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.
Great veggie chili recipe! And my husband loved it as well! This is definitely going into the rotation. The smoked paprika and the red wine vinegar really made it special. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Monica! I appreciate your review.
Hi! I don’t have the time to watch chili cook so I’m going to make this in the slow cooker on high for 4 hrs.
It’s a keeper! I always forget how tasty this recipe is. The spice amounts are just right. I didn’t have pinto beans, substituted 1 can black and 1 can garbanzo (what was in the pantry). Used yogurt instead of sour cream. Do easy to make.
Great to hear! Thank you for sharing, Anna.
I love this recipe. We practice the traditional fast for lent and abstinence year round on Fridays so we’re always looking for good vegetarian recipes.
I make this recipe for my meat chili too, just add venison. Wild game has a particular taste and this recipe works very well with it as well!
We are the same here!
Pax
Delicious! A big hit in our household. I used dark kidney beans instead of the black beans because that’s what I had on hand. This is my new go-to chili recipe. Thank you!
Great to hear, Fran! Thank you for your review.
I’ve made this before and loved it! I wanted to add a walnut mixture as a meat substitute that I’ve seen in other vegan chilis.
Do you think this would thicken it up too much? If so, what adjustments can be made?
Thank you!
I truly like this best as written. I hope you try it!
Delicious! I used plant based mince and added it in after blitzing half of the mixture. You definitely gave me a recipe to keep for life, thank you!
You’re welcome, Nadhia!
I have made this probably ten times at this point. It’s amazing and a family favorite. It makes you feel good to eat it! The smoked paprika is the perfect highlight, and the vegetable/bean combination is spot on. I’m so grateful to have discovered Cookie & Kate. Thank you for truly making a difference in our kitchens and our lives!
That’s great to hear, Kurt! Thank you for taking the time to review.
Just great fool-proof chili.
My Chili is always hit or miss because I’m too stubborn to follow the recipe. Ok, I’m a fool!
Decided to stick to the instructions and it all worked out! Amazing!
Thank you for your review!
Love, love, love this recipe! Probably made 10 times in 2 years. Perfect every time! I add frozen corn and the sherry vinegar is the magic ingredient that melds the flavors! A family favorite!
I usually use a crock pot when I make my Bacon, Sausage chili.
Can the same be done here? Any recommendations for do and do nots?
Others have tried it and didn’t mind the results. I still recommend the first few steps of the recipe for the best flavor.
I don’t know how many times i have used this recipe – too many to count. I’ve played with it a bit adding mushrooms to the onions and garlic then mashing them a bit to create texture. I layer a cajun type of seasoning through the ingredients and omit the smokey paprika. I now add some tomato sauce. i add a bit more of the spices, carrots and celery and extra beans. from the first time that i made it according to the recipe to the current version with my embellishments – this chili is ALWAYS a hit. my go to. thank you!!
Great to hear you have made this a lot, KK! I appreciate your review.
This recipe has been on high rotation in our house for years. It’s my 12 year daughter’s fave meal. I just have a question about what brand chilli powder you use. I’m an Australian living in Europe and to us chilli powder is just chilli, so it’s extra hot. I gather your chilli powder is a blend of spices? I’d love to know. Thanks!
That’s great! Thank you for sharing, Jo.
Chili powder in the US is a blend of cayenne and paprika and onion powder and garlic powder and some other things. There are so recipes out there to make it. Good luck!
Can this be made in a slow cooker?
Others have tried it and didn’t mind the results. I still recommend following the first few steps for the best flavor.
A wonderful chile I have made many times. And shared the recipe many times too. When we make trips to a cabin in the mountains I always make batch and just reheat it. Goes great with Corn Bread!
Thank you for sharing, Sandy!
Been making this recipe every fall for many years! It’s a hit with everyone I make it for. I always add a little brown sugar just to sweeten up the spice. This is my go to recipe for Halloween night, I usually make cornbread with it as well.
Thank you for the awesome easy to follow recipe.
Hmm. Was a little bland for me. It would’ve had no heat if I didn’t realize it didn’t have anything hot in it. Added about 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes to the spices. The chili powder I have has no heat. A couple diced jalapeños (including seeds) or Rotel diced tomatoes would’ve probably done the job as well. Still didn’t have the “rich” flavor I’m used to, so added a little cinnamon which helped a bit.
I’m sorry to hear you didn’t love this recipe. I’m glad you were able to make it work for you.
Hello!
Can this recipe be made in a crock pot (slow cooker)?
Thanks!
I know others have and didn’t mind the results. I still recommend following the initial cooking steps for best flavor.
This has been a staple for our family for several years now! It’s delicious as is and also great when you mix up the beans! Garbanzos are one of our favorite substitutions.
I made this as an alternate Christmas meal this year. Everyone from age two to 80 loved it! I make chili several times each winter, and have used many different recipes over time, but this is my new go-to favorite! FYI, I followed the recipe to the letter.
My family loves this chili! I’ve made it several times and it is a hit every time! I’ve topped it with yogurt because that is what I had. Also a splash of lime. LOVE THIS CHILI !!
I haven’t ever been able to make a great tasting chili until I tried your recipe. It’s absolutely delicious. Definitely going to save this recipe. My family kept raving about how great the chili was. Thanks.
I have made this recipe several times over, and I don’t miss the meat at all. I think what really makes it taste so good is to use just a tiny bit of the red wine vinegar. I have even shared the recipe with my sister-in-law, my niece, and my assistant principal. They love it!
That’s great to hear, Karol! Thank you for your review.
Delicious! I made a few ingredient swaps based on what was in my pantry. I used light and dark kidney beans, cannelli beans, fire roasted tomatoes (which taste amazing in this recipe) and white onion since that’s what I had. Turned out great!!
That’s great to hear, Liz! Thank you for your review.
My go to vegetarian chili recipe. Super easy to make, incredibly tasty, and very hearty/filling. I like to use kidney beans as one of three cans of beans and add a diced jalapeno for some spice. Definitely would recommend this recipe.
That’s great to hear, Allie! I appreciate your review.
This is my go to chili recipe. Another favorite from your site. Thanks!
You’re welcome, Danielle!
This was delicious. My mom offered to chop the carrots for me. She used the food processor and wound up mincing them. I think that actually created a better texture, along with the immersion blender.
I love this recipe. I’m planning on making it for a very large event, so I need recipes that I can make ahead and freeze. Do you know if this freezes well? Or can you suggest another recipe?
Yes, this is a great freezer option!
So good!!!! I made the recipe exactly as is and it was loved by the whole family. I will definitely be making this a lot this winter. I has some leftover smoked paprika that I picked up in Spain and it really made the meal :-) thanks for posting this!!!
I’m delighted you loved it, Jenifer! I appreciate your review.
This was fantastic. I used chicken broth because that’s what we had, but I’ll go full veggie next time. I like soups and chilis soupy, so I didn’t blend it, and the texture after cooking alone was great.
This was so delicious! The flavour is amazing. The smoked paprika really made the difference. I added a can of corn for some sweetness and used 1 can of black beans and 1 can of lentils. I topped with plain greek yogurt and some grated aged white cheddar cheese. So good on a cold night. I think this is my favourite chili ever!
Hooray! I love to hear that. Thank you for your review, Jennifer.
Hi, love this recipe and make it on z regular basis. Favourite with all the family. I was wondering though whether it can be made in a slow cooker?
Others have tried it and didn’t mind the results. I recommend still following the fist few steps.
Could I add tempeh to this chili? How would you go about it? Thanks for all your wonderful recipes BTW ❤️
If I’m
Making this ahead of time
Do I wait to add the vinegar until ready to
Serve?
Or can I add it then warm up the whole
Pot the next day?
This is actually best as written. I recommend making it completely. I hope you love it!
Hi, Kate,
I discovered you by accident a few years ago and love all of your recipes. I have made this chili many times, but it always comes out as a very delicious soup rather than chili. I’m making it again next week. Any suggestions?
Thanks,
Linda
You could reduce the liquid if you prefer.
Thank you. I think I discovered what was wrong. I always triple the recipe because I make it for a group. I noticed that the tripled recipe gives triple amounts for the ingredients, but not amounts in the instructions. This time I tripled the amount to put in the blender and the consistency was perfect.
This is one of our family favourites! We don’t use chilli powder so the kids can eat it and it’s still super delicious. Even my 7 month old loves it!
So delicious. This has become a staple in our home for cold days. I mix up the beans depending on what I have in my pantry, but I think our favorite combination is one black bean, one pinto bean, and one red kidney bean.
You know it’s good chili when you are excited to eat the leftovers. It was delicious the first, second, and third time I ate it. It packs plenty of flavor and some heat, which I love. I accidentally purchased a green bell pepper instead of a red one, but flavor was great. I used red wine vinegar instead of sherry vinegar which seemed to work fine. I will make this recipe again and again and again.
Easy to make and really satisfying. This recipe is a keeper.
I made this for the fourth time yesterday. I usually change it up a bit, but I stuck pretty close to the recipe other than using different beans. For spice lovers, I realized that 2 Tbs. of chili powder isn’t nearly enough! I even added half a jalapeno. If you like your chili to have some heat, add another couple of tablespoons. of chili powder! I live in Colorado and we love Tex-Mex/Mexican foods here so we’re used to spicy foods! Aside from that, this is my second review and I always use it as a template.
Amazing veg chilli.. I’m well below average cook but I surprised myself and everybody else, absolutely delicious
I would happily be vegetarian if all non meat dishes were this good! Absolutely delicious and hubby on his second bowl
Absolutely delicious
I didn’t add the beans but replaced with 7 large jalapeño peppers…
Very filling a keeper
This recipe is just amazing !
Whenever I’m home I like to cook meat-free dishes, as some of my family is vegetarian, but even the meat-eaters in my house love this ! I never would have thought to blend up some of the mixture, but it makes for such a nice texture.
Similar to other commenters, I commend the recipe’s versatility. I personally have been using equal parts black beans, chickpeas and kidney beans (1 tin each), opt for like juice, and serve with cheesey nachos and coriander.
Thank you so much for a wonderful recipe !
This recipe is just amazing !
Whenever I’m home I like to cook meat-free dishes, as some of my family is vegetarian. Even the meat-eaters in my house love this ! I never would have thought to blend up some of the mixture, but it makes for such a nice texture.
Similar to other commenters, I commend the recipe’s versatility. I personally have been using equal parts black beans, chickpeas and kidney beans (1 tin each) and serve with cheesey nachos and coriander, and I tend to use lime juice.
Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe !
You’re welcome, Grainne!
Incredible recipe! I made it vegan and my mom didn’t even notice… this is definitely a staple recipe!
This is my favourite recipe of all time. I’ve probably made it close to 50 times.
I love to hear that, Saphira!
Just excellent! Our family just watched You Are What You Eat on Netflix and are trying make better choices for our health and planet. This is just as good as – probably better than – any meat chili I’ve ever had. All my kids loved it too!
Delicious and healthy. I loved this. Very easy to make. I omitted celery because I didn’t have it and I never have it except at Thanksgiving. I plan on making this again and again.