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 just made a double batch of this recipe :) We’re hosting some families in a couple of weeks. I wanted to try this recipe out and freeze it for later if we liked it. I’m going to make another double batch soon because I think we won’t leave anything from this one It’s delicious, perfectly balanced and the notes really helped. I halved the amount of red chili powder and it still has a bit of a kick (I get my chili powder from India so it’s pretty hot) Thank you so much! This will be a favorite at out home now ❤️❤️❤️
If by chance you see this, would you please answer a question for me? I notice that whether I choose a single recipe, or doubling it, or tripling it, the instructions for all three call for putting 1.5 cups of the recipe in the blender. For a double recipe, should I use 3 cups? What did you do when you made your double batch.
My family and I loved this recipe. Thank you! I added a can of corn and decreased the black beans to one can.
Delicious!!
If by chance you see this, would you please answer a question for me? I notice that whether I choose a single recipe, or doubling it, or tripling it, the instructions for all three call for putting 1.5 cups of the recipe in the blender. For a double recipe, should I use 3 cups? What did you do when you made your double batch.
Hi Kelly, the website plug in is helpful but imperfect — you can toggle back and forth to make sure it’s doing the calculations correctly!
I only recently learnt that US chilli powder is different to what we in Australia call chilli powder. For us, its simply dried powdered chilli peppers. For the US, I hear its a mix of spices with a bit of dried chilli peppers. So its not just a case of toning down how much to put in because then we miss some of the flavour.
Anyway, now I know, I’m looking forward to making this tomorrow!
I’m also Australian and didn’t realise how strong our chilli powder was, my son happily ate it, too hot for me.
Will halve the chilli powder, next time.
I moved to Australia from the USA 20 years ago and also discovered the heat of Australian chilli powder when making my American recipes. Americans usually use a chilli blend. In Australia, try using Masterfoods Mexican Chilli Powder. Its a blend of Chilli and other spices. Its much closer to the Chilli used in American recipes.
Absolutely delicious. I used slightly less chilli powder. Still nice and spicy. Easy to make too. A winner
I’ve been searching for a recipe with a good spice mix to substitute buying packet mixes, when I surely have all the spices in the cupboard, and I think I’ve found it! Also, a good idea to blend a little of the chili in order to make it thicker. Great recipe!
If by chance you see this, would you please answer a question for me? I notice that whether I choose a single recipe, or doubling it, or tripling it, the instructions for all three call for putting 1.5 cups of the recipe in the blender. For a double recipe, should I use 3 cups? What did you do when you made your double batch.
I’m making the soup today for a get together tomorrow. Should I wait to add the fresh cilantro and red wine vinegar until I reheat?
I’m a huge fan of no waste. Please don’t drain your beans. They are part of the liquid and have flavor. This is my go to chili recipe. Lots of options for substitutions. Keep em’ coming!!!!
It also has tons of salt!! I would definitely drain the beans and really, it’s just water and salt!!
Made this for my office’s chili cook-off this past November. I’d never fixed chili before and just wanted to make sure our office vegetarian would be included. She loved it, and the cherry on top was placing 3rd!
The only change I made (at a coworker’s suggestion) was blending the carrots entirely to keep the appearance distinct from a veggie stew.
I have made this over and over again. I made this for Super Bowl and my friends had multiple servings. One friend took some home and her husband raved about it. This is definitely one of my go-tos. Thank you for this delicious, easy, and nutrient packed recipe! ❤️❤️❤️
I added a cup of pearl barley and mashed up the beans with my spoon, giving it a more chili-like texture and consistency. It was delicious with cornbread and had a better texture than when I made it without the barley and smashing it a bit.
I also added diced green chilis and a teaspoon of cayenne pepper to give it some kick.
I used Bianco Dinapoli canned crushed tomatoes and 1/2 can of the Bianco Dinapoli fire-roasted chopped tomatoes, but just the chunks, no juice, gave it a charming flavor. Next time, I may add a can of the Bianco Dinapoli paste to boost the flavor profile even more.
I also used beef broth, not vegetable broth, to make it heartier.
I am not vegetarian, but my girl friend is and well usually eat a vegetarian dinner. I randomly found this recipe and it was one of the best chili we’ve had! Making it for the second time today! Thank you!
I’ve never made chilli myself because I’ve never liked it anytime someone’s made it for me. I just thought I didn’t like chilli. But this recipe was soooo good! So much flavour. Thank you for sharing!
This was amazing. I made a few adjustments (more cumin, no cilantro, forgot the vinegar, added garlic powder) and it was delicious! Thank you for this great recipe, I’ll definitely be making it again :)
I LOVE this recipe! It’s my go to veggie/vegan option! My meat and potatoes husband says “It’s not right that something without meat should taste that good!” I always make a double batch to have plenty for the freezer and make a few mods-I use 1 each red and green pepper, 2 cans each kidney, black, and pinto beans, then toss a small bag of frozen corn at the end, and finish it with a whole bundle of chopped cilantro. For a little extra heat, you can sub some of the chili powder and smoked paprika for some chipotle chili powder. It’s always a hit at a potluck!
I just followed this recipe using half the ingredients as I cook for 1 and it turned out amazing, probably the best chili I have ever made/eaten! I substituted 6 bean medley and skipped the cilantro, and used an immersion blender at the end, which might he why it turned out so much better than usual. Will definitely be making this again and again. Thanks so much for the great recipe.
This chili is delicious! The consistency is great after the blending: my husband is a meat person and he loved this. We had it with a nice crusty bread. Will definitely make this for a Saturday evening dinner with my friends. Thank you.
Thank you so much for this! We eat WFPB, and try to use as little salt and oil as we can when cooking. We were having friends over, so I wanted to make something that our friends could doctor up to fit their tastes. I used some water instead of the olive oil, used a pound of dry beans (soaked and cooked), subbed some no salt diced fire roasted tomatoes, and finally a can of low abv beer for some of the water. It was AWESOME. Thanks for making an amazing spring board for us to feed our family- and friends!!
I made this yesterday for a friend’s chili cookoff. They thought it would be fun to not label it as vegetarian and see how it ranked. It came in third place and I got fantastic compliments on it. This is going in my permanent rotation!
This was delicious. I doubled the recipe to bring to have a potluck and still have leftovers. I used 5 cans of beans.
I fall in love with this chili every time I make it. I think it even ranks up higher that some of my meat chili recipes. Such perfect spices and amounts, so satisfying.
So, let’s me start off by saying that I am so sick and tired of making this recipe and our house is all out of ideas for anything else. Every time I ask the family, what do you want for dinner, this is it!!!! Thank you for an excellent recipe. We also add vegetarian chopped meat and let is simmer for 3 + hours with lid on. So very fond of this and a staple at our house.
Hi, third time making this great chili. Added 3/4 c. Red wine. Added dried, reconstituted and browned shiitake mushrooms, about 3oz. dry. Added Cayenne pepper. Used “better than bouillon beef 5 tsp. and veg. 1 tsp. Used 1 can each Pinto, Navy and Black beans. Used 1 Pablano pepper, pre-roasted. Let it simmer on very low for two hours. Delicious recipe!
This is the best chili recipe ever. Better than meaty versions!
Wow this is my new favorite chili. So easy to make I cut down on the spices a little but this is so much better than my beef chili.
Your veggie chili was totally delicious. I will make it weekly. I could not find Pinto beans so put had a can of mixed beans & found it great anyways. Will try & find them. It was an easy recipe too because I am fed up of cooking. Am 78
Thank you. Love looking at all your recours & even bought your book but need to hier à good cook’ike you
Hi
I loved this recipe.
Delicious.I’m making the soup today.
Thank you
Really good. I have not had chili for years because I thought, what’s the point? This was delicious. I started with rice, then topped all with cilantro, plain yogurt, and cheese. Really yummy. I forgot the vinegar…no worries because I have leftovers. I’ll add it tomorrow. I love leftovers. My 90 year old vegetarian mother loved this. Will definitely make again
Thank you for this comment! Was going to ask if it could be doubled! That’s what I plan to do this week.
This is my go to chili recipe! My whole family loves it! Thank you for your inspiration!!
Hi there, if I’m using dried pinto beans how many grams of dried beans do I use before reconstituting?
Thanks
Hi Olivia, you need about 130 grams of dried beans to get 15 ounces of cooked beans (the equivalent of one can).
This recipe is SO, SO good. I’ve probably commented before – I can’t remember LOL – but it merits another comment anyway. I top it with diced avocado and make vegan cornbread to go with it. YUM. Thank you!
I added chopped zucchini and yellow squash. Turned out great. Thank you for the recipe.
Hi Nancy, glad you were able to put in some extra veggies!
Always amazing! So versatile you can add and change bits but the core recipe is the best I’ve found!
This is a delicious vegetarian chilli!
I’ve made it countless times and it’s always a winner for veggies and a non meat option for meat eaters alike.
It feeds a crown and is equally good to freeze in portions for later in the month.
Best ever! Thank you so much.
Yum!
This is my “go to” chili recipe. Tonight was chili cheese fries -almost vegan minus the havarti cheese on top. Great recipe!! Thanks!!
This is my go-to vegetarian chili recipe.
Very flavorful and easy to prepare.
Great recepe. Last made it when I was hosting a party. Everyone asked me for the recipe. I mix the vegetables around depending on what’s in the fridge. Always turns out great!
turned out great! i initially halved the amount of chilli powder and realized it was missing some key flavor. i also used Mexican oregano and half the amount of tomatoes and the texture was perfect. top with some sour cream and spring onion and it’s good for days!
This is a wonderful chili recipe. My husband who has a kidney disease has decided its time to try vegetarian dishes to avoid the animal protein which hurts the kidney function. Wow you have got to try this. I even know someone that has cancer that finds it hard to get things down was able to eat this after I turned it into a soup in my food processor. It makes a great soup as well. This will be a staple recipe.
Sooooooooo good! I’m about to make a 2nd round of it today. :)
Added one Japanese sweet potato that I wanted to use up, and used the lazy “smash against the side with a spoon” technique to get the right texture at the end. Recipe is so awesome that my reluctantly vegan-ish husband accused me of witchcraft.
This was very good as is written. After tasting and blending. I have people the option to add tvp and chili pepper flakes. Topped with avocado, this is such a good nutrient dense meal