My Ultimate Vegan Chili Recipe is quick and easy, healthy and has the best flavour. It ticks all the boxes, savoury, spicy, sweet and tangy. It's the ultimate comfort food and it's gluten free!
I love Chili!! And any dish remotely resembling Mexican food, haha. This is my go to Vegan Chili recipe, and husband approved, woot woot! - he loves this dish. Another Win for me!
I used to make my Chili with beef and pork. So I wanted to recreate this Chili without having to add meat (obviously, lol) and I definitely pulled it off! It's Protein packed and super satisfying and really is the Ultimate Vegan Chili Recipe!
You can easily add your favourite meat crumbles to this Chili for a meatier texture and if you add TVP I suggest pre soaking it first. Once in awhile I'll fry up a block of crumbled tofu in a non stick skillet set to medium. I add a few seasonings and cook for about 20 minutes. It works perfectly for that meaty chew! ( no I did not use tofu in these photos, this is my straight up Awesome Chili).
I like to serve this Vegan Chili with a side of basmati rice, garlic bread and a green salad. My daughters enjoy eating it with Pico de gallo, avocados, or Guacamole and sour cream and tortilla chips.
My absolute favourite way to eat this Chili is on a Vegan Hotdog with mustard and finely diced white onion- OMG THE BEST!! It's also perfectly delicious on its own?
Ok let's get to my Ultimate Vegan Chili Recipe and how to make it:
Start by sautéing all the veggies till softened. Then add in the rest of ingredients to the pot and cover and simmer for 25 minutes. Remove a ladle full or so of Chili, blend it up in your Nutria Bullet or Blender and return it to the pot. Give the Chili a stir then taste for seasonings and serve. Yum! Vegan Chili in a jiffy. Check out full recipe in the recipe card below?
This recipe will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days, and freezes well.
Ok let's make some Vegan Chili! You'll love this recipe it’s:
Protein packed
Healthy
Easy
gluten free
Savoury
Satisfying
A great main dish
Other comforting Vegan Mains you'd like:
Vegan Mac and Cheese
Best Vegan Alfredo Sauce with Fettuccine
Enjoy! ? Happy day to you! Feel free to leave a comment and rate this recipe I'd love to hear from you!
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Ultimate Vegan Chili Recipe
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 servings 1x
Description
My Ultimate Vegan Chili Recipe is quick and easy, healthy and has the best flavour. It ticks all the boxes, savoury, spicy, sweet and tangy. It's the ultimate comfort food and it's gluten free!
Ingredients
THIS MIGHT SEEM LIKE A LOT OF INGREDIENTS BUT IT IS MOSTLY SPICES
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon of oil (optional), I use grape seed oil
- 1 green pepper, diced
- 1 red , or orange, or yellow pepper, diced
- 4-6 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 2 stalks of celery, diced
- 1 (398 ml) (14 fl oz) can of Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes or Regular Canned diced Tomatoes (see notes*)
- 1 and ¾ cups of water
- 1 tablespoon of Better Than Bouillon Vegetarian No Beef Soup Base, ( there is an organic version as well but I have not tried it)
- 3 tablespoons of Chili Powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tsp Ancho Chili Powder
- ¼ teaspoon of onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon of granulated garlic
- 1 tablespoon of sugar or substitute maple syrup
- 1 tsp of yellow mustard
- 2 (540 ml) (19 fl oz) cans of pinto beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 (540 ml) (19 fl 0z) can of red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
OPTIONAL TOPPINGS FOR CHILI:
- cilantro
- Pico De Gallo or Salsa
- sliced avocado or Guacamole
- sour cream
- green onions
- finely diced white onion ( my favourite)
Instructions
- Heat a 5-6 quart Dutch Oven or heavy bottomed pot on medium heat, then add the oil ( or water or veggie stock), diced onion and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Next add in the garlic, peppers and celery and cook for 5-7 minutes, until veggies are softening, stirring a few times.
- Now add the rest of ingredients to the pot and stir. Bring the Chili to a boil then reduce the heat to a simmer and cover for 25 minutes. Stir once or twice.
- After 25 minutes uncover the Chili and add one soup ladle full of Chili to your Nutra Bullet or Blender and blend until smooth (optional). Add the puree back to the Chili. Stir and Serve.
- Enjoy the Chili by itself or serve with your favourite toppings!
Notes
- this Chili will keep in the fridge for 3-5 days
- It's totally freezer friendly
- if you'd like the Chili saucier (or if you're adding vegan meat crumbles) add another small can of roasted or regular diced tomatoes.
- feel free to add your favourite vegan crumbles. If you use TVP I recommend pre soaking it.
- I quite often will add 1 and ½ to 2 cups of Gardein Meatless ground crumbles (and yes I definitely add the another small can of tomatoes!)? It's delicious! (add after, or if) you've pureed a ladle of chili and cook for 5 more minutes)
- this Chili is SO good on a Vegan Hotdog with mustard and a little finely diced white onion!
- I have made my Chili with Fire Roasted Tomatoes and regular Diced Tomatoes, they're equally delicious.
- If you use Seasoned Fire Roasted Tomatoes omit the onion powder and granulated garlic.
- Once in awhile I will add cooked, crumbled tofu to my Chili. I crumble the tofu into a good quality non stick skillet with a few spices and cook on medium heat for 20 minutes. It's a great 'Meaty' addition.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Mains, gluten free
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Col says
Hi Verna! Are these imperial measurements? Asking as I'm based in the US so it appears the measurements are a little different for me... so just trying to figure out if/how to convert. Thanks!
Jenny says
This chili is AMAZING! Definitely going into the rotation this winter! I added meatless crumbles and skipped the ancho chili powder and it was soooo good! Great recipe!
June Howley says
Sadly didn't keep in the fridge for three days. It was so good we ate it all at once!
Melissa says
Can I use tomato sauce or passata instead of diced tomatoes? What would the equivalent be if yes?
Kathy says
This recipe is amazing! My friend recommended it because her whole meat-loving family (including 2 young boys) enjoyed it. I made this with my mom and we both devoured it! Bonus: I love that it uses common ingredients and is a one-pot meal. This recipe will definitely go on repeat!
Mel says
Oh, I am definitely trying this. It sounds amazing!
I want to have a smoky element to my chili. Would this recipe be good with a little liquid smoke added to it? And if so, do I add at the beginning or the end?
Deborah Lewis says
My husband loved this recipe! This will be my go to for long cold nights! Thank you for sharing! We adding the gardein crumble and some roasted tomatoes with the 3 beans kidney black beans and pinto amazing. We were a little hesitant about the mustard and maple syrup but it definitely helped with the heat and was a great addition to the chili.
Verna Rindler says
So glad you both enjoyed the Chili Deborah, feel free to leave a star rating - really helpful:)
Jane Curtis says
Hello Verna,
I am new to using Instant Pot & wondered if you could give me timings to make this in it? It sounds so delicious.
Verna says
Hi Jane this particular recipe has not been tested in the instant pot so I cannot say. 🙂
Jane Curtis says
Thank you Verna.
Verna says
You're welcome! I will be adding a instant pot vegan chili recipe in the near future 🙂
Jane Curtis says
👍 Look forward to seeing it.
Carole says
The best thing about this recipe is that you can follow it exactly, or tweak it to fit what veggies you have on hand, and it's always delicious! I add a couple of diced jalapenos and I mix up the types of beans that I use. Thank you for an excellent recipe!
Verna says
I am so happy you're enjoying the chili recipe Carole. Thanks so much for the wonderful review! 🙂
Jeff says
Wat to go this was amazing chili. It didn't even need any vegan meat!
Verna says
thank you so much!
Linda says
Made this for the first time tonight…will definitely make it again! There’s so much flavor, even eliminating the onion and garlic (made it for a guest on a FODMAP diet). We all loved it! Added Beyond crumbles for added texture!
Verna says
Thanks for your feedback Linda. I am so happy you all enjoyed the chili!
Isabella says
I’ve been making this recipe for the last 2 years! Obsessed
Verna says
You made my day Isabella! Delighted you're enjoying it. Please feel free to leave a star rating, really helpful 🙂
Liz says
AMAZING !!!! Family Friendly and easy peasy !!! We added Beef-less ground beef from Trader Joe’s and it was amazing. My kids and family loved it. Definitely keep this recipe handy. Perfect for crowds, potluck, football season!!
Verna says
Thank you for your review Liz, very helpful, and so kind. So happy your family enjoyed it! 🙂
Jackson says
Finally! Look at vegan recipes through the eyes of someone who is not vegan. That's some weird ingredients and very confusing. So I was looking for a vegan chili recipe for company and I found yours!!! It's totally normal!! Thank you!!
Verna says
You're very welcome enjoy Jackson!
KM says
Best. Chili. Ever. Thanks for the recipe!
Happy New Year!
Verna says
Thank you so much! Really appreciate your feedback and Happy New Year to you too!! 🙂
Lisa says
I love this recipe!! I used only 1 TBS chili powder and 2 tsp cumin, and I didn't have ancho chili powder. It has such a great flavor! I love the sweetness of the maple syrup. This is one of my favorite recipes on Pinterest.
Verna says
Thank you so much Lisa! What a nice compliment! I recommend grabbing some ancho chili powder for next time, it is a really nice addition.