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

Although I eat legumes and stews all year long, I especially enjoy them during the cold months. There’s nothing more comforting than a hot beverage or a homemade stew after a long cold day.

Vegan chili is a dish I always include in my recipe rotation and although I’ve made so many versions (you can find them on the blog), this is the best chili I’ve ever tried.

Any type of legumes is okay to make chili. My favorite combo is black and kidney beans and also lentils, but feel free to use what you have on hand. Do you have to add 3 different types of legumes to your pot? No! Add 1, 2, or more if you want.

As my recipes are usually pretty basic, please feel free to use any veggies, spices or herbs you like or have in your pantry. This vegan chili is delicious with pretty much everything!

Although chili is a spicy dish, if you don’t enjoy spicy food, don’t worry! Just omit the cayenne flakes. You could also use jalapeño or poblano peppers or even cayenne powder instead. I usually use cayenne flakes or cayenne powder to make my recipes because I always have them on hand and they’re really easy to get here in Spain.

what ingredients do you need to make vegan chili?

• Extra virgin olive oil – I’m Spanish, so I use extra virgin olive oil to cook most of my dishes. However, any type of oil is okay. I always use extra virgin oils when possible because they’re healthier. If you don’t eat oil, just add some vegetable stock or water instead.
• Garlic – I prefer fresh garlic, but garlic powder is a good alternative.
• Onion – I used a white onion. Any type of onion will do, though, even onion powder.
• Green bell pepper.
• Red bell pepper.
• Carrot.
• Red wine – Wine is optional in this recipe, so feel free to omit it. You could also use white wine or even beer instead.
• Ground cumin.
• Dried oregano – Any dried or fresh herb will do. I prefer to add fresh herbs at the end, once the chili is already cooked.
• Paprika.
• Ground black pepper – Fresh ground black pepper tastes best. However, I find store-bought ground black pepper more convenient and also easier to measure with a teaspoon.
• Salt – I always use Himalayan pink salt. Any type of salt is okay, though.
• Cayenne flakes – If you don’t like spicy food, just omit it. You could also use jalapeño or poblano peppers or anything you want to make your chili spicy.
• Tomato paste – You could omit this ingredient, but you’ll get a tastier vegan chili if you add it.
• Crushed tomatoes – Canned tomatoes are so convenient. If you want to use fresh tomatoes is okay, but you’ll maybe need to add more liquid (vegetable stock or water).
• Black beans, kidney beans and lentils – I used canned beans and lentils, but you could also cook dried legumes from scratch. You don’t have to use 3 types of legumes, just use 1 or 2 if you want (or more). Any type is okay.
• Corn kernels – I prefer to make my chili with frozen corn kernels, but canned is also okay.
• Vegetable stock or water – I love vegetable stock because it enhances the flavor of the chili. However, water is okay too. Making your own vegetable stock at home is a good idea, but feel free to use store-bought if you want.

tips for making vegan chili

• Feel free to add any veggies, herbs and spices you want.
• This dish freezes really well, so you can make several batches. Then reheat it in a large pot over medium-low heat and add more vegetable stock or water if needed.
• Some chili recipes call for some type of sweetener. I think it’s not necessary, though.
• I like to serve my vegan chili over rice or with some tortilla chips. It’s also delicious with some vegan sour cream on top.
• The longer the chili sits, the more developed the flavors become, so it’s actually better the next day.

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, rate it or tag a picture @simpleveganblog on Instagram and hashtag it #simpleveganblog. We’d love to see what you cook!

Vegan Chili

• Author: Simple Vegan Blog
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 35 minutes
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: 4–6 1x
• Category: Main dish
• Cuisine: Vegan, Mexican

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.

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Ingredients

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, optional
• 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. If you don’t eat oil, use some vegetable stock or water instead.
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 (I added some chopped fresh parsley on top) or keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 5-7 days.

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