Vegetarian Chili

This tasty vegetarian chili is so easy to make and is perfect for feeding a crowd. It’s packed with beans and mushrooms and smoky spices. Perfect for when the weather turns colder. This meatless chili is so good even your meat-eating friends will love it!

This chili is warming and filling, it’s packed with beans and mushrooms and all the smoky spices you expect from a good chili. Perfect for when the weather turns colder and great for feeding a crowd, I’m sure you’ll love this as much as we do.

One of the things I love most about chili is all the extras! I usually serve this with rice, plenty of grated cheddar cheese,  and top it off with more chopped coriander/cilantro, slices of jalapeño and a good dollop of sour cream. If we have any leftovers, we have it for lunch with jacket potatoes.

*If like me you’re a sucker for cosy comfort food then check out my Veggie Toad in the Hole or my Vegan Massaman Curry

The Ingredients for Vegetarian Chili

• Beans, I love red kidney beans in chili, they hold up to the heat and are great for soaking up the spices. I also like black beans in this. But feel free to try other beans, I have made this chili with pinto and black-eyed beans which worked really well too.
• Mushrooms, chestnut mushrooms are my choice of mushroom for this chili as they have more flavour than regular white button mushrooms.
• Peppers, I use red and green bell peppers and dried ancho chili. You can find ancho chilies in the speciality/world foods aisle of most good supermarkets.
• Canned Tomatoes, this chili needs 2 cans of chopped/diced tomatoes.
• Spices, all store cupboard ingredients.

Why This Recipe Works

• Beans and Mushrooms. This chili is packed with black beans and kidney beans and a healthy amount of mushrooms. Making this chili packed with protein which will make for a filling meal.
• Family-Friendly Meal. I have deliberately kept the heat on the medium side for this chili so the whole family can enjoy this. You can easily add more heat if you need it.
• Keeping it Simple. This chili is made with mostly store cupboard ingredients and is so easy to make.

How To Make Vegetarian Chili

• Start by dehydrating the dried ancho chili, leave that to soak for about 30 minutes. Once dehydrated finely chop the pepper. Next, heat the oil in a pan and cook the onions until they are translucent and soft.
• Add the garlic and red chili, cook for about a minute or until you smell the garlic, then add the ancho pepper, oregano, and spices. Stir and cook for another minute, again, until you smell the spices. (Photo 1)
• Then add the bell peppers and mushrooms, and cook for about two minutes. Pour in the chopped tomatoes, the soy sauce, bay leaf, sea salt and black pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes. (Photo 2)
• Now add the kidney beans and black beans and simmer for 30 minutes or until the sauce is nice and thick. Stir occasionally so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
• Once the sauce is ready, remove the bay leaf, drop in the chocolate, let it melt then stir it in. Take the chilli off the heat and stir in the cilantro/coriander. (Photo 3)

Top Tips for Making Vegetarian Chili

• If you can, leave the onions to cook for at least 10 to 20 minutes, the longer the better, this will release the sweetness from the onions and make your chili taste even better.
• Make sure and remove the stem from the ancho chili when soaking it!
• Fill one of the cans halfway up with water and add that too.
• I always add some water to the empty cans of tomatoes and give it a good swirl before pouring it into the chili. This way you get all the tomatoes from the can!
• Adding chocolate is optional but I feel it adds an extra layer of flavour to chili.
• Skip the chili powder! Chili powder can make your chili feel a little grainy so I avoid it.
• A little hint of soy sauce or tamari if you want to keep this gluten-free, will also add some extra depth to the flavour of this chili.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Can I Freeze Vegetarian Chili? Yes! You can freeze Vegetarian Chili. If you want to freeze this then don’t add the fresh cilantro/coriander. Leave the chili to cool, transfer it to freezer-friendly containers which you can put the date on. Leave in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight and then cook on the hob to reheat. Add the fresh cilantro/coriander when you are ready to serve.

How Long Does Chili Last in the Fridge? Any leftover chili can be stored in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Just make sure you let it cool then cover it in a suitable container. Like all good stews and casseroles, vegetarian chili tastes even better the next day! Just heat it up on the hob, you may need to add a little water to loosen it up a bit.

Is This Chili Vegan? No, but you can easily make this vegan. Just swap the chocolate for vegan chocolate and serve with vegan sour cream and your favourite vegan hard cheese.

Is This Chili Gluten-Free? Yes, this is gluten-free. Just make sure and use tamari when you make it and not soy sauce.

Need More Cosy Comfort Food?

• Sweet Potato and Butter Bean Stew
• Vegetarian Toad in the Hole
• Sweet Potato Quesadilla
• Vegan Massaman Curry

Did you make this Vegetarian Chili recipe? Rate it and leave me a comment below to let me know what you think!

Vegetarian Chili

A rich and smoky vegetarian chili packed with beans and mushrooms. A perfect dinner for cold evenings.

5 from 5 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Mexican, Vegetarian

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Servings: 6

Calories: 432kcal

Author: Michelle Alston

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion (180g) finely chopped
• 1 medium red bell pepper (200g) pith and seeds removed then roughly chopped
• 1 medium green bell pepper (180) pith and seeds removed then roughly chopped
• 3 1/3 cups brown/chestnut mushrooms (250g) wiped clean then sliced
• 1 x 15 oz can cooked kidney beans (400g can) drained and rinsed in cold water
• 1 x 15 oz can cooked black beans (400g) drained and rinsed in cold water
• 2 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes in juice (2x400g)
• 1 large dried ancho pepper
• 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 1 medium red chilli pepper pith and seeds removed then finely chopped
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tbsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp dried coriander
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tbsp soy sauce (or tamari)
• 1 dried bay leaf
• 2 large squares dark chocolate (85%) {optional}
• A good handful of fresh coriander + more for serving finely chopped
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

• First, soak the ancho pepper in warm water for 30 minutes. Remove the stem and seeds before soaking. Once dehydrated finely chop the pepper.
• In a large saucepan heat 1 tbsp of the oil. Then add the onion and cook for about 10 minutes or until the onion is translucent and soft.
• Add the garlic and red chili, cook for about a minute or until you smell the garlic, then add the ancho pepper, oregano and spices. Stir and cook for another minute, again, until you smell the spices.
• Then add the bell peppers and mushrooms, add the remaining oil and then stir and cook for about two minutes. Pour in the chopped tomatoes, fill one of the cans halfway up with water and add that too.

  Add the soy sauce, bay leaf, sea salt and black pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes. Check the seasoning, add more salt if needed.
• Now add the kidney beans and black beans and simmer for 30 minutes or until the sauce is nice and thick. Stir occasionally so it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. 
• Once the sauce is ready, remove the bay leaf, drop in the chocolate, let it melt then stir it in. Take the chilli off the heat and stir in the coriander. 
• Serve with boiled rice, cilantro/coriander, lime wedges, slices of jalapeno peppers, some grated cheese and a good dollop of sour cream.

Notes

• Nutritional Information- s approximate and does not include rice or extras. It is calculated using an online nutrition tool.
• Heat - This chili is deliberately spiced to make it suitable for all the family. If you want more heat then you can add more ancho chili to spice it up.
• Freezing Instructions -  If you want to freeze this then don’t add the fresh cilantro/coriander. Leave the chili to cool, transfer it to freezer-friendly containers which you can put the date on. Leave in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight and then cook on the hob to reheat. Add the fresh cilantro/coriander when you are ready to serve.
• Storing - This chili will keep in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Leave it to cool then transfer to a sealable container. Reheat on the hob, you may need to add a little water to loosen it up a bit.
• To make this vegan use vegan chocolate and add vegan sour cream and vegan hard cheese for the toppings.
• Is this gluten-free? Once you use tamari instead of soy then this is naturally gluten-free.

Nutrition

Calories: 432kcal | Carbohydrates: 72.6g | Protein: 24.4g | Fat: 7.1g | Saturated Fat: 1.3g | Sodium: 176mg | Potassium: 1960mg | Fiber: 18g | Sugar: 10.3g | Calcium: 149mg | Iron: 8mg

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Update Notes:

This recipe has been updated with more content, a step by step guide and more nutritional information. Since I first published this recipe, I have tweaked and adapted the recipe over the last few years. So I thought I’d better update it for you! I’ve swapped the chipotle pepper for a large dried ancho pepper. This gives this chili more heat and more of a smoky flavour. I’ve also added more mushrooms to make this chili meatier.