Vegan Chili

Vegan chili, the perfect cozy meal for chilly days, made in 1 pot with basic pantry ingredients. It’s a healthy, hearty, nutritious and high-protein meal.

Vegan chili is a simple meal that works great for the wintertime. It’s comforting, a little spicy and satiating. I’ve made lots of different versions over the years, but this is the best chili I’ve ever had.

Legumes are one of the healthiest foods and this chili is a good way of including them into your diet. They are full of protein, inexpensive and they also go with everything. Eat them with veggies, in a salad or even as dips such as hummus.

This vegan chili is a very simple recipe made with basic pantry ingredients. For this version, I’ve used black beans, kidney beans, and lentils, but it is so versatile you can make it with any type of legumes, spices or herbs.

To make this vegan chili you only need 1 pot and easy-to-find ingredients. It’s simple, hearty and so delicious, and packed with lots of protein. Eat it hot with your favorite toppings and enjoy a tasty and healthy dinner!

How to make vegan chili – Step by step

• Heat the oil in a large pot and add the veggies (photo 1). Cook over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally (photo 2).
• Add the red wine (photo 3) and cook over high heat for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently until the alcohol evaporates (photo 4).
• Add all remaining ingredients (photo 5), stir and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 30-40 minutes (photo 6).
• Serve immediately (I added some chopped fresh parsley on top).

Pro tips

• Feel free to incorporate the veggies, herbs, and spices you want.
• The longer the chili sits, the more developed the flavors become, so it’ll taste better the day after.
• I’ve used extra virgin olive oil as it’s healthier, but any type of oil will work. If you don’t consume oil, just use oil-free vegetable stock to enhance the chili flavor or even water.
• I made this chili with fresh garlic, but you can also use garlic powder.
• You can substitute red wine for white wine o even beer.
• If you don’t like oregano, use any other dried herb.
• Jalapeño or poblano pepper are also good ways of making your chili spicy if you don’t like cayenne, but it’s okay to omit them if you don’t like spicy food.
• Fresh tomatoes would also work well, but you might need to add more liquid.
• Tomato paste will make your chili tastier.

Can you freeze this vegan chili?

Yes, you can freeze it. Once it’s cold, put it into the freezer in an airtight container. You can either freeze it all together or in portions for up to 2 months.

To thaw, put the container into the microwave on the “defrost” setting for 3 minutes, empty it out into a saucepan directly from the containers or keep it in the fridge for 1-2 days before eating it. 

How long will this vegan chili last?

Keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 5-7 days. To reheat, put it in a bowl into the microwave or in a saucepan and heat it up over medium heat. 

How to serve vegan chili

You can serve this vegan chili over rice with some chopped fresh parsley or vegan sour cream on top. You can also eat it with homemade tortilla chips.

Looking for more legume recipes?

• Lentil Soup
• Vegan Meatloaf
• Vegan Jambalaya
• Black Bean Burgers
• Chana Masala

Did you make this vegan chili recipe?

Please leave a comment below, share it or rate it. You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, and PINTEREST. I’d love to see what you cook!

Vegan Chili

• Author: Iosune
• Prep: 10 mins
• Cook: 35 mins
• Total: 45 mins
• 4–6 1x
• Main dish
• Vegan, Mexican
• Vegan

★★★★★ 4.8 from 4 reviews

Servings 4–6 1x

Scale 1x2x3x Tap or hover over number to scale servings

Print Pin Rate

Vegan chili, the perfect cozy meal for chilly days, made in 1 pot with basic pantry ingredients. It’s a healthy, hearty, nutritious and high-protein meal.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1/2 medium green bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 medium red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 medium carrot, chopped
• 1/2 cup red wine (125 ml), optional
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp cayenne flakes, optional
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes (400 g)
• 1 cup canned or cooked black beans (190 g), drained and rinsed
• 1 cup canned or cooked kidney beans (180 g), drained and rinsed
• 1 cup canned or cooked lentils (200 g), drained and rinsed
• 1 cup frozen or canned corn kernels (140 g)
• 2 cups vegetable stock or water (500 ml)

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a large pot and add the veggies (garlic, onion, green bell pepper, red bell pepper and carrot). Cook over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
2. Add the red wine and cook over high heat for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring frequently until the alcohol evaporates.
3. Add all remaining ingredients, stir, increase heat and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 30-40 minutes.
4. Serve immediately over rice with some chopped fresh parsley or vegan sour cream on top. You can also eat it with homemade tortilla chips.
5. Keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 5-7 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. 

Notes

• Feel free to incorporate the veggies, herbs, and spices you want.
• The longer the chili sits, the more developed the flavors become, so it’ll taste better the day after.
• I’ve used extra virgin olive oil as it’s healthier, but any type of oil will work. If you don’t consume oil, just use oil-free vegetable stock to enhance the chili flavor or even water.
• I made this chili with fresh garlic, but you can also use garlic powder.
• You can substitute red wine for white wine o even beer.
• If you don’t like oregano, use any other dried herb.
• Jalapeño or poblano pepper are also good ways of making your chili spicy if you don’t like cayenne, but it’s okay to omit them if you don’t like spicy food.
• Fresh tomatoes would also work well, but you might need to add more liquid.
• Tomato paste will make your chili tastier.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1/4 of the recipe
• Calories: 311
• Sugar: 12.4 g
• Sodium: 727 mg
• Fat: 5.2 g
• Saturated Fat: 0.6 g
• Carbohydrates: 50 g
• Fiber: 14.3 g
• Protein: 14 g

Update Notes: This post was originally published in January of 2019, but was republished with new photos, step by step instructions and tips in April of 2020.