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.
Will this work well in the crockpot?
Hi Jessica, I haven’t tried it, but I believe others have and liked the results. I just recommend you still saute the vegetables like stated as that is where you get so much flavor!
Fantastic recipe in every way. I have made many times and shared too…thank you.
I made the veggie Chili last night and it was so amazing! The flavours were great and the plus side a healthy dish! My go to recipe.
Thank You!!!’
Best veggie chilli I’ve ever made – fantastic recipe. I did use less garlic & cayenne pepper instead of chilli powder but it was still so tasty.
Great recipe as written. Went well with all the toppings listed. My son asked, what about Fritos? Thanks for a delicious dinner.
You’re welcome!
Hi there can this be cooked in slow cooker?
Hi Natalie! I haven’t, but I believe others have and didn’t mind the results. You get your delicious flavor when you saute your vegetables so I still recommend doing that, so I’m not sure how much time you will save!
I love love love this recipe! I make it in huge batches and freeze it for quick mid week meals or indulgent nachos on the weekend. I love that’s packed full of vegetables and my veggie hating husband and nephew can’t get enough of it (they don’t need to know it’s soo good for them). Thank you for sharing what has now become a staple meal in our household
BEST chili ever! We added sweet potatoes, and it was delicious. New family favorite!
This is the first of your recipes that I have made. SO GOOD!! I had a tasting bowl, then had another. I did add chopped jalapenos and regular paprika.
I absolutely loved this recipe! I used what I had on hand so no celery, added a green bell pepper, and used kidney beans, chickpeas, and white kidney beans in place of pinto and black beans. I also added a chopped up chipotle pepper in adobo sauce. Everything else was the same as your recipe including using a potato masher to thicken up the chili which worked great! I already can’t wait to eat the leftovers! This recipe is a keeper.
Love it! It’s become a regular on the menu. I love to serve it on a baked sweet potato… the best!
Thank you
Easy, tasty, customizable!
This recipe goes hard! This and the Thai Curry we adore. Thanks for posting yummy stuff
This was FANTASTIC! I had to tweak it a bit based on what I had. I used sweet peppers instead of bell, 1/4 tsp chili powder and 1/4 tsp paprika, a can of chickpeas instead of pinto beans, organic chicken broth instead of vegetable, left out the cilantro since I didn’t have any, and 1 tsp apple cider vinegar instead of wine vinegar.
BOTH of my picky eaters (5 and 11 years old) adored this soup and said they would happily eat a hundred bowls! I served it with tortilla chips, shredded cheese and sour cream.
I didn’t have a blender, so I used a bowl and a coffee mug to “mush” some of the soup.
We will definitely be making this again, thank you!!
I made this chili and it was delicious!! I have to say I had to cook chili for 60 min, instead of the suggested 30min. The celery and carrots were still crunchy at 45min.
I’ve never tried vegetarian chili and I was so impressed how good this was. Didn’t miss the meat.
This is absolutely delicious! We put it over rice and added a little cheese on top. The only change I made was used tomatoes with chili’s in them. Will definitely be making this often!
Thank you, Julie!
I love chilli ultimate mouth watering trying lots of new dishes during lockdown.will definitely try out this . thanks for sharing.
I’ve made this recipe over and over again. I now triple the recipe and freeze some for busier weeks. I love the trick of blending some to add thickness! I recently started baking my beans in large batches in the crockpot. I’m addicted. Thank you!
This was amazing! I actually threw all the ingredients in the slow cooker and left it on high for 5 hours and the vegetables cooked beautifully. Can’t recommend this recipe enough, will definitely make it again
I stupidly ignored the note about the chili powder and hoooly moley it’s hot! I’ve already doubled the rest of the ingredients, added corn, added sweet potatoes, and my mouth is still begging for mercy… Super spicy is generally fine in my books, but I’m still trying to tame this pot of lava further.
I believe the chili powder I used was Indian, DO heed that warning. Flavour is nice otherwise. =)
I hardly leave comments on recipes but I just had on this one. Second time I’ve made this recipe in as many months – and it’s better than I remembered! Thanks for the great recipes, your blog kept me sane during the NZ lockdown, I tried about 7 new recipes from your site. Thanks Kate!
I’m happy you did, L! Thank you for sharing.
As usual, another SUPER tasty recipe from Cookie and Kate. Almost everything we’ve made goes right into the regular rotation. This was easy, and super tasty with a lot of flavor and texture. Whenever Kate tells you to blend at the end – make sure not to skip that step. I added a cinnamon stick (treat it like the bay leaf) because I felt like it needed just a touch of sweetness. I will 100% make this again!
This was, hands down, the best chili I have ever made. I will never add meat to my chili again!
The BEST veg chilli I’ve ever eaten, including in restaurants. Even my meat eating hubby loved it and polished off the whole plate! Super easy too.
This recipe was awesome as is the first time I made it. The second time I made it I decided to experiment… I didn’t feel like washing the blender so I added a can of vegan refried beans to give it body. I also added 1/2 cup of frozen corn kernels, 1 medium zucchini chopped fine (insides scooped out), 1/2 tablespoon of ground chipotle powder, 1 tablespoon of honey and 1/4 cup of finely chopped cilantro. It was a huge hit with everyone! Revés with jalapeño honey cornbread on the side a a drizzle of Mexican crema on top. Thank you for this awesome recipe and for inspiring me to experiment in the kitchen.
this was AMAZING!! love all your recipes!
This recipe is awesome!! It’s the first vegetarian chili recipe I’ve had & I’m never going back to eating chili with ground beef again!
Question: do you consider a cup to be a serving size?
Hi Brook! I’m glad you love it. Rougly 1.5 cups would be a serving size. Thank you for your review!
So yummy! I’m in Australia so only used half a teaspoon of chilli powder and that was enough for us! Served it up with rice and a dollop of sour cream and even the kids devoured it! Thanks for the delicious recipe!
I made this again! I did not have celery, left out the salt and vineger, used 2 cans of chickpeas and one black beans. Seriously, this recipe is THE BEST! My whole family raves about it and it will be made at least once a week in our house from now on. It’s easily adapted to what you have on hand and we love changing up the beans. I’m going to be doubling this next time because we really can’t get enough of it and love to eat the leftovers for several days! Thank you!
Kate,
I am also vegitarian so I really enjoy all your receipe . Almost made all soups all turn out very very good.
thank you so much !!! urvashi
I’ve been a vegetarian for 20 years. In all that time I’ve NEVER found a chili recipe that I liked. Even my old chili recipe using different substitutions for the meat. Until now. This is AMAZING and I am beyond thrilled to finally truly enjoy a bowl of chili. A mere thank you doesn’t feel adequate but thank you ever so much!
I’ve made this recipe with modifications lots of times over the last few months and it’s become my favorite chili recipe! I enjoy a good amount of heat so I replace the bell peppers with a comparable amount of a combination of diced jalapeño and serrano peppers (seeds and all). I also like to add crumbled tofu when I sauté the veggies to add another texture. I replace one can of black beans with one can of kidney beans. To thicken, I use a little corn starch diluted in water. Finally, I tried this last night and I thought it took the recipe to another level, instead of adding more salt and vinegar at the end of cooking, I added capers. Instead of adding a general saltiness throughout the chili, it adds little bursts of salt and acid with each chew that I thought added a really interesting dynamic to the dish. Next time I want to try fire roasted tomatoes to see if it’s better complemented by the smoked paprika or if ends up being overkill. Thanks so much for this recipe!
What is an actual serving size on this?
Hi! Roughly 1.5-2 cups is a serving.
I made this tonight. So good,thanks!! Emailing myself this recipe.
Making this for the third time right now and can never get over just how perfectly yummy it is!!! Thank you for this recipe- easy to follow as a beginner cook and astoundingly delicious!!
This recipe was amazing! My husband and I LOVED it. I added some black pepper otherwise, it was the perfect spice mixture!
Do you think I could make this in my crockpot? I plan on making it tomorrow. This recipe looks so delicious! Thanks for sharing!
Hi June! I know several readers who have made this in a crockpot. I personally haven’t and love this stovetop. I highly recommend following the sauté step of your vegetables for maximum flavor. I’m not sure how much time the crockpot would save.
Best chili I’ve ever had!! Perfect amount of spice, very hearty, and meat is definitely not missed. I followed the recipe exactly.. except I didn’t have lime so used lemon instead. I will definitely have this in the rotation!!
I love it! All your recipes are amazing–I’ve been cooking them almost exclusively since stay at home began. I added lots of different veggies to this one from our CSA: a summer squash, a pint of fairy tale eggplants, a handful of okra. Also a 14 oz can of tomato sauce and an extra 14 oz can of diced tomatoes to make sure it was tomatoey enough with all the extra veggies. Since there were so many veggies, I also did 4 cups of vegetable broth instead of 2. Since I added so much, I think I need to increase the spices so it’s not too diluted—I added a few more shakes of everything, but I’m not sure that was enough do you have a recommendation? Would you double the spices? or multiply by 1.5?
Hi Karen! Thank you for sharing. Since you increased the veggies and liquid, it would likely be a safe assumption you would want to double it – especially with the increased liquid. But, be mindful of spices that may be on the hotter side per your taste buds.
Thanks Kate!! I’m so thankful for your recipes. :)
Hi Kate,
I am so glad I stumbled upon this recipe. Our family has been trying to stick to a vegetarian/vegan diet but it has been tough as my recipe portfolio is pretty limited. My husband suggested chili so I went searching to find a recipe. What I love about this recipe is the fresh ingredients, the amazing spices, and the amount of time it takes to make this. This turned out even better than I could have imagined. I didn’t blend some of the chili but used a potato masher and it did the trick. It was a hit in our house! This is a recipe that I will definitely add to my collection. The chili tastes even better the next day! Thank you so much for sharing this fabulous recipe.
My first attempt at making a chilli, my fussy 9 year old couldn’t stop eating it and even asked for it for breakfast the next day! I cut the chilli powder down to 1.5 spoons as it’s super hot here in Australia, they don’t sell a mild one. Anyway, we now have this recipe on the favourites list so thank you!
Hooray! I’m excited it was a hit. Yes, chili powders do vary so good call! Thank you for your review, Jo.
This chili was not only beautiful to look at but it was equally as delicious! My husband’s night was made! He has had to drastically change his eating habits, and this made him so happy! Thank you!
Hi Kate!
I loved this recipe, thank you very much. The blending trick was the key here – makes it nice and thick!
I did also adjust it slightly to by adding a small courgette, reducing the amount of garlic and chilli powder (we are not great on spice in my household). I used kidney beans instead of pinto beans, and parsley instead of cilantro (simply because I did not have those ingredients at home).
Super yummy chilli. I added a bit of hamburger for extra protein.
I’m sorry it didn’t work for you – and a good rule I’ve learned (the hard way) for cooking is always read the recipe several times before proceeding. Why curse Kate (who is incredibly generous with the recipes she posts here) – so often, the recipe is fine, and it’s we “cooks” who mess it up by not reading thoroughly. I love this chili recipe – it’s my go-to every time. Summer or winter. In fact, making a batch right now!
Great recipe! I am doing weight watchers smart points. Zero points for this chili! I topped it with a dollop of fat free a Greek yogurt. Such a great way to up my daily fiber. Love this! Thanks so much!
Beautiful!! The perfect chili recipe, thanks so much. Definitely better when you blend some at the end
Made this last night as written, except cut in half for 2. So so yummy. We are camping so unable to use blender and it was still great!
That chili was amazing!