The Best Vegan Chili

By Nandor Barta on 05/04/2023 - May contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure.

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.

Cast iron skillet with a chunky chili loaded with chopped vegetables and beans, topped with white cream, chopped avocado, and scallion. Half avocados and tortilla chips are around it.

Be sure to check out some of our other easy vegan chili recipes, such as our sweet potato quinoa chili and our vegan white chili!

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What to expect?
Ingredients
Instructions
Cooking tips
Variations
Serving ideas
Storing tips
FAQs
More vegan Mexican recipes
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.

Cast iron skillet with a chunky chili loaded with chopped vegetables and beans, topped with white cream, chopped avocado, and scallion.

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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

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

Cast iron skillet with chopped onion, sliced carrots, and chopped red peppers.

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

Cast iron skillet with chopped onion, sliced carrots, chopped tomatoes, celery, chocolate cubes, bay leaves, and chopped red peppers.

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

Cast iron skillet with chopped veggies in a thick red tomato sauce.

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

Cast iron skillet with chopped veggies in a thick red tomato sauce topped with 4 heaps of spices.

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!

Cast iron skillet with chunky tomato sauce topped with red kidney beans, white beans, sweet corn, and cooked millet.

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.

Cast iron skillet with a chunky chili loaded with chopped vegetables and beans, topped with white cream, chopped avocado, and scallion. A wooden spatula is placed in the middle.

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

A black bowl with a chunky chili loaded with chopped vegetables and beans, topped with white cream, chopped avocado, and scallion. Leftovers are in a cast iron skillet next to it.

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

What can you use in chili instead of meat?

You either opt to make a meatless bean chili or choose one of the vegan ground beef substitutes. The most popular ones are tofu crumbles, textured vegetable protein, mushroom mince, cauliflower mince, walnut mince, millet, and quinoa. Each option has its own unique flavor and texture profile, which can be used to create different variations of vegan chili depending on your personal taste preferences.

What kind of beans are good for chili?

The most popular beans are black beans, red kidney beans, and white cannellini beans. However, pinto beans or even chickpeas would taste delicious.

How do you thicken vegan chili?

There are at least 20 ways to thicken soups, stews, and chili. The most popular ways to thicken chili are by adding flour or cornstarch. What makes classic chili thin is the water released by the meat. Since you don’t have a problem with that in vegan chili, you can just simmer it until the sauce thickens. Our recipe doesn’t even use vegetable broth, so it is really thick, creamy, and rich.