This Healthy Vegetarian Bean Chili – a one pot soup with a flavorful tomato base, and is full of satisfying plant-based protein. So delicious and the perfect soup to make for Fall/Winter!
I love a good pot of soup. And this Healthy Vegetarian Bean Chili has been one of my favorites lately – it is an easy one pot meal and is so full of flavor. All you need is a pot or dutch oven and a handful of ingredients. This chili is also a meatless recipe and contains 3 different types of beans, a little bit of corn, all in a flavorful tomato base.
What Beans Are Best For Chili?
Pinto beans work for both red and white chili. Kidney (regular & large) and black bean, red, northern and navy work great as well – don’t be afraid to mix them up. A good, firm bean is essential so that it doesn’t disintegrate during the cooking process.
What Vegetables Can You Put In Chili?
Chili is extremely versatile when it comes to ingredients. Depending on the vegetables you prefer – you can add corn, zucchini, carrots, green or red bell peppers, and tomatoes (diced, crushed, or tomato sauce).
Make in an Instant Pot/Slow Cooker
This recipe is super easy to make in an instant pot or slow cooker. Place all of ingredients in pot for slow cooker set for 2 hours on high or 3 to 5 hours on low. Pressure cooker set to 30 minutes on high.
Tips for Making This Healthy Vegetarian Bean Chili
- If you don’t have all the beans listed for this soup you can also do navy, pinto, or kidney beans.
- Add tortilla chips on top for extra flavor and crunch with your soup.
- Use fire roasted diced tomatoes versus regular diced tomatoes for extra depth of flavor.
- Make sure you let this soup simmer for proper amount of time to thicken and develop in flavor.
- Use a dutch oven to cook your soup if you have one. Dutch ovens are a versatile cooking vessel and perfect for slow cooking like soups and stews. Here’s my dutch oven of choice.
This soup is amazing year round – it’s comforting and cozy for chili fall/winter nights. Or just to have any other day for a meatless dinner that’s healthy and delicious. This vegetarian bean chili is satisfying and hearty, easy to make, and is absolutely delicious! Top with cilantro, tortilla chips, and you have yourself the perfect bowl of soup.
Other Vegetarian Soups/Stews You May Enjoy:
Moroccan Chickpea Stew
Vegetarian Tortilla Soup
Italian Kale and White Bean Soup
30 Minute Sweet Potato Chili
Healthy Vegetarian Bean Chili
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 1 28 oz. can fire roasted crushed tomatoes
- 1 28 oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 1 1/2 cup water
- 3/4 cup frozen corn
- 1 14 oz. can of each black beans, cannellini beans, garbanzo beans
Seasonings
- 2 Tbsp paprika
- 1 Tbsp (each) chili powder, cumin
- 2 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- pinch of crushed red pepper
Toppings
- cheese
- fresh cilantro, minced
- tortilla chips, crumbled
Instructions
- In a deep pot saute diced onion in olive oil with a little salt for 3-5 minutes on medium heat, onions should be browned and soft. Add crushed/diced tomatoes, water, then stir in beans and spices.
- Let chili simmer for about 1 hour on low heat, stir occasionally to avoid burning. Add corn for the last 10 minutes. Adjust seasoning and salt to taste if needed.
- Serve in a bowl with fresh cilantro, cheese, and tortilla chips if desired.
Notes
- If you don't have all the beans listed for this soup you can also do navy, pinto, or kidney beans.
- Add tortilla chips on top for extra flavor and crunch with your soup.
- Use fire roasted diced tomatoes versus regular diced tomatoes for extra depth of flavor.
- Make sure you let this soup simmer for proper amount of time to thicken and develop in flavor.
- If you have one, use a dutch oven to cook your soup. Dutch ovens are a versatile cooking vessel, and are perfect for slow cooking like soups and stews. This is the brand I use.
This Healthy Vegetarian Bean Chili is an absolute delight! Perfect for Fall/Winter, it’s bursting with flavor and loaded with plant-based goodness. Highly recommended!
Better than traditional by a mile
Soo good! made this for me boyfriend and I when we were craving a chili. I needed to get rid of potatoes so I threw some in. I also added cooked rice with the corn at the end to get rid of that too. The result is a very filling and hearty stew!
It’s the perfect time for chili! I’m so happy to hear you both enjoyed this recipe. 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
Beautiful soup Bethany. I’m in Australia and got your recipe off google. Full of flavour.
Thanks
Darren
Thank you, Darren! So happy you enjoyed it. It’s the perfect time for chili too!
Do you DRAIN the beans before adding? Recipe doesn’t indicate.
drain the beans, yes! Sorry for that not being clarified.
Am I screwed if I didn’t drain the beans??
Not at all!
I recently switch to a vegetarian diet and have been craving chili. This was by far the best chili I’ve had! I’m so glad I found it & thank you for sharing!
Thank you Ella! I love vegetarian chili and make it on repeat. So happy you enjoyed the recipe! 🙂
Made this tonight for the family while there is ice on the tree limbs and the day saw no sun. Everyone loved it! The 1-1/2 hour cook time felt long but I kept tasting and the flavors melded more the longer it cooked. Thanks, I will make this one again.
woot woot! So glad it was enjoyed. And yes! The longer you cook the soup the more flavor. 🙂
Chili can be such a great vegetarian dish. My wife is vegetarian and I am not, but this is one recipe we can share. Sometimes we do add Beyond Meat Fiesty Crumbles, but I don’t think it needs it.
Yes! Thanks, Ben. I like doing about 2-3 different beans so that it’s more filling! But hey, you could always add more stuff 🙂
This chili looks hearty and warming and delicious! Yum!
Awesome. It’s the perfect time of year for chili. Thanks for posting.
This looks so comforting and delicious! The perfect dinner for a chilly fall night!
Thanks so much, Taylor! Nothing like chili on a crisp fall evening. 🙂
Beautiful photos! This chili looks so hearty and soothing!
Thank you, Hannah!