Vegan Chilli

This simple vegan chilli recipe uses a mixture of pantry staples and fresh vegetables, for a delicious meat-free hearty meal, packed with protein thanks to beans and vegetables.

There’s nothing quite like a steamy, chunky bowl of chilli to satisfy your cravings and keep you full! This Vegan Chilli is my fuss-free, plant-based twist on the classic chilli.

The easy Vegan Chilli is made with store cupboard and frozen ingredients so it is great to make anytime. It is a particular favorite of mine for its customizability and storage options.

I like to make a huge batch in my slow cooker then portion it up. It’s great for batch meal prep as it freezes well.

You can also serve this chilli as a delicious topping on nachos, baked potatoes or stuff your burritos or quesadillas with it. It’s also easy enough to make for meal prep for a busy week, too.

How to make easy Vegan Chilli

While the ingredients in this chilli recipe are basic, the flavor is anything but. Simple ingredients can taste exceptional when they start off with chilli spices, garlic,cumin, black pepper and some smoked paprika for an extra-savory, smoky note. Canned beans and tomatoes contribute delicious plant-based goodness.

Not only is this Chili super easy to make, but it’s also full of plant-based protein to keep you full and satisfied.

There are a lot of different ways to make chili, but this Vegan Chili is a moderately-spiced, tomato-y stew loaded with chunks of onion, bell peppers, sweet potatoes. Spices like ancho chili powder, cumin, mixed herbs, garlic, and cayenne pepper add some body to the chili, while kidney beans give a hearty texture. Once everything simmers together and of those yummy flavors combine, you’ll be left with a chunky and thick chilli.

This easy vegan chilli is super flexible to make, you can swap in any ingredients you want, use different beans, vegetables or spices. This is what makes it so great to make as theres no need for any special ingredients so you can throw it together anytime.

Ingredients

• Onion and garlic – Classic and necessary chilli ingredients. You can use white, yellow or even a red onion.
• Sweet potato – these make the vegan chilli more filling. I often use frozen butternut squash diced.
• Lentils – I use green lentils to add protein and body to the chilli.
• Sweetcorn – frozen or tinned sweetcorn can be used.
• Crushed tomatoes – You can substitute this for diced tomatoes if you like a little more texture in each bite.
• Black beans and kidney beans – Use any variety of canned beans you like, but this is my favorite combination.
• Chilli powder, ground cumin, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, black pepper and salt – This combination of seasonings will make each bite taste smokey, savory, and delicious! I didn’t make it very spicy but if you like a bit of heat then add in extra cayenne pepper.
• BBQ sauce – it adds extra depth to the sauce.
• Tomato puree – this thickens the sauce.
• Stock cube – this helps to ensure it is well seasoned.

Why use lentils in vegan chilli?

The fiber, protein, and iron in lentils make them a very popular alternative to meat. They’re unprocessed and so much quicker to cook than dried beans. This makes them the perfect meat substitute in meatless chilli, especially if you need to make a hearty meal in a hurry.

The best lentils for lentil chilli

Use brown or green lentils for this lentil chilli recipe. Brown lentils are available at most supermarkets while green lentils are more expensive and not as common. I would gladly use either one because this chilli brings out the best in any lentil!

You’re welcome to use red or yellow lentils for this recipe, but they fall apart when cooked and are more commonly used in traditional Indian soups, stews, and curries.

Did I mention that this chilli comes together in only 30 minutes? It’s the perfect fuss-free dinner that’s simple, but still delicious.

1. Sauté the onion, peppers and spices to create great flavor.
2. Stir in the rest of the ingredients, then simmer until all the flavors combine and the chilli is thick. Keep checking it and giving it a stir so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the saucepan.
3. Top as desired, then serve with rice and Cornbread!

I usually make it in a slow cooker as it’s so easy to throw everything in and forget apart from an odd stir. Cook it until thick according to your slow cooker’s instructions.

Chilli Toppings

You can really make the vegan chilli special by adding toppings like avocado, yogurt and tortilla chips.

Here’s a full list of options:

• Grated vegan cheddar cheese
• Vegan sour cream or vegan plain yogurt
• Sliced or mashed avocado
• Tortilla chips (crumbled if desired)
• Scallions, chopped
• Vegan cornbread

How to serve vegan chilli

I love to top my vegan chilli with freshly sliced green onions for a little bite, as well as some grated vegan cheese. I also enjoy a large dollop of vegan sour cream on top.You can also top your chilli with salsa, avocado and tortilla chips. There really are endless options, it’s up to you what you like!

But most importantly, don’t forget the side of vegan cornbread. You can also serve this vegan chili over roasted sweet potatoes or rice for an even heartier meal!

Leftover Chili?

This chili makes great leftovers that keep well for four days in the refrigerator. Reheat your chilli in a bowl and it’s good to go.

You can also serve this chilli as a delicious topping on nachos, baked potatoes or chips. Stuff your burritos or quesadillas with chili. It has endless uses.

I often pour the chilli in a oven proof bowl, top it with vegan corn bread batter and bake for fabulous casserole.

Freezing vegan chilli

Double or triple this recipe if you’ve got the ingredients, portion it up, and freeze for future meals. Just remember – if you’re batch cooking, let food cool thoroughly before freezing – break it down into portions so it cools quicker, and get it into the freezer within 2 hours. And make sure everything is well wrapped, and labelled. Simply thaw in the fridge before use, and use within 48 hours. If you’ve frozen cooked food, don’t freeze it again after reheating it.

Tips

• If you’re looking for an extra hearty meal, you can always use a pack of vegan meat or some chopped vegan sausage.
• I like to make my chili with canned beans out of convenience. If you want to use dried beans then cook them before adding them to the chilli.

Vegan Chilli

This simple vegan chilli recipe uses a mixture of pantry staples and fresh vegetables, for a delicious meat-free hearty meal, packed with protein thanks to beans and vegetables.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Course Main Course, Main Dish

Cuisine Mexican, Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings 4 People

Ingredients

  

• 1 Tablespoon Vegetable oil
• 1 Large Onion, chopped
• 2 Large Peppers, any colour, (chopped)
• 4 Cloves of garlic, crushed
• 1 Teaspoon Smoked Paprika
• 1 Teaspoon Ancho chili powder
• 1 Teaspoon Chilli flakes
• 1 Teaspoon Cumin
• ½ Teaspoon Cayenne
• ½ Teaspoon Black pepper
• 1 Teaspoon Mixed herbs
• 200 gms Green lentils
• 415 gms tin Kidney beans
• 415 gm tin Black beans
• 1 Sweet potato, peeled and diced
• 415 gm tin Tomatoes, chopped
• 2 Tablespoons Tomato puree
• 2 Tablespoons BBQ sauce
• 340 gm tin Sweetcorn
• 300 ml Vegetable stock

Instructions

 

• Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion, peppers and sweet potato. Cook for 8-10 mins, stirring occasionally, then crush in the garlic and cook for 1 min more. Add the remaining dried spices and tomato purée. Give everything a good mix and cook for 1 min more.
• Add the rest of the ingredients. Bring the chilli to a boil, then simmer gently for 20 mins. Stir regularly to ensure it doesn't stick to the bottom. Check the sweet potato is cooked and season to taste then serve

Keyword Vegan Chilli

Did you make this recipe? Take a pic and share it on Instagram with the hashtag #aveggiecooks and tag @aveggiecooks__. I would love to see it!

Other recipes to try:

Vegan Shepherd’s Pie

Vegan Coconut Macaroons