Meet the best vegetarian chili recipe I've tasted! It's thick, hearty, and comforting, filled with flavorful veggies and two types of beans.
This vegetarian chili is the ultimate cold weather comfort food. I make it on repeat throughout the fall and winter because it’s warming, hearty, and flavorful. Made with two types of beans, corn, peppers, and more, it packs in a hefty amount of veggies, but it’s still a hit with meat lovers (just ask Jack!).
This easy vegetarian chili recipe calls for a short list of pantry ingredients. To make it, you only need to do a few minutes of hands-on prep. Then, let it simmer away on its own. 30 minutes later, this thick, smoky, spicy veggie chili will be ready to dish up.
Healthy and delicious, this is a great recipe for busy weeknights, game day, or any time you’re craving something cozy. Enjoy!
How to Make Vegetarian Chili
This vegetarian chili recipe is easy to make! It starts with these simple ingredients:
Recipe Ingredients
- Onion, garlic, and red bell pepper – These savory veggies build delicious flavor. For an even bigger veggie punch, toss in a chopped carrot or celery rib too!
- Fire-roasted diced tomatoes – A chili essential! I prefer fire-roasted tomatoes to regular diced ones because they add smoky depth to the chili.
- Pinto and kidney beans – Canned beans make this recipe SO simple to prepare, but you could also cook your beans from scratch. Feel free to change up the types of beans if you like. Black beans are also delicious here.
- Water or vegetable broth – It helps the chili cook down to a stewy, saucy consistency.
- Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce – These canned peppers are the star ingredient in this vegetarian chili recipe. They add AMAZING smoky, spicy flavor. For even more depth, stir in a teaspoon each of chili powder and cumin, but these spices are optional. The chipotles and adobo sauce add plenty of flavor on their own!
- Corn kernels – For color and crunch. Fresh and frozen corn both work well.
- Fresh lime juice – For bright, tangy flavor.
- And salt and pepper – To make all the flavors pop!
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
Process
Once you prep your ingredients, making this veggie chili is a breeze! You can find the complete recipe with measurements at the bottom of this post, but for now, here’s an overview of how it goes:
Start by sautéing the aromatics. Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until it softens, about 5 minutes. Then, add the pepper and cook for another 5 minutes or so, until it’s also soft. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, and cumin and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
Next, simmer. Add the diced tomatoes, beans, chipotles, adobo sauce, corn, water, and salt and pepper. Bring the chili to a boil, then reduce the heat and cover the pot. Simmer for 25 minutes, or until the chili thickens. Give it a good stir every 10 minutes or so.
Finally, season to taste. Add the lime juice and more salt and pepper as desired.
Top the plant-based chili with your favorite fixings, and dig in!
What to Serve with Vegetarian Chili
The toppings are half the fun of this vegetarian chili recipe! Load up your bowl with flavorful fixings such as these:
- A dollop of sour cream, vegan sour cream, or Greek yogurt
- Pickled red onions
- Sliced jalapeño peppers, serrano chiles, or pickled jalapeños
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Sliced or diced avocado
Enjoy a bowl of this chili on its own, or pair it with tortilla chips, cornbread, or a baked sweet potato for a heartier meal. Or, for a fun game day snack, top it onto sweet potato wedges to make sweet potato chili fries!
How to Store Vegetarian Chili
This homemade vegetarian chili keeps well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The flavor improves as it sits in the fridge, so I actually like the leftovers better than the freshly cooked chili!
Freezing
This recipe also freezes well for up to 3 months. Allow the veggie chili to cool to room temperature and transfer it to freezer-safe containers or jars, leaving an inch for it to expand at the top. Seal and freeze.
Allow frozen chili to thaw in the fridge before reheating it on the stove or in the microwave.
More Favorite Soup Recipes
If you love this veggie chili, try one of these delicious soups or stews next:
- Instant Pot Chili
- Black Bean Soup
- Best Lentil SoupÂ
- Butternut Squash Soup
- Or any of these 35 Best Soup Recipes!
Vegetarian Chili
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon chili powder, optional
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin, optional
- 1 (14-ounce) can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
- 1 (14-ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (14-ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup water or vegetable broth
- 3 chipotle peppers from a can of chipotles in adobo, diced*
- 3 tablespoons adobo sauce
- 1 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen
- ½ teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, plus wedges for serving
Topping options:
- Avocado, diced or sliced
- Greek yogurt or sour cream
- Jalapeño or serrano peppers, diced or sliced
- Fresh cilantro
- Pickled Onions
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, a pinch of salt, and several grinds of pepper and stir. Cook until the onion is translucent, 5 minutes, then add the red pepper. Stir and cook until soft, 5 to 8 minutes, turning down the heat as needed.
- Add the garlic, chili powder, and cumin, if using, and stir for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
- Add the tomatoes, beans, water, chipotles, adobo sauce, corn, salt, and several grinds of pepper. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the chili has thickened.
- Stir in the lime juice and season to taste. Serve with desired toppings.
Notes
Excellent receipt. I would make this again with a little less adobo sauce. The sauce I used was a bit too spicy.
Thanks for bringing this one up—it was on repeat at our house last fall. Look forward to making it again. Tastes so good and really does freeze well.
This chili is easy, delicious and economical. I added chopped carrot and celery to the onion and cut back on the chipotles. Great fall dish. I took a page from another chili recipe and used a potato masher to mash about 1/3 of it. I prefer the texture that way. Thanks for a great recipe! It’s a keeper.
I want to cook it in a slow cooker also but I’m in need of knowing the instructions too
any suggestions on cooking this wonderful chili in a slow cooker
This chili is SO delicious! I used a spoonful of Better Than Bouillon Chicken with a cup of water instead of plain water or Vegetable stock/broth, so mine wasn’t true vegetarian. I tasted it before I added the Chipotles and it was delicious as is, but adding the Chipotles completely changed the flavor. Chicken tinga tacos are my absolute favorite dish (made with Chipotles) so I love the smokey, spicy Chipotle flavor, so I’m glad I added it. I also liked the corn, it added a nice sweetness. I will definitely be making this a lot this fall and winter! Thank you!
Excellent flavors and textures! I served it over brown rice and had an incredibly filling meal.
Didn’t even feel the need to top it with anything. This recipe is a keeper. Thank you!
Hi Debbie, I’m so glad you loved the chili!
This is amazing. Love all the flavors. Don’t even miss the usual meat. Thank you for sharing!
I’m so glad you loved it!
Looks wonderful! Could this be made in a slow cookie or pressure cooker? What would the times be if so? Thank you!
I want to cook it in a slow cooker also but I’m in need of knowing the instructions too
Delicious! My meat-eating family did not miss the meat. Love the smoky flavor and the heat the adobo provides.
I’m so glad it was a hit!
So quick and easy. Made no changes except to back off on the adobo amount slighty. Will play with other ingredients in the future but this one is great as is. Thank you.
Hi Laura, I’m so glad you enjoyed the chili!
Made this for dinner tonight (along with cashew cream and pickled onions) and it was perfect for this rainy chilly fall evening! I added 1 tsp of cinnamon powder and it complemented the chipotle flavor so well. I also added 1 stalk celery, some baby Bella mushrooms for a meaty texture, and some farmer’s market zucchini. So good!
Hi Luci, so glad you loved it! Those additions sound delicious.
Delicious. Very impressed with this recipe! Simple, but packed with flavor, and easy to adjust.
Hi Christina, I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I didn’t cover when I let it simmer because I was worried it would end up being too watery and it turned out well for me! Alternatively you could add some cornstarch or nutritional yeast to thicken it up a little bit.
I’m glad you enjoyed it!
I have probably made this chili 15 times in the last year and ended up being a perfect superbowl dinner last night!
It’s so versatile and easy to change up based on what you have on hand or what you’re craving. Some modifications we have made in the past:
-Add a spicy/lime-y bloody mary mix for the additional liquid.
-Frozen onions, peppers, pearl onions, carrots, sweet potatoes, jalapenos, butternut squash, green beans etc.
-Use roasted garlic and double up the quantity
-Canned diced chilies
-Fresh sliced lacinato or purple kale
-Quartered Impossible brand meatballs
Freezes and pressure cans well (with some modifications for the liquid-veg ratio). Great recipe, thank you!
Spicy! My husband and I love it. The only thing I changed was no lime and I used 1 cup of vegetable stock instead of water. It was thick, spicy and delicious all on its own!
So glad you enjoyed it!
Spice, texture, satisfying. You ticked all the boxes with this chili recipe. And so quick to prepare. This is the perfect meal when you are tired or short on time after work. My changes were:
#1 – Tossed all ingredients in Instant Pot and cooked 5 minutes, natural release.
#2 – Took another commenter’s advice and added a sweet potato (small dice)
I just wrote “frozen onions & peppers” and “frozen cubed squash or carrots” on my shopping list so assembly will be extra fast on work nights.
Thank you !
If this is chili why isn’t there any chili and cumin spices
Hi, the chipotle peppers and adobo sauce give it a wonderful smoky chili flavor. If you prefer to cook with dry spices, check out this Instant Pot Chili Recipe that uses chili powder and cumin: https://www.loveandlemons.com/instant-pot-chili/
Jeanine, I am so grateful for this easy chili recipe. I have made this several times and it is such a huge hit with my family. I made it two nights ago and just finished the leftovers. I love that I only have to chop an onion, a bell pepper, and smash up some garlic and the adobo sauce soaked chipotle peppers. This is probably like the 12 the time I cooked it, and I bulked it up with carrot. I appreciate your wonderful blog! Keep up the amazing work!
Hi Erika, We’re so glad you love the recipe! Thank you for your comment.
Can you recommend InstaPot instructions?
So this chili took *way* longer than 25 minutes of simmering to thicken – more like 1.5 hours before I just gave up anyways – and yesterday at midnight after 2 hours of exhausted cooking in sweltering heat I was all ready to leave a disappointed review. But I just had the chili for lunch and WOW it’s actually incredible and absolutely worth the mildly traumatic late-night cooking experience it took to produce. Five stars.
To future cooks, I would recommend starting cooking at a more reasonable time of the evening, and also adding less liquid if you prefer a denser result.