Vegetarian Chili is hearty, filling, and packed with veggies, beans, and the best seasoning blend. Pile on your favorite toppings and enjoy!
Flavor-Packed Vegetarian Chili
I’m obsessed with chili—there’s no shortage of recipes here! From my award-winning Crockpot Chili to taco chili and white chicken chili, these are some of my all-time favorites, and you’ve loved them too!
But I couldn’t forget the veggie lovers. I’ve worked hard to make the best Vegetarian Chili, and I’m here to tell you it’s a must-try. Don’t go just yet—I promise it’s just as hearty, filling, and tasty as the rest!
Ingredients
Here’s what’s in this Vegetarian Chili:
- Olive oil: Helps cook the veggies and bring out their flavor.
- Onion & red bell pepper: Dice small for more flavor in every bite.
- Garlic & seasonings: This blend adds big flavors. Adjust cayenne for less heat.
- Sugar: Balances the tang from tomatoes and spice from seasonings.
- Diced tomatoes: Fire-roasted ones add a light smoky flavor.
- Black & pinto beans: Drain and rinse before using.
- Diced green chiles: Add a little spice and extra flavor.
- Frozen corn: No need to thaw—just toss it in.
- Vegetable broth: Use a good brand for the best flavor.
Quick Tip
Fire-roasted tomatoes are roasted before canning, so they taste richer and a little sweeter than regular ones.
Vegetarian Chili Toppings
Toppings take it to the next level, and creamy ones help balance the heat!
- Cheese: Shredded Cheddar or Monterey Jack melt right in.
- Sour cream or Greek yogurt: Adds creaminess and tames the spice.
- Avocado: Sliced or diced for a rich, creamy bite.
- Cilantro & green onions: Add fresh flavor and color.
- Tortilla chips or strips: Crush on top for the perfect crunch.
- Lime wedges: A squeeze makes everything pop.
What to Serve with Vegetarian Chili
- Cornbread: A perfect pair with chili! Try classic cornbread or cornbread muffins.
- Crusty Bread: Great for soaking up every last bite.
- Grilled Cheese: Crispy, gooey, and so good with chili.
- Simple Salad: Fresh greens to lighten up the meal.
- Fruit: Use what’s in season or make a winter fruit salad.
Ways To Serve Vegetarian Chili
- Baked Potatoes: Spoon chili over a baked potato and top with cheese, green onions, and sour cream.
- Navajo Tacos: Use fry bread as a base, add chili, then top with cheese and sour cream.
- Taco Salad: Toss leftover chili over some greens with your favorite dressing.
Storage
Store Vegetarian Chili in the fridge in a closed container for up to 5 days. Reheat on the stove or in the microwave, stirring and adding a little liquid if needed.
To Freeze: Let it cool, then put it in a bag with no air. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat on the stove.
More Vegetarian Recipes To Love:
- Vegetarian Nachos with all the toppings
- Vegetarian Enchiladas with beans and corn
- Sweet Potato Curry with coconut milk
- Vegetarian Chili Mac made in one pot
- Vegetable Soup Recipe with a yummy broth
Vegetarian Chili
Equipment
- Large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion finely diced (1 cup)
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 red bell pepper finely diced
- 2 tablespoons ground chili powder
- 1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper see note 1
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 2 (14.5-ounce) cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 2 (14.5-ounce) cans black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can pinto beans drained and rinsed
- 1 (4-ounce) can fire-roasted diced green chiles optional
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 1-1/2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 lime
- 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro optional
- Toppings as desired see note 1
Instructions
- Heat a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and let it heat for about 30 seconds. Add diced onion and red pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until very tender, about 6–9 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add garlic, chili powder, oregano, cumin, basil, seasoned salt, cayenne, paprika, and pepper. Stir constantly for 45 seconds to 1 minute until fragrant.
- Carefully pour in the undrained diced tomatoes (they may splatter). Stir for about 20 seconds. Add black beans, pinto beans, green chiles (if using), corn, vegetable broth, sugar, and the bay leaf.
- Stir to combine. Reduce heat as needed to maintain a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally. Let cook for 25–30 minutes.
- Remove 1-1/2 cups of chili and transfer to a blender. To avoid spills, remove the blender lid’s center insert and cover the opening with a kitchen towel. Blend until smooth, then pour back into the chili and stir.
- Squeeze in fresh lime juice and stir in cilantro (if using). Adjust seasoning to taste. Serve with your favorite toppings—Cheddar cheese and sour cream are my go-to!
Video
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Incredible vegetarian chili! Never thought to blend a portion- made it extra delicious!
So glad you enjoyed! Thanks Kat! 🙂
If I dont like tomatoes and want to leave those out, should I use tomatoes sauce to replace it? Thanks
I’m sorry I can’t give an exact recommendation without personally testing, but I’d probably use crushed tomatoes instead of tomato sauce
I ended up adding a stalk of celery and leaving out the tomatoes, instead added 8oz can of tomato sauce. It was amazing!!! So good. Thank you for sharing your recipe!!
I am so happy you enjoyed! Thanks for the tip on those subs! 🙂
It was a brilliant idea to pulse some of the batch to replicate the texture of a meat chili. I halved the recipe. I omitted the corn,lime, and sugar. I added crumbled portabella mushrooms 8oz and barley 1 cup cooked. I would make again but half the salt and add the lime.
This was so good!!! Loved the spice that chilies added and I’ll definitely be making this again soon. Thanks for the wonderful recipe.
So happy you enjoyed this!! Thanks for the comment and review Nicole 🙂
Me and my sister are obsessed with this chili it’s amazing!!
Thanks Maya 🙂
Love this recipe for adding more plant-based meals to our diet. It’s a regular in the rotation because it’s tasty, quick, and easy to adjust to what we have on hand/using up leftover veggies. Thanks for sharing!
I’m so happy this has made it into your regular dinner rotation! So glad you guys love this Vegetarian Chili. Thanks for your comment! 🙂
I love this recipe! It’s super tasty! I’ve tried it with different combinations of beans and it’s always great. I also like to add some veggie ground to simulate the ground beef texture and throw in whatever veggies I have to use up in my fridge.
Yay! Thrilled to hear you’ve enjoyed this recipe and the veggie ground sounds like such a great idea! 🙂
Great recipe. We added more tomatoes and bean because we love them. Also added maybe 2 cups of chopped fresh green beans and 2 poblanos because I had them to use up. Versatile recipe you can easily add or delete as needed. Easy to freeze for future meals. Topped ours with diced avocado, minced red onion, grew onions, vegan sour cream, vegan cheese and oyster crackers.
Sounds awesome! Thanks Diane 🙂
I rarely ever post comments but I could not pass up the chance to give feedback on this amazing recipe. My family has been eating plant-based meals for about 2 years now and I have to say, this is not only the best vegan chili I have ever made, but it is now one of my favorite “go to” recipes because everyone loves it My boys don’t even ask where the meat is!!! Thank you so much for sharing your recipes. Blessings!????
Yay!! So thrilled to hear this was a hit 🙂 Thank you so much for the kind comment!
I made this for dinner tonight with just two changes. I did not use the optional chiles and I added a dice zucchini as the onions and red peppers cooked. This was absolutely delicious. My family loved it. It will become a new go-to recipe for me. Thank you so much!!! I have already shared this link with some foodie friends of mine.
So happy to hear this will be a new go-to recipe 🙂 Thrilled it was a hit for you Nancy, thanks for the comment and review!