Easy Vegetarian Chili Recipe (vegan chili!)
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This Easy Vegetarian Chili Recipe is our family's go-to, one-pot meal. It's full of vegetables, made with pantry staple ingredients, and is so easy to make. It's a delicious vegan chili that everyone raves about!
Photos updated in 2020. Same delicious chili recipe.
I love sitting down to a big bowl of hearty vegetarian chili on a cool evening. I actually prefer vegetarian chili to a meat-based chili, even though I can no longer refer to myself as a vegetarian.
When I was 20 years old, I decided to stop eating meat. During those 14 years, I became really attached to my meat-free comfort foods. Vegetarian chili is at the top of my list followed very closely by Thai coconut curries and Indian curries.
There's just something about a one-pot meal where all the flavors meld together to become so much more than they could have been on their own.
Enter this Easy Vegetarian Chili Recipe ā¦
I've been making this homemade chili for so many years that it's become second nature to make it. Honestly, it felt a little funny measuring the ingredients so I could share the recipe with you.
There is one thing you need to know: I wasn't joking about this being an easy chili recipe. Even though I have all the ingredients listed in proper measurements, feel free to eyeball and make substitutions. This is one chili that you cannot mess up.
And if you love your crockpot, I've made a Slow Cooker Vegetarian Chili Recipe. It's basically this recipe with a few tweaks to make it work in a slow cooker.
Check out our video for how to make vegetarian chili:
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See how crazy easy it is to make vegan chili?
The one thing you need to know about this (or any) vegetarian chili recipe, is that you want to salt it well. Salt helps bring out the flavor as well as create a feeling of depth that can sometimes be lacking in vegetarian recipes. Don't be shy with the salt shaker.
I absolutely LOVE sitting down to a bowl of this chili because it's not only delicious, it's so healthy for you, too. There are so many veggies in here that you have to feel good eating it.
Usually, we'll eat it on its own or with a little cheese on top. But once in a while, we'll get fancy and make some cornbread. Our favorite is still these Cheesy Chili Zucchini Cornbread Muffins with Chili Honey Butter. If you haven't tried them yet, I highly recommend you do! We also love this chili with our Whole Wheat Irish Soda Bread.
I always make my chili super spicy, but you don't have to. That's the thing about this chili, you really don't āhave to' do anything. It's essentially just a bunch of veggies, some beans, and some spices. You can add more or less of any the veggies or spices, or leave some out entirely. You can switch up the beans by adding a different kind or a few different kinds of beans. This chili recipe is extremely flexible and can be used as a guide for making many different vegetarian chili recipes.
The only thing I wouldn't leave out of the chili is the corn. But then again, I just love the crunchy sweet bits in each bite. If corn is not your thing (do people who don't like corn exist?) then just leave it out š
Vegetarian Chili Toppings
While it's delicious on its own, we love this chili with some toppings. They make it feel extra special. Our favorites are:
- Grated cheddar cheese
- Sour Cream
- Corn chips (bonus if they're nacho flavored!)
- Sliced green onions
Vegan Chili Toppings
Don't worry vegans, we've got you covered!
- Diced avocado (amazing!)
- Chopped cilantro
- A sprinkle of nutritional yeast for some healthy cheesy flavor
- Pickled red onions. This is the recipe that I LOVE!
- Corn chips (but skip the nacho flavored ones)
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Easy Vegetarian Chili Recipe (vegan chili!)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil
- 1 large onion (diced)
- 4 cloves garlic (finely minced)
- 1-3 tablespoons chili powder (more will be spicier)
- 2 tablespoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- Ā¼ ā 2 teaspoons chili flakes (the more chili flakes the spicier it will be)
- 2 medium bell peppers (diced)
- 2 medium carrots (diced)
- 3 medium celery stalks (diced)
- 2 28-ounce cans of whole tomatoes and their juice (use your hands to roughly crush the tomatoes)
- 2 15-ounce cans of beans (drained and rinsed (we like kidney and white beans))
- 2 cups frozen corn (you could use fresh but frozen is easy and works great)
- Sea salt (to taste (we like about 2 teaspoons))
- Optional toppings: sour cream, cheddar cheese, cilantro, diced avocados, or green onion
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sautĆ© for about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and sautĆ© for 1 minute more. Add the chili powder, cumin, oregano, and chili flakes and stir.2 tablespoons cooking oil, 1 large onion, 4 cloves garlic, 1-3 tablespoons chili powder, 2 tablespoons ground cumin, 1 teaspoon oregano, Ā¼ ā 2 teaspoons chili flakes
- Add the peppers, carrots, and celery and cook for about 5 minutes, or until they just start to soften. Add the tomatoes and their juice and bring to a simmer. Once the chili begins to simmer, reduce the heat to medium-low. You want the chili to be at a low simmer with the lid off.2 medium bell peppers, 2 medium carrots, 3 medium celery stalks, 2 28-ounce cans of whole tomatoes and their juice
- Continue to cook the chili, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes. Add beans and corn and let the chili return to a simmer. Cook for 5 more minutes or until the corn and beans have heated through. Season generously with sea salt.2 15-ounce cans of beans, 2 cups frozen corn, Sea salt
- Serve on its own or topped with one (or all!) of the delicious toppings. Enjoy!Optional toppings: sour cream, cheddar cheese, cilantro, diced avocados, or green onion
Video
Notes
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ĀNutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
For more inspiration, check out all of our chili recipes!
I must have done something wrong. I found it far to “crunchy”. Is it supposed to be like that? I followed the recipe quite carefully but it seems to be under cooked.
No it’s not. You’ll simply want to simmer it a little longer. š
This was our first venture into vegetarian chili and we loved it. When I made it a second time – we had some friends over – I added fresh sliced baby bella mushrooms (8oz). I cooked them with the veggies. It helped at a “meaty” backdrop to the chili.
Great call on the mushrooms!
Can this be frozen?
Absolutely! It freezes very well. š
This recipe is delicious! I made it today and my non vegan boyfriend loved it too! So thatās a win win anytime I can make delicious vegan food
That does sound like a big time win!
What size cans of beans should we be using?
Thanks!
I buy the 15-ounce cans. If yours are a little bigger or smaller the recipe will still work just fine. It’s really flexible!
Can you give us an idea of how much salt is ‘quite a lot’?
It will really depend on whether you are using salted or unsalted tomatoes and beans. I usually go for about a tablespoon but I would suggest starting with a teaspoon as you may not like it as salty as I do.
I’m transitioning to a Vegan lifestyle! THIS WAS AMAZING!!! Easy to follow and perfect for meal prepping!
This sounds amazing! Can I substitute tomato paste for the canned tomatoes? I really hate having chunks of tomato in my food, but I’m wondering about the juices from the cans – would I need to add some water or broth to make up for that? Thank you! Can’t wait to try this recipe!
I would opt for crushed tomatoes or simply blend the canned tomatoes in your blender so they are more like a sauce. š
Love the recipe. I realize that it says the calories per serving size – it doesn’t say what the serving size is though.
Anyone…
The nutritional info is for 1/8th of the recipe. I’ll be making this again soon and will measure out an exact portion and update the recipe when I do!
Easy, quick and delicious.
So happy you liked it!
I have to take a veg dish or soup to a church dinner for lent. Can this be made ahead of time & kept warm for a few hours?
Absolutely it can! It’s even better if you make it a day ahead then reheat it before your event. Chili’s one of the best make ahead recipes as it gets better after a day or two. š
Quite delicious. First time I made it I backed off on the cumin fearing too much of a good thing, but this time I added (almost) the full 2 tablespoons. You donāt even miss the meat*. I started making this because my daughter doesnāt like eating meat (Iāve been making my āfamous chiliā with beef and beans for many years), so to make it a meal the whole family would enjoy, I found this recipe and it is fantastic. *Full disclosure: I cooked up some chili seasoned beef for those who just canāt eat chili without it.
I’m so happy you guys liked it! It’s great to have recipes that can easily be adapted to feed different diets. Great call on cooking up the meat separately for the meat eaters!
We couldnāt eat the chilli because it was too spicy! Definitely too much chilli powder in this recipe.
Do opt for the lesser amount of chili powder next time! Or use a less spicy chili powder as different brands vary considerably in their spiciness. If you’re not vegan, sour cream can cool the heat. š
It should be teaspoons not tablespoons of chili right?
Nope! I usually put 2-3 tablespoons of chili powder in my chili. If you like a more mild flavor you can always reduce this amount and add more to taste. š
I made this today and it was awesome. I served it over quinoa. Will make it again.
I’m so happy you enjoyed it! Love that you served it over quinoa. š
Hello! I have to tell you, this was my first time actually cooking a meal (I’m 22) and it turned out fantastic! It was super delicious! My family loved it!! We used all your ingredients. But I ended up putting 3 TABLESPOONS of chili flakes. And 4 with chili powder. It wasn’t spicy for us because we are used to spicy food. We are originally from the Caribbean. I also added a ton of baked beans because my mother had bought the wrong tin of kidney beans. She bought the smaller version of kidney beans. But those baked beans made it Taste fantastic!! I also added 3 leaves(chopped finely) of a Caribbean seasoning. It’s called “Recao” here in NY. That’s gives food a lot of extra flavor. We put it in almost all our foods! Well we season our meats with it before cooking it. Anyway, great recipe! My family loved it and I loved it! It’s now in my favorite recipe folder!! Lol. I’m about to go have leftovers!!…
Oh, and I don’t like prawn stock, so I used veggie stock. I should have used a bigger pot though. By the time I was done putting the corn, I literally had half an inch to the rim of the pot!! Haha
That is so great to hear. I can’t believe you added 3 tablespoons of chili flakes! I thought I liked my food spicy but girl, that’s crazy hot!
Also, I’ve put Recao on my list of things that I must try. I love trying new flavors and I’ve never heard of it before so I really want to try it. Going to look for it at the market today. š
Recao is actually cilantro. I haven’t tried the recipe yet, but it looks really delicious.
I’m so glad you let me know! I’ve been keeping my eyes open for it, but haven’t seen recao anywhere. Now I know why! Love cilantro. š
Recao is not cilantro, but itās part of the cilantro family. It also looks very different than cilantro. To me, definitely a better, stronger taste than cilantro. Ā Now seeing this comment after years due to trying to find the recipe once more! Hope you found Recao it like us Caribbeanās (Trinidadians) say āShadowbenniā…Ā
Hi! I’m about to make your vegetarian chili in the crock pot. It looks great. Can I substitute fish sauce for the prawn stock? Thanks.
Absolutely you can!
Delicious!
We added a cup of rice into it as well. Super yummy!
Such a great idea!