Vegetarian Chili
on Oct 26, 2023, Updated Jun 12, 2024
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This easy-to-make Vegetarian Chili is the last chili recipe you will ever need! This meatless dish is full of flavor and spice to keep your family coming back for more.
Whether you are looking for a stand alone dish or something savory to spoon over your baked potato, this vegetarian chili has got you covered! The sweet onion, spicy seasoning mix, and hearty beans come together to create a dish that will be gone almost as fast as it comes together.
One of our favorite things about this easy-to-make chili is how easy it is to customize. Whether you are looking for more nutrients, spice, or sweetness, this chili can be easily adapted to please any palate.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It is flavorful and filling.
- Can be stored in the freezer, making it an easy dish to prepare ahead of time.
- Features an array of savory spices that will be a hit with the pickiest of eaters.
Recipe Ingredients
- Olive Oil—Or another high heat oil like avocado oil to help cook the veggies.
- Red Bell Peppers—Finely diced. Can be substituted with orange, yellow, or green bell peppers.
- White Onion—Adds some sharp sweetness to the chili.
- Spice Mix—A savory blend of chili powder, paprika, cumin, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning.
- Black Beans—Serve as the main form of protein in the dish.
- Diced Tomatoes—Canned, but not drained.
- Vegetable Broth—Serves as the base of the liquid, providing most of the moisture.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Popular Substitutions and Variations
- This chili is great topped with cheddar cheese, sliced avocado, sour cream, cilantro, or tortilla chips.
- If you do not have black beans you can use pinto beans. You can also use a mix of the two if you would like.
How to Make Vegetarian Chili
Step #1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot. Cook the bell peppers and onions over medium heat until the veggies are soft.
Step #2. Stir in the spices, ensuring they evenly coat the veggies.
Step #3. Add the black beans, diced tomatoes, and vegetable broth to the pot. Keeping the pot over medium heat, allow the chili to simmer until bubbly and thickened.
Step #4. Top as desired, serve, and enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
When making vegetarian chili, the vegetables do a lot to help thicken the dish. All the vegetables you add to the pot will absorb moisture, making them nice and tender as well as helping thicken the chili itself.
We like to recommend using a broth as the base of your dish. Doing so will help give your chili a stronger, more savory flavor. However, you can always use water in a pinch. You can also use a mix of water and bouillon flavor cubes.
While we like to use black beans in our chili, you can use whatever beans you would like! One of our favorite combos is to use half black beans and half pinto beans. For a more diverse looking dish you can also use a combination of black beans, kidney beans, and great northern beans.
Expert Tips
- Allow your chili to simmer without a lid on the pot so that the excess moisture can evaporate. Covering the chili with a lid will result in the same flavor, but your chili will be quite runny.
- While you will want to drain the black beans, it is not necessary to drain the can of tomatoes. Simply pour the entire can of diced tomatoes straight into the chili.
- Other veggies that go great in this chili include sweet potatoes, corn, celery, and kale.
What Should I Serve With My Chili
As far as toppings go, the options are limitless! Some of our favorites include cheddar or pepper jack cheese, sliced avocado or easy guacamole, sour cream, cilantro, and crumbled tortilla chips. With so many topping options, this chili is great for potlucks or bar-style dinners. As far as sides go, this chili is amazing served alongside homemade cornbread. The sweetness of the bread helps balance the savoriness and spiciness of the chili. Baked potatoes made in the air fryer would accompany chili well too. This chili is extremely versatile and can be served alongside most dishes.
How to Store and Reheat Leftover Vegetarian Chili
We recommend storing your leftover chili in a sturdy airtight rubbermaid container. You can store your chili for up to 5 days in the fridge. When you are reheating your leftovers, transfer a single serving to a microwave safe bowl and cover the top with a paper towel to prevent any splatter. Heat your chili for 1 minute, stirring halfway through and check to make sure the middle is warm.
You can also store this chili in the freezer for up to 3 months. To store your chili in the freezer, first let it cool down until it is warm but not hot. Gently pour the chili into a gallon sized Ziploc bag and lay it flat in your freezer. Laying the bag flat will make thawing it easier. When you are ready to reheat your chili simply let it thaw in the fridge and reheat it on the stovetop over medium heat until warm all the way through.
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Vegetarian Chili
Ingredients
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- ½ white onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons paprika, or smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 3 cans black beans, (15 ounces each) , drained and rinsed
- 1 can diced tomatoes, 24 ounces
- 4 cups vegetable broth
Instructions
- Combine the bell pepper, onion, and olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook the veggies for about 5 minutes over medium-high heat, or until they are soft and tender.
- Once the veggies are tender, stir in the spices until they evenly coat the onions and bell peppers.
- Add the black beans, diced tomatoes, and vegetable broth. Stir to combine and allow the chili to simmer over medium heat for 30 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- This chili is great topped with cheddar cheese, sliced avocado, sour cream, cilantro, or tortilla chips.
- Allow your chili to simmer without a lid on the pot so that the excess moisture can evaporate and the chili thicken.
- If you do not have black beans you can use pinto beans. You can also use a mix of the two if you would like.
- While you will want to drain the black beans, you do not need to drain the diced tomatoes. You can pour the whole can of tomatoes straight into the chili.
- You can store your leftover chili in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container. Reheat your chili in the microwave by transferring a single serving to a bowl and covering it with a paper towel or plate. Reheat the chili for about 1 minute, or until hot.
