This easy Vegan Bean Chili will knock your socks off with flavor. It is full of fiber, plant-based protein and hidden veggies to help anyone add more veggies to their direct. Blending the veggies disguises the vegetables in the flavorful sauce and also makes preparation a breeze! Traditionally, chili can take hours to cook but my plant-based version is ready in about a half hour. There's nothing better for those busy weeknights!
Let's face it - eating enough veggies can be hard for many of us, particularly kids. There are a lot of reasons for that and I'm doing my best to right this wrong, but many people can benefit from recipes that feature extra "hidden" veggies.
First, you don't feel like you're eating a bunch of peppers, carrots, and squash because they're blended into the sauce. This also changes their texture, so it's an easy way to deal with sensory issues, too.
But all those veggies doesn't mean this recipe isn't delicious. On the contrary, we're using the veggies to build flavor as well as a roster of simple, but effective seasonings. This is a delicious, easy vegan chili the entire family will ask for again and again.
What is chili?
Chili is a hot and hearty soup that usually consists of beans and/or meat in a rich spiced tomato sauce. Depending on where you are from, you may or may not agree with that statement!
I have been making chili for decades in restaurants and at home. Chili was one of the dishes that I perfected when I was barely in double digits. Of course the chili that I cooked as a child differed greatly from this Easy Bean and Veggie Chili.
The old version consisted of ground beef, kidney beans, copious tomatoes and lots of chili powder. Other incarnations contained steak, ground dry chilis and even chicken! Over the years my recipes for chili have evolved a lot. I have lightened up on the tomatoes and chili powder, ditched the meat and bulked up on the veg.
Why you’ll love this Easy Vegan Chili Recipe
- Relies on simple ingredients, like canned beans and frozen veggies
- Packed with plenty of veggies (great for picky eaters)
- Makes the best leftovers to meal prep for the week
- Can be served with lots of different garnishes to suit every eater
- Not-too-spicy, so even the kids will enjoy it!
Ingredients for Easy Bean and Veggie Chili
This chili recipe has 4 types of beans and 6 kinds of veggies. If you want to gather less ingredients, you could double up on some and omit the others.
- Beans - There's no shortage of beans here. I like to use pinto beans, black beans, white beans, and chickpeas. You can definitely adjust this based on whichever beans you have on hand (and enjoy eating).
- Vegetables - We're going to add lots of veggies to make this chili really filling and nutritious, including onion, garlic, baby bell peppers, carrots, zucchini, and butternut squash.
- Olive oil - To saute the veggies and bring out their flavor.
- Frozen corn - This is added separately from the rest of the veggies to help it stand out in the pot.
- Seasonings - For lots of flavor, you'll need chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.
- Crushed tomatoes - To infuse the broth with lots of flavor.
How to Make Easy Bean Chili with Vegetables
This recipe is so easy and quick. I love using the blender to pulverize the veggies like this. You can have a hot and cozy bowl of chili in a flash!
- Start by putting all veggies (except corn) in a high speed blender or food processor and pulsing until they are so small that your kids won’t notice there are veggies in this. Just cut the harder veggies like butternut and carrots smaller so that they get chopped by blades easier.
- In a large pot sauté all the blended veggies in oil, stirring often until you can smell them about 5 mins.
- Add drained beans, water, tomatoes and spices and bring to a boil for 3-5 mins and add corn.
- Turn down to a simmer for 10-15 mins to let thicken and all flavors meld. Stir often to make sure nothing is burning on bottom, then taste for salt and adjust to your preferences.
Storing Suggestions
Allow the chili to cool to room temperature, then store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days. You can also freeze the leftovers for up to 3 months.
Tips for Making Easy Vegetarian Chili
- Add "meat." If you crave that meaty texture in chili, try adding tofu crumbles or your favorite plant-based crumbles.
- Sweeten it up. Prefer a little sweetness in your chili? Feel free to add a drizzle of maple syrup or a small amount of brown sugar.
- Spice it up. This great recipe is pretty mild to make it suitable for the whole family. However, you can easily amp up the heat by adding some cayenne pepper or some of the adobo sauce from a can of chipotle peppers (and maybe a pepper or two, as well).
FAQs
Like most food that is on heavy rotation in my home, this chili is mildly spiced. Although my husband and I enjoy fiery flavors, we add the spice at the end when serving so that the meal can appeal to the whole family. I always have a batch of fiery Chile de arbol salsa to spice up our lives or I go heavy with the chili flakes garnish. Whether you like spicy or mild, this Easy Bean and Veggie Chili is the perfect family friendly recipe for you.
To make this chili a complete meal, I usually like to serve it with rice and roasted veggies (or served over nachos or in a burrito wrap). Then, just like classic chili, top your bowl with all of your favorite toppings.
The main difference is that we're choosing dairy-free garnishes, like vegan sour cream or vegan cheddar cheese. You can also add a squeeze of lime juice, red pepper flakes, fresh cilantro, tortilla chips, vegan cornbread, chopped green onions, avocado, hot sauce, and so much more.
It's fun to make a chili bar with all these delicious toppings and let everyone add their favorites.
Absolutely! I recommend cooking down the veggies first to help bring out the flavors, then let all of the ingredients slow cook in the crock pot on low for 3-4 hours or until the flavors come together. Since there is no meat, it's really about making sure the flavors are spot on.
More Family-Friendly Vegan Recipes
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Best Vegan Bean Chili with Veggies
Ingredients
- 15 oz pinto beans can drained and rinsed
- 15 oz black beans can drained and rinsed
- 15 oz white beans can drained and rinsed
- 15 oz chickpeas can drained and rinsed
- 1 each onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- 5 each baby bell peppers deseeded and chopped
- 2 each carrots peeled and chopped
- 2 cups butternut squash peeled and cubed
- 1 15 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup water
- 2 Tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp Smoked paprika
- ½ cup frozen corn
- 1 pinch crushed red pepper
- 1 each zuchinni chopped
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Start by putting all veggies (except corn) in a high speed blender or food processor and pulsing until so small that your kids won’t notice there are veggies in this. Just cut the harder veggies like butternut and carrots smaller so that they get chopped by blades easier
- In a large pot Sauté all the blended veggies in oil, stirring often until you can smell them about 5 mins
- Add drained beans, water, tomatoes and spices and bring to a boil for 3-5 mins and add corn
- Turn down to a simmer for 10-15 mins to let thicken and all flavors meld. Stir often to make sure nothing is burning on bottom. Taste for salt and adjust to your preferences..
Sarah
Hi! Do you blend the chickpeas? Thank you
Sara Tercero
No they are whole