The Best Vegetarian Chili

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This easy vegetarian chili recipe is loaded with three kinds of beans, vegetables, and bold chili flavor. It's budget-friendly, hearty, and so satisfying, you won't miss the meat! Make it on the stove, in your Instant Pot, or in a slow cooker.

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Why You'll Love This Vegetarian Chili Recipe

• Rich-tasting with a hearty texture.
• So good, it's hard to believe it's vegetarian. Actually, it's vegan!
• Made with budget-friendly ingredients.
• Offers easy instructions for the Instant Pot, slow cooker, or stovetop.

This vegetarian chili is a true crowd-pleaser, and most can't believe it's meatless! When you serve it, prepare yourself for a deluge of compliments.

Like my lentil chili recipe, you'll appreciate the simple, accessible ingredients. Beginner cooks will feel right at home with this recipe, and busy cooks will appreciate how the Instant Pot delivers all-day flavor in about an hour.

My veggie chili is featured in Brian Baumgartner's Seriously Good Chili Cookbook. Fans of The Office TV show know Brian as Kevin Malone – and his famous chili scene. I'm honored to have my chili recipe included among so many talented recipe creators in the collection — and thrilled that my food photography graces the cover!

Ingredients You'll Need

• olive oil - You only need a splash to sauté the vegetables.
• carrots, onion, celery, and garlic - These essential aromatics add nutrition, color, flavor, texture, and volume! They're economical, especially when cooking for a crowd. Vegetables make chili more exciting in my book!
• canned beans - Use any three beans for 3-bean chili. I use black beans, red kidney beans, and white beans.
• corn - Adds texture, color, and a hint of sweetness.
• canned tomatoes - Use any variety. I use diced tomatoes or crushed tomatoes.
• vegetable broth - Since this is a plant-based chili recipe, I use vegetable broth. But you could use chicken broth or beef broth and still call it a meatless chili recipe.
• tomato paste - An essential ingredient that helps thicken the chili and adds a deeper tomato flavor.
• chili powder - An essential ingredient, indeed! More is better in my book because it only makes the flavor deeper and bolder.
• ground cumin - This gives any chili a depth that makes it even more southern or southwestern.
• salt and pepper - These are essential ingredients that can be added 'to taste' if preferred.

How To Make Vegetarian Chili

First, sauté the vegetables in olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the beans. You'll notice I'm using a combination of black beans, white beans, and red kidney beans. You can use any beans you like, but they must be fully cooked before you add them to the pot.

Next, add the remaining ingredients: tomatoes, tomato paste, seasonings, and broth. The chili won't look thick yet, but it will thicken beautifully as it cooks!

Bring everything just to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat and simmer until the chili thickens to your liking. You won't believe how unbelievably rich and delicious veggie chili can be. It's great for meatless dinners!

Storage and Reheat

• Cool completely, then refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 90 days (or longer if vacuum sealed). The chili flavor actually improves in cold storage.
• To thaw, simply transfer frozen chili to the refrigerator 24-48 hours before reheating and serving.
• To reheat veggie chili, add a few splashes of water or broth if needed. This helps adjust the consistency, which distributes the heat more evenly.

Veggie Chili Recipe Variations

• Add mushrooms or bell peppers to the sautéed veggies for extra flavor and volume.
• Add ½ teaspoon of chipotle powder to the chili for a deep, smoky flavor.
• Substitute a 12-ounce can of your favorite beer for vegetable broth to enhance the flavor profile.
• Add 1 tablespoon of finely ground coffee or 1 teaspoon of unsweetened cocoa powder to enhance the richness.
• Boost fiber and protein by adding quinoa to enhance volume and texture.

More Hearty Vegetarian Recipes

• Black Bean Quinoa Chili
• Easy Minestrone Soup
• Thai Pumpkin Curry
• Vegan Tortilla Soup
• Mushroom Stroganoff
• Thai Coconut Soup

📖 Recipe

Easy Vegetarian Chili Recipe

This easy vegetarian chili recipe is loaded with three beans, simple vegetables, and bold chili flavor. It's budget-friendly, hearty, and perfect for meatless meals! The recipe includes stove, pressure cooker, and slow cooker instructions. So good, it made it into a celebrity cookbook!

Prep TimePrep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook TimeCook Time 30 minutes mins

Total timeTotal time 45 minutes mins

Yield 8 1-cup servings

Author Traci

4.98 from 47 votes

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Note about scaling

When scaling, the light gray ingredient notes after the comma don’t change. Adjust as needed.

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
• ▢ 1 medium Onion, diced (about 2 cups)
• ▢ 1 large Carrot, diced (about 1 cup)
• ▢ 2 ribs Celery, diced (about 1 cup)
• ▢ 3 cloves Garlic, minced
• ▢ 3 (15-ounce cans) Beans (any kind), rinsed and drained (about 4 ½ cups)
• ▢ 1 cup Corn, frozen, canned, or fresh
• ▢ 1 ½ cups Vegetable Broth
• ▢ 1 (15-ounce can) Diced Tomatoes, undrained
• ▢ ⅓ cup Tomato Paste, about half of a 6-ounce can
• ▢ 3 tablespoons Chili Powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon Ground Cumin
• ▢ ½ teaspoon Salt
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper

Instructions

• Heat a 4.5 quart soup pot over medium heat. Add OLIVE OIL and heat until shimmering.
• Add ONION, CARROT, CELERY, and GARLIC and sauté for 3–5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften.
• Add BEANS, CORN, VEGETABLE BROTH, DICED TOMATOES with their juices, TOMATO PASTE, CHILI POWDER, CUMIN, SALT, and BLACK PEPPER.
• Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
• Reduce heat, partially cover, and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chili thickens to your liking.
• Cool completely, then refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Did you make this recipe? I'd love your feedback!!Please rate and review it here or below ⤵️

Recipe Notes

Beans: I use black beans, navy beans, and red kidney beans, but any combination works.

Chili powder: Use regular chili powder (a seasoning blend), not pure ground chile pepper powder. Three tablespoons give this chili its bold flavor, but you can start with less.

Adjust the consistency: For thicker chili, simmer uncovered until it reaches your desired consistency. For thinner chili, add a splash of vegetable broth or water.

Adjust the flavor: Taste before serving and add more salt or chili powder as needed. For extra heat, add cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper flakes.

Pressure cooker instructions

Heat OLIVE OIL using the Sauté setting. Add ONION, CARROT, CELERY, and GARLIC and sauté for 3–5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients, secure the lid, and pressure cook on HIGH for 2 minutes, followed by a 10-minute natural pressure release. Carefully release remaining pressure, open the lid, and stir before serving.

Slow cooker instructions

Heat OLIVE OIL in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add ONION, CARROT, CELERY, and GARLIC and sauté for 3–5 minutes. Transfer to the slow cooker, add remaining ingredients, and stir to combine. Cover and cook on HIGH for 2 hours or LOW for 4–6 hours.

Equipment

• chef's knife
• cutting board
• can opener
• 6-quart Instant Pot

Show Nutrition Hide Nutrition

Nutrition

Serving: 1 cup · Calories: 83 kcal · Carbohydrates: 11 g · Protein: 2 g · Fat: 4 g · Saturated Fat: 1 g · Sodium: 477 mg · Potassium: 306 mg · Fiber: 3 g · Sugar: 4 g · Vitamin A: 4248 IU · Vitamin C: 6 mg · Calcium: 27 mg · Iron: 1 mg

Nutrition information is an estimate and may vary depending on the brands, ingredients, and portion sizes used.

Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

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