The Best Vegan Chili

What to expect?

Why is this the best vegan chili recipe? Because it is delicious, rich, and loaded. Even our friends who are meat-eaters say, “It is impressive!”

This recipe has everything, literally. We added both cannellini beans and red kidney beans, sweet corn, bell pepper, celery, and carrots. We used sieved tomato puree, which is way better than a simple thin tomato sauce.

Not to mention, we opted not to use any vegan ground beef substitutes but used millet instead. It is larger than quinoa which is a quite popular ingredient in vegan chili recipes, but smaller than TVP or tofu crumbles.

But what really sets this recipe apart is its unique blend of spices and seasonings, which includes red wine, dark chocolate, sriracha, and smoked paprika powder. The result is a rich and savory chili that is sure to satisfy even the most demanding palates.

Ingredients

Okay, so let’s talk about this vegan chili recipe. We packed them with vegetables, legumes, and grains. Actually, there are 10 different ones.

• Onion
• Garlic
• Sieved tomato puree → You can probably find several tomato sauces in the stores. We recommend choosing sieved tomato puree, which is thicker and unseasoned.
• Bell pepper
• Carrot
• Celery
• Red kidney beans
• White beans
• Sweet corn
• Millet → See the Variations section for more ideas.
• Red wine → It makes the chili rich, like a powerful flavor booster.
• Dark chocolate → Oh yes, you are reading it correctly. You can definitely taste the difference, even if it is only a little chocolate.
• Sriracha (chili paste) → You can use chili powder or freshly cut raw chili pepper like jalapeños instead.
• Smoked paprika powder → It highlights the chili flavor more.
• Herbs: basil, oregano, parsley, and bay leaves

🛒 You can find detailed measurements for all ingredients in the printable version of the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Instructions

Prepare the ingredients

• Peel and chop onion and garlic.
• Wash and chop bell pepper, tomato, and celery.
• Wash, peel, and slice carrots.
• We used canned beans and canned sweet corn, so nothing to do there.
• Cook millet as you would cook rice (1 cup of millet – 3 cups of water).

Making vegan chili

1. Take a large pan or cast-iron skillet and cook the chopped onion and garlic in olive oil.
2. Add smoked paprika powder and stir for a minute to activate its flavor.
3. Now add the sliced carrots and the chopped tomatoes. Stir and cook for a minute.

4. Add chopped bell peppers, and celery, as well as the bay leaves, and the chocolate. Stir again.

5. Add the red wine and the tomato sauce and bring to a boil.

6. Season it with dried basil, dried oregano, and dried parsley. Simmer the chili until all vegetables are tender. It will take approx. 15 minutes.

7. As a last step, add canned beans, corn, millet, and sriracha only at the end, as they don’t need to be cooked, just reheated. Check the seasoning again. Add more salt and pepper to your taste. Now, you’re done!

Cooking tips

• Try to chop the vegetables evenly. We added carrots first, as they need the most time to be cooked, then bell pepper and celery, and finally the canned beans and corn.
• Always keep it on medium heat and stir to make sure the tomato sauce is not sticking to the bottom. Or use a good non-stick frying pan. You can also make this chili recipe in a stockpot for batch cooking.
• Depending on how hot and spicy you prefer your chili, you can go from mild chili powder to sriracha chili paste or to freshly chopped raw chili peppers.

Variations

Luckily, there are a variety of vegan ground beef substitutes available so that you can create your version of the best vegan chili. Below, we will explore some of the most popular vegan ground beef alternatives if you prefer to substitute millet.

• Cooked quinoa or bulgur (quick note: bulgur is not a gluten-free grain)
• Tofu crumbles (like in our plant-based chorizo recipe) or frozen tofu mince (like in this vegan sausage recipe).
• Soy curls
• TVP (textured vegetable protein) (we use these in our vegan cabbage lasagna recipe)
• Cauliflower and walnut mince (we use these in our vegan spaghetti bolognese recipe)
• Lentils (we use these in our vegan lentil lasagna recipe)
• Mushroom
• Store-bought vegan ground beef

Serving ideas

• With toppings: Top it with sour cream or avocado, or sprinkle it with vegan shredded cheese, vegan bacon bits, chopped cilantro, spring onion, or scallions. Squeeze a bit of lime juice over the top for a tangy twist!
• Alongside chips or crackers: Serve it with a side of tortilla tips or crackers for dipping.
• Mexican-style: One of our favorite ways to eat this chili is on top of a soft tortilla wrap with rice, vegan sour cream, guacamole, and shredded vegan cheese. Try it with our grain-free red lentil tortillas!
• Chili nachos: Serve it over tortilla chips with our vegan nacho cheese sauce or creamy vegan queso dip for a delicious game day appetizer.
• Chili bread bowl: Serve it in a flaky bowl topped with your favorite toppings.
• Baked potato: Make a loaded baked potato using vegan white chili as the topping.
• Stuffed mushrooms: Add the chili to large mushrooms as we do in our vegan stuffed portabello mushrooms recipe.
• Other sides: Try it with other popular side dishes for chili, such as our easy vegan coleslaw, veggie fries, or cauliflower rice. You can also serve it alongside biscuits or a slice of vegan cornbread!

Storing tips

If you’re a fan of stews and casseroles that taste even better the next day, then you’ll love this vegan chili recipe! Perfect for batch cooking, this dish is loaded with delicious flavors and can be stored in the fridge for 3-4 days. Alternatively, you can freeze it in batches for up to 2-3 months.

Just be sure to let the chili cool completely before storing it, and remember to leave some space at the top of each container to prevent spillage.

When you’re ready to enjoy your leftovers, simply reheat them in the microwave or on the stove, adding a small amount of water or vegetable broth if necessary to loosen the thick texture.

If you have frozen your chili, be sure to defrost it in the refrigerator overnight before reheating it to ensure that it tastes just as good as the day you made it.

FAQs

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The Best Vegan Chili

Nandor Barta

If you're in the mood for a hearty and satisfying vegan chili that is loaded with whole foods and easy to make, then look no further than this incredible recipe! Without any vegan meat substitutes, but bursting with flavor, this dish features a mouthwatering blend of veggies, legumes, and grains that is sure to leave you feeling full and content.

4.5 from 43 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Servings 6 people

Calories 250kcal

Equipment

• our Cast-iron Skillet by UnoCasa

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 Onion
• ▢ 3-4 cloves Garlic
• ▢ 2 Tomato (medium)
• ▢ 2 Carrots
• ▢ 1 Bell pepper
• ▢ 1 Celery
• ▢ 2.5 cup Sieved tomato puree aka Tomato sauce
• ▢ 2 cup Beans (black, red and white mixed)
• ▢ 1 cup Corn
• ▢ ½ cup Millet dry
• ▢ ⅓ cup Red wine
• ▢ 2 cube Chocolate
• ▢ ½ tsp Sweet smoked paprika powder
• ▢ 2 Bay leaves
• ▢ ½ tsp Basil
• ▢ ½ tsp Oregano
• ▢ ½ tsp Parsley
• ▢ ½ tsp Sriracha (or any other chili paste)
• ▢ Salt and Pepper to taste

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Instructions

 

Prepare the ingredients

• Peel and chop onion and garlic. Wash and chop bell pepper, tomato, and celery. Wash, peel, and slice carrots. We used canned beans and corn, so there are nothing to do there.
• Cook millet as you cook rice (½ cup of millet – 1 ½ cups of water).

Making vegan chili

• Take a large pan and cook the chopped onion and garlic in olive oil.
• Add smoked paprika powder and stir for a minute to activate its flavor.
• Add the sliced carrots and the chopped tomatoes. Stir and cook for a minute.
• Add the bay leaves and the chocolate and stir again.
• Next up are the chopped bell peppers and celery. Stir and cook for another minute.
• Add the red wine and the tomato sauce now and bring to a boil.
• Season it with ground basil, oregano, parsley, salt, and pepper. And cook the chili until all vegetables are tender. It will take approx. 15 minutes.
• Add canned beans, corn, and cooked millet at the very end, as they don't need to be cooked, just reheated.
• Add the sriracha. Check the seasoning again. Add more salt and pepper to your taste. Now, you're done!

Tried this recipe? Can we see it?Please share a picture with us by uploading an image to Pinterest below ours.

Notes

• Try to chop the vegetables evenly. We added carrots first, as they need the most time to be cooked, bell pepper and celery, and finally the canned beans and corn.
• Always keep it on medium heat and stir to ensure the tomato sauce is not sticking to the bottom. Or use a good non-stick frying pan. You can also make this chili recipe in a stockpot for batch cooking.
• Depending on how hot and spicy you prefer your chili, you can go from mild chili powder to sriracha chili paste or to freshly chopped raw chili peppers.
• It will last in the fridge for 3-4 days without any problem. 

Video

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

The Best Vegan Chili

Amount Per Serving (1 serving without topping)

Calories 250 Calories from Fat 18

% Daily Value*

Fat 2g3%

Saturated Fat 0.4g3%

Polyunsaturated Fat 1g

Monounsaturated Fat 0.3g

Sodium 60mg3%

Potassium 1087mg31%

Carbohydrates 49g16%

Fiber 11g46%

Sugar 11g12%

Protein 11g22%

Vitamin A 5152IU103%

Vitamin C 48mg58%

Calcium 65mg7%

Iron 5mg28%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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