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bowl of vegetarian chili with avocado, cheese, and sour cream as toppings

Vegetarian Chili

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5 from 1 review

As a longtime vegetarian, vegetarian chili has always been a go-to meal. Creamy beans, tender vegetables, and fire-roasted tomatoes, it provides all the hearty satisfaction of a meat-heavy dish, sans the meat. & tastes even better as leftovers!

  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 6 1x

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium red onion, diced
  • 1 large red bell pepper, diced
  • 2 medium carrots, diced
  • 2 stalks celery, diced
  • 3 cloves of garlic, smashed or minced
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 (28-ounce can diced tomatoes, fire-roasted (do not drain)
  • 3 (15- to 15.5-ounce) cans beans, such as pinto, black, kidney, or garbanzo, drained and rinsed
  • 2 cups no-added salt or low-sodium vegetable stock
  • Garnishes: chopped cilantro, diced avocado, tortilla chips, sour cream or Greek yogurt, grated 2% cheddar cheese, and whatever else you enjoy!

Instructions

  1. Sauté your veggies.  Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat until shimmering.  Add the onion, bell pepper, carrot, celery, and garlic.  Cook, stirring, until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
  2. Add the spices.  Add the chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, and black pepper and stir to coat the veggies.  Cook until fragrant while stirring constantly, about 1 minute.
  3. Add the tomatoes, beans, and broth.  Add the tomatoes and their juices, beans, and vegetable stock.  Stir to combine.
  4. Bring to a boil, then simmer 30 minutes.   Bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat as needed and simmer uncovered until the chili thickens to your liking, about 30 minutes.  If you prefer a looser chili, add up to 1 cup more broth.  For an even thicker chili, you can blend the chili briefly with an immersion blender OR mash the chili with a potato masher. (When I reheat the chili I add a little more vegetable stock to help loosen it a bit as it reheats, so it’s not too thick).
  5. Serve with toppings of your choice.  Spoon the chili into serving bowls and serve with the toppings of your choice.  This chili will keep well in the refrigerator for about 3 days.  Freeze the leftovers to enjoy another day!  
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