Everyone needs a go-to chili recipe! Personally, I love experimenting with chili recipes by including all kinds of fun veggies, spices, veggie proteins, and maybe beer…but there’s definitely something to be said for good old classic vegetarian chili. This is my basic, easy vegan chili recipe. But don’t be fooled: this chili is absolute DELICIOUS. It’s seriously loaded with scrumptious Tex-Mex flavor and perfect for pretty much all tastes. Feeding a group of skeptical meat-eaters? Give them this chili! Need something delicious for meal prep that won’t bore you to death by the end of the week? This chili is what you need!
What You’ll Need
Here’s what you’ll need to whip up a pot of this vegetarian chili!
Olive oil. You can substitute another high-heat oil if you’d like, such as corn, canola, or avocado oil.Onion. We’re using a plain old yellow onion, although a red or white onion would also work just fine!Bell peppers. The recipe calls for one red pepper and one green, but feel free to switch things up and use any combination of pepper colors.Carrots.Garlic.Spices. You’ll need mild chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika and cayenne pepper. Feel free to omit the cayenne pepper for a milder meatless chili! Diced tomatoes. The recipes calls for fire roasted tomatoes, which will really pack some flavor into your chili, but regular diced tomatoes will work in a pinch.Beans. We’re using canned beans. The recipe calls for one can of black, one can of kidney, and one can of pinto beans. You’re totally welcome to switch things up and use other varieties like lentils and chickpeas though!Frozen corn.Salt & pepper.Tomato paste. You’ll only need this ingredient if you decide to make Instant Pot vegan chili. It helps to thicken the stew!
How to Make Vegan Chili
The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you’d like to skip right to the recipe!
Stovetop Chili
Start by heating up some olive oil in a large pot. Once the oil is hot, add your veggies: onion, peppers, and carrots. Sweat the veggies until they start to soften up.Add your garlic and spices: chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper. Cook everything until the garlic and spices become very fragrant. Be careful not to overcook the mixture at this point, which can burn the spices and make your veggie chili taste bitter!
Add your beans and tomatoes to the pot. Bring the chili up to a simmer and let it cook for at least a half hour. Feel free to let it simmer on low all day though! A longer simmer time will give you a thicker chili with milder flavors. Add water or vegetable broth it if becomes too thick while it cooksStir in some thawed frozen corn during the last minute or so.
Easy, right?! Season your chili with salt and pepper to taste when it’s finished, then dig in!
Instant Pot Vegetarian Chili
Use the “sauté” function on your Instant Pot to sweat the onion, peppers, and carrots in some olive oil. Add the garlic and spices during the last minute or so, then press “cancel.“Now stir in a cup of water, then add your tomatoes, followed by the beans. Don’t stir! The water and tomatoes need to be on the bottom to prevent the burn warning from going off. Close the pot, set the valve to “sealing” and use the “manual” or “pressure cook” function. Set the cook time to 10 minutes.Carefully move the valve to the “venting” position when the timer goes off. Let the pressure release completely, remove the lid, and stir in the corn.Stir in some tomato paste to thicken your vegetarian chili. This step is important because chili cooked in the Instant Pot doesn’t come out as thick as stove top chili. You also can press the “bean/chili” button and let it simmer for a bit to get ever thicker.Season the chili with salt and pepper, ladle it into bowls and enjoy!
Leftovers & Storage
Leftover chili keeps great! Store it in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Tip: If you find yourself getting bored with your chili leftovers, try repurposing it! Instead of serving it as a stew, try topping a baked potato (or sweet potato), piling it on a veggie dog (plant-based chili is great on carrot dogs), or making veggie chili fries.
More Hearty Vegan Soups & Stews
Spicy Black Bean SoupVegan Beef StewSmoky Chickpea StewPlantain StewRosemary White Bean Soup
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