Easy Vegetarian Chili Recipe Vegan Chili

Photos updated in 2020. Same delicious chili recipe.

Vegetarian chili recipe ingredients

This vegetarian chili recipe comes together using wholesome ingredients and a bunch of staples – you probably already have at least half the ingredients on hand! This is what you need: When I was 20 years old, I decided to stop eating meat. During those 14 years, I became really attached to my meat-free comfort foods. Vegetarian chili is at the top of my list followed very closely by Thai coconut curries and Indian curries. There’s just something about a one-pot meal where all the flavors meld together to become so much more than they could have been on their own. I’ve been making this homemade chili for so many years that it’s become second nature to make it. Honestly, it felt a little funny measuring the ingredients so I could share the recipe with you. There is one thing you need to know: I wasn’t joking about this being an easy chili recipe. Even though I have all the ingredients listed in proper measurements, feel free to eyeball and make substitutions. This is one chili that you cannot mess up. And if you love your crockpot, I’ve made a Slow Cooker Vegetarian Chili Recipe. It’s basically this recipe with a few tweaks to make it work in a slow cooker.

Cooking oil: Any neutral cooking oil will work well – I like using olive oil or avocado oil. Aromatics: Onion and garlic add savory depth. From the spice rack: Chili powder, ground cumin, oregano, and sea salt bring warming flavor to your vegetarian chili. Vegetables: Use some fresh bell peppers, carrots, celery stalks, and frozen corn in your vegetarian chili. Canned goodies: Grab two cans of whole tomatoes and two cans of beans – I like kidney and white beans! Optional toppings: I love topping it off with a dollop of sour cream, cheddar cheese, cilantro, diced avocados, or green onions – but you can use your favorite toppings.

How to make veggie chili

Talk about an easy, one-pot dinner that’s packed with delicious veggies. I love whipping this up on busy weeknights when I want something comforting with minimal effort. If you can open cans and dump stuff in a pot, you can make this. This is how easy it is:

Vegetarian chili recipe tips

The one thing you need to know about this (or any) vegetarian chili recipe, is that you want to salt it well. Salt helps bring out the flavor as well as create a feeling of depth that can sometimes be lacking in vegetarian recipes. Don’t be shy with the salt shaker.

How to serve meatless chili

Usually, we’ll eat it on its own or with a little cheese on top. But once in a while, we’ll get fancy and make some cornbread. Our favorite is still these Cheesy Chili Zucchini Cornbread Muffins with Chili Honey Butter. If you haven’t tried them yet, I highly recommend you do! We also love this chili with our Whole Wheat Irish Soda Bread. The only thing I wouldn’t leave out of the chili is the corn. But then again, I just love the crunchy sweet bits in each bite. If corn is not your thing (do people who don’t like corn exist?) then just leave it out 🙂

Vegetarian Chili Toppings

While it’s delicious on its own, we love this chili with some toppings. They make it feel extra special. Our favorites are:

Grated cheddar cheese Sour Cream Corn chips (bonus if they’re nacho flavored!) Sliced green onions

Vegan chili recipe toppings

Don’t worry vegans, we’ve got you covered!

Diced avocado (amazing!) Chopped cilantro A sprinkle of nutritional yeast for some healthy cheesy flavor Pickled red onions. This is the recipe that I LOVE! Corn chips (but skip the nacho flavored ones)