Waco, TX
I’ve made a lot of vegetation chili recipes, and this one is far and away my favorite. Delicious and super simple and healthy. This is now my go-to chili. Thank you!
You are welcome! I am happy you like it so much, Susanna.
Maybe I did something wrong but this didn’t come out too well for me. Everyone else is raving and I like so many of your recipes that I’ll chalk it up to chilli pickiness.
Usually I use a can of chipotles in adobo sauce, even more chili powder, the liquid from a jar of jalapenos and brown sugar (a friend’s recipe) so I’m doctoring my pot up now. Glad it worked for other people though.
I am sorry to hear that, Becca! What do you feel is missing or just not quite right?
I have to have dairy free and gluten free recipes. These start off great but then it’s add cheese, sour cream & tortilla chips. Does these items come gluten/dairy free? I am new to this Celiac Disease but I don’t think they do.
Great question Shirley! The cheese, sour cream and tortilla chips are topping recommendations for the soup. They aren’t a necessity. You should get away with not adding them and use other toppings that work well with your diet (avocado for the creaminess, etc). But yes, there are gluten free/dairy free alternatives. Most tortilla chips are gluten free. There is also vegan cheese you could add. Of course, always check the ingredients list. I hope this helps!
I just made this and it’s sooo good! Thank you! I will definitely make a double batch next time.
You are welcome! I am happy you liked it so much. I appreciate the review. :)
Delicious! Made last night and used pinto beans in place of kidney as some others had commented on also doing. Also only used 1-cup of broth and loved the consistency of thicker chili, noting having to blend any of it. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
You are welcome, Alyse! I am happy you liked it. Thank you, for your review!
Best ever. I don’t use oil, I add water when the vegetables start to stick to the pan. I used fresh tomatoes, some tomatoe paste, added crushed walnuts, Tabasco peppers, topped with cheese, tofu sour cream and diced avocados. My husband had 3 helpings. Need I say more!
I think that is a winner! Thanks for the review, Kathi.
Three times I’ve made this chilli for
Non-vego crowds, and three times all bowls have been licked clean. Such a winner!!
Great! Thanks, Jo.
Just finished making this! Waiting for the corn bread to finish before we try it! I am super excited, left out the paprika – we actually don’t like anything spicy so I am hoping we can handle the 2 Tbs of Chili powder! Also, I added Beyond Meat crumbles – soy free. I haven’t tried them and thought this was the best time to test them out! Smells great, thanks so much for this!
What did you think, Melissa?! Thanks for the comment and review.
My husband and I are in love with this chili. I had a go-to turkey chili recipe that I made religiously but this is my new fave! I top it with avocado, cheddar cheese, and pita chips. It’s perfect for a cold winter night!!!
Great! And yes, great additions :) Thanks so much Sarah for your comment and review.
This chili was a real winner!! Will be adding it to our collection and sharing it with friends!!
That’s great!
Absolutely delicious!
Thank you, Jan! I am glad you enjoyed them.
This recipe is delicious! I made it tonight after searching the internet for a vegan friendly chili recipe that my meat-loving fiance would also enjoy. It was a winner! He ate three bowls!
That’s awesome! I am happy you came across the website and that it was such a huge hit. I appreciate the review.
Double batched this yesterday.. it was awesome thank you for the recipe!!
You are welcome! Great recipe to have a lot of this time of a year. :)
This was so delicious! Best chili (and healthiest) I’ve ever had! Blending part of the chili made a big difference too. Thanks so much Kate!
Great!! Thank you, Christina for trying the recipe and for your feedback.
Has anyone done this recipe in a slow cooker or instant pot. I am interested in hearing what you did for cooking instructions.
I haven’t tried this one yet myself, but I would love to hear what you think!
This was the first ever recipe I made of yours Kate and I couldn’t believe how it could possibly taste this good! My parents aren’t vegetarians so I make a big batch of this and whenever they eat their chilli I get out a portion of this chilli for myself. You have to go and try this recipe, it’s incredible!
P.s. Sorry for spamming you Kate with a ton of comments on loads of your recipes – I found your blog a few months back and I can’t believe there hasn’t been once recipe I’ve tried from yours that I wouldn’t give 5/5 to and rave about. I’m constantly making batches of all your recipes – my freezer is full of all YOUR food!
I’ve been meaning to rate your recipes for a while as you 100% deserve the praise for the outstanding recipes, so I thought I’d take some time out to give a little back to you for all your wonderful recipes you’ve given me. I can’t thank you enough for all your recipes. I’ve asked for your cookbook for Christmas and I can’t wait to try more!!
Evie xx
I love hearing from you! I do appreciate your kind words, comments and review. Have a great holiday season, Evie.
I really enjoyed this recipe – so much so that I order the cookbook and have not been disappointed with the recipes in there either. Those sweet potato, poblano and black bean enchiladas are off the chain! My husband is pure carnivore, but he loved this recipe too and agreed that this dish was very hearty – he did not miss having meat in the chili. That is a big win over here! Thanks for a yummy recipe that I loved and that helped my hubby see that eating vegetarian can be completely fulfilling :)
Thank you, Kim for your support! I am happy it is enjoyed by all. :)
This recipe is awesome, I took it to a chili cook off and even though it was vegan it was a hit!
That’s great to hear Gail. Thanks for your review!
I’m not really good at cooking, can I just toss all the ingredients into a crockpot and let it do it’s thing?
I wouldn’t recommend it :) But, this is easy to follow! Give it a try, I know you can do it! Important thing with most soups, you want to make sure you saute.
Delicious! Used plain yogurt and cilantro as the condiments and I had all the people at the table, from meat lovers to vegetarians finishing their bowls and asking for seconds.
Those sound like great additions! I appreciate the review, Kathy.
Oh my gosh!! This is SO amazing and easy to make! I prepared it for dinner and it turned out beyond my expectations. Thanks for sharing! My best to you and Cookie!
You are welcome! I’m happy you liked it so much. Yes, this is a great one to make and is simple to make!
This is the first Cooke + Kate recipe that I have tried and I can’t wait to do more! I am always on the lookout for new vegetarian recipes. We are not vegetarians but we are trying to eat less meat for 3 reasons: for health, to save money, and to be more humane to animals. My family is quite bored with the usual vegetarian night offerings, typically chili or stir fries. I tried this one to be safe with a familiar dish. I thought it was very good, on par with some of my other favorite veggie chili recipes. My husband said that it was better than the ones I usually make. It turned out a bit “soupier” than I hoped for but I will reduce the amount of broth next time. This one is going into my recipe rotation!
Thank you! I’m happy to hear that.
Absolutely yummy and easy to cook. Thumbs up.
Thank you!
This was amazing. The best chili I’ve ever had! Thank you
Great! You are welcome, Wendy.
This is my go-to chili recipe. I can confirm that leftovers are good frozen (and can be reheated in a pot straight from the freezer- just flip the block of ice occasionally and stir more than usual). It is also delicious as quesadilla filling.
Thanks for sharing, Amy!
Love this! I just dumped everything except the oil in my instant pot, put it on the chilli setting and it was very yummy! I’ll make it again!
My Wife just made this for us and it was delicious this is a great recipe!!
Great! Thanks, JD for sharing and for your review.
Hi Kate, I’ve been making this recipe for about 2 months now – it’s amazing. Without doubt the best veggie chilli I’ve ever made or tasted – both myself and my 16 year old son love it. I particularly love the suggestion of blending half of the mixture, it really transforms it. I add a tablespoon of tomato puree and a tablespoon of maple syrup to it as well, but that’s just personal taste. Thank you – from Sarah and Sam in the UK :)
Thank you! You are welcome. I love how you make it your own. I appreciate the review.
Loved this chili! Best idea … blending a portion to thicken the chili.
Thanks, Sherry! It does for sure make a difference. I appreciate the star review!
We made this recently and loved it! Delicious!! This will be a new favorite recipe during the winter :)
Great! Thanks, Michelle.
I was going to make a large quantity of this recipe so I was wondering how many ounces you think are in 1 serving for this recipe? Thank you for all your wonderful and yummy recipes!
Best Vegan Chili :)
Well thank you, Samantha!
Definitely the best veggie chilli recipe we’ve ever found, we sometimes add in some chopped sweet potato as well but all our meat eating friends love it too.
Thank you! I’m happy to hear that :) Thanks for leaving a comment and review.
Loved this recipe and look forward to making it again! I never used fresh cilantro or lime juice in chili before, but all of the flavors really worked well together and we loved this recipe! Much thanks to you!
It really helps make the flavors sing :) Thanks for your comment!
Loved this recipe and look forward to making it again! I never used fresh cilantro or lime juice in chili before, but all of the flavors really worked well together and we loved this recipe! I added chopped zucchini to it also. Wonderful! Much thanks to you!
Thank you!
I made this tonight and we love the spices. I varied it slightly by first toasting the cumin and chili powder until fragrant. I also added some finely chopped kale, as well as using a little more garlic than called for. I will definitely make this again. The smoked paprika is the KEY here. Thank you for a memorable, first rainy day of the year (CA, of course) meal. YUM!
It adds such a delightful flavor and a bit of a change from other chili variations. I’m happy you agree, Kerin! Thanks for sharing.
After my more-than-successful try of West African Peanut Soup, I made this chili yesterday. It is incredibly flavorful and hearty. I’m not the biggest fan of peppers, so I just used that same amount of extra celery. Again, the husband was also a big fan and it was even better today after sitting in the fridge overnight. Mark this as the second A+ recipe we’ve tried of yours (out of two). I have about twenty other recipes printed out from your blog and cannot wait to try them all! Spicy Black Bean Soup is up for Thursday!
I’m happy to hear that! Thank you, Rebekah for taking the time to provide a review. I love hearing from you. Let me know what you think about the spicy black bean soup!
just made this but added in some mushrooms and peas (I add these to basically everything) and used extra black beans instead of pinto beans as I couldn’t find any pinto beans in the supermarket. It was completely lovely, will definitely be making it again <3
I’m happy it turned out well! Thank you, Megan for sharing how you made this your own. Enjoy the leftovers(if you have any!).
What do you think about adding canned corn?
You can add what you would like to make this your own. However, I wouldn’t recommend canned corn. If you are looking to add corn, I would recommend frozen since it’s not corn season.
My sister Giselle and I are having this tonight for dinner! I am so excited to taste it
Let me know what you both think, Michelle!
We loved it!
I have made dozens of Kate’s recipes from her book and I have enjoyed all of them! This one is no exception especially on a cold freezing afternoon in Kansas… Simple ingredients, instructions that are easy to follow, and great flavors that work so well together. I plan to make the Vegetarian Tortilla Soup next weekend!
Thank you, Anna for the review and comment!
This was amazing. I added some corn and chopped walnuts too. Paired well with cashew sour cream.
Sounds like a delicious combination, Sara!