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The best Three Bean Vegetarian Chili is loaded with plenty of beans and hearty vegetables. After less than 15 minutes of prep, the chili simmers on the stove to allow the flavors to meld to create the perfect meatless meal!
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Pin ItThree bean chili is a great way to increase your consumption of vegetables, especially on a cold day. It’s warm, comforting and packed with flavor.
Dinnertime doesn’t have to be hard. Add this three bean chili to your menu and you will be sure to please both kids and adults. It’s a satisfying plant-based meal for any night during the week and is a hit on game days.
This recipe is perfect to enjoy with a side of tortilla chips or layered over a baked sweet potato. Serve the vegan three bean chili with delicious Cheddar Scones for the perfect comforting meal.
If you’re looking for a meat option, try this Hearty Turkey Chili!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Chili Recipe
- Made from pantry ingredients: Most of the ingredients you need for this recipe are found in your pantry. It’s the perfect recipe to throw together when you don’t know what else to make for dinner since you can keep all of the ingredients on hand.
- No fuss recipe: This recipe requires minimal prep. Besides chopping a few veggies and prepping the ingredients, everything comes together in a large pot on the stove top to make dinnertime easy.
- Easy to adapt: The best thing about this recipe (besides how delicious it is) is that you can easily adapt it to fit your tastes. You can also pile toppings on top to add more texture and flavor to make it your own.
- Perfect for meal prep: Chili tastes even better as leftovers so it’s the perfect option for meal prep. Make it ahead of time and store in the fridge or freezer.
- Full of plant-based protein: With three types of beans and fresh vegetables, this vegetarian chili recipe is completely vegan too. It has all of the hearty chili flavor without meat!
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Vegetables: This recipe uses a mix of carrots, red onion, green or red bell peppers and jalapeños. You can omit one of the veggies or substitute for something like celery, zucchini or mushrooms. You can also use yellow onion instead of red onion, if desired.
- Beans: A hearty chili recipe tastes best with three types of beans. I use black beans, kidney beans and pinto beans. If you want to substitute with different kinds of beans, like garbanzo beans or other red beans, you can adjust to fit your taste.
- Seasonings: You will need chili powder, dried oregano, ground cumin, smoked paprika, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. You will also need fresh garlic. To add more heat, add a pinch of cayenne pepper or a few dashes of hot sauce.
- Tomato Sauce and Paste: This recipe requires both tomato sauce and tomato paste to meld the seasonings. If you don’t like tomato paste or need to omit it, the recipe will still work. You can also substitute the paste for more tomato sauce.
- Tomatoes: For the best veggie chili, use a mix of crushed tomatoes and diced tomatoes with chilis. This mix helps give the chili the best texture.
- Vegetable Broth: You can substitute with chicken broth, if desired.
- Toppings: All toppings are optional, but we love serving the chili with some of our favorite toppings. You can find a full list below.
Tips to Make Three Bean Chili
- Make it your own – Feel free to substitute another ingredient or omit something if it doesn’t work for you.
- Make a double batch – You can easily double this recipe to serve a crowd. Everything should fit in a large Dutch oven or soup pot.
- Prep ahead – Three bean chili is the perfect make ahead dish. You can save time by chopping the vegetables ahead of time or you can make the entire dish in advance. Storage and reheating instructions are below.
Chilli Toppings
Serve this bean chili recipe with any of your favorite chili toppings. Switch up the toppings to create a completely different meal every time.
- Sour Cream or plain Greek yogurt
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- Cilantro, Chives, Green Onions or Scallions
- Avocado
- Red Onions
- Tortilla Chips – serve whole or crushed
- Lime Wedges for squeezing over the top
- Hot Sauce or Salsa
Storage and Freezing Instructions
Leftovers taste great the next day! Store any leftover chili in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To freeze, let the vegetarian chili cool to room temperature, then pack it in a freezer safe bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months. When you are ready to serve, let it thaw in the fridge for a day or two, then reheat on the stovetop over medium-high heat.
Chili is perfect for meal prep because it can be stored easily. Prep it ahead of time and reheat during football season or when you want an easy weeknight meal. Enjoy this meal anytime!
Three Bean Vegetarian Chili
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 medium green bell pepper, finely chopped
- 1 heaping cup finely chopped red onion
- 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded as desired, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, (optional)
- 28 ounces can crushed tomatoes
- 10 ounces can diced tomatoes with green chilis, with juices (1 can)
- 15 ounces can black beans, drained and rinsed (1 can)
- 15 ounces can kidney beans, drained and rinsed (1 can)
- 15 ounces can pinto beans, drained and rinsed (1 can)
- 1 cup low sodium vegetable broth
- 1 lime , juiced (optional)
- Sour cream, for topping
- Shredded cheddar cheese, for topping
- Diced red onion, for topping
- Diced chives, for topping
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or saucepan over medium heat. Add the carrot, bell pepper and onion and saute for 5 to 6 minutes, until softened. Add the jalapeño and garlic and saute for 1 minute, until fragrant.
- Add in the chili powder, tomato paste, oregano, cumin, paprika, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes (if using.) Stir everything together and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until fragrant.
- Stir in the tomatoes, beans and broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Cook uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chili is thickened.
- Add the lime juice, taste, and season with salt and pepper, as needed. Serve garnished with sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, diced red onions, wedge of lime or any of your favorite chili toppings.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This recipe was original published prior to 2016. It was completely refreshed with new tips, photos, and recipe modifications in October 2024.
Can the chili be cooked in a crock pot? If so times and temp?
Yes, you can add everything to a slow cooker and cook on high for 2 to 3 hours or low for 4 to 6 hours. Check to make sure everything is cooked through and tender. Enjoy!
This is such a hearty and filling chili! It’s perfect for meatless Mondays around here.
I love this. I don’t like sour cream and I am glad it is optional. I am going to try this out and let you know.
Let us know what you think!