Vegetarian Chili

Vegetarian chili is a hearty, comforting, and satisfying recipe you can make in one pot with simple ingredients.

It combines protein-rich beans, aromatic spices, and a rich, bold, flavorful tomato sauce.

Served with rice and a colorful topping of herbs, lime, and avocado, vegetarian chili is the perfect cozy meal for a cool evening or family dinner.

Vegetarian chili is the ultimate meatless dinner recipe.

Like our lentil chili and sweet potato chili, this recipe is easy to make in one pot, is rich in protein, hearty, and deeply satisfying.

And like many of our other legume-rich soups and stews, such as black bean soup, lentil vegetable soup, and chickpea stew, this vegetarian chili is an excellent meal prep recipe.

It stays in the fridge for days and reheats beautifully in a saucepan or microwave, allowing you to have a healthy meal during a busy workday.

You can serve vegetarian chili with brown rice, quinoa, cornbread, pasta or tortilla chips.

Oh, and don’t forget the toppings—they are so important here!

We recommend a dollop of yogurt or sour cream, corn, avocado, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime juice.

Quantities are in the recipe box at the bottom of the page.

Flavor base

To make a tasty flavor base, you’ll need olive oil, onion, carrot, celery, and garlic.

You can substitute avocado oil or coconut oil for olive oil.

Spices

We recommend cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, and dried oregano.

You can substitute chipotle powder or one chipotle pepper in adobo sauce for the chili and smoked paprika.

Beans

We like to use a mix of black beans and kidney beans. You can pick your favorite beans, including pinto beans and cranberry beans.

You can use canned or dried beans you previously cooked in water. Here’s our guide on how to cook black beans.

Vegetable broth

You can use regular vegetable broth or a reduced-sodium vegetable broth.

Balsamic vinegar

Balsamic vinegar adds a combination of sweet, savory, and sour notes that boost the flavor of the vegetable chili without increasing the sodium content.

Aged balsamico is even better if you can find it.

You can substitute soy sauce or tamari for balsamic vinegar, but be aware of the sodium content.

Serves well with

We love this recipe with brown rice, quinoa, pasta, or tortilla chips.

For toppings, we recommend sliced avocado, corn, cilantro, spring onions, sour cream or Greek yogurt, and, optionally, hot sauce.

Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add chopped onion, carrot, and celery and sauté for 3 minutes.

Add diced bell pepper, pressed garlic, cumin, chili powder, and smoked paprika, and cook for two more minutes, stirring often.

Pour in diced tomatoes, drained and rinsed beans, and vegetable broth, then season with dried oregano, salt, and black pepper.

Simmer for about 30 to 40 minutes or until the chili thickens, then blend about 2 cups of chili for creaminess. Stir often.

Finally, stir in the spinach and balsamic vinegar, let the spinach wilt, taste it, and adjust for salt and spiciness.

Serving suggestions

Serve with brown rice, quinoa, pasta, or tortilla chips.

We recommend topping it with sour cream or Greek yogurt, spring onions, cilantro, corn, and avocado.

You can even top it with guacamole or pico de gallo.

You can also add a squeeze of lime, pickled jalapeños, or hot sauce.

Make ahead: This vegetarian chili is an excellent meal prep recipe. It keeps well for days, and the flavor improves from day two.

Refrigerator: Let the chili cool to room temperature, then transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate for five days.

Freezer: Let it cool completely, transfer it to a freezer-friendly container (you can divide it into single portions), and freeze for up to 3 months.

Thaw: Defrost it in the fridge or the microwave with a thawing function.

Reheat: Warm the chili in a saucepan with a splash of water or the microwave for a few minutes.

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