For years and years, my healthy turkey chili has been one of the most popular recipes on Ambitious Kitchen, and for good reason. It’s cozy, hearty, flavorful and perfect for game day or weeknight dinners.
About a year ago I wanted to bring you both a vegan and vegetarian chili recipe that was just as delicious, full of feel-good veggies, plant-based protein, and of course, as crave-worthy without the meat. In an effort to eat more (and bring you more) plant-based meals, I’ve made it countless times and Tony loves it.
We love the leftovers over tortilla chips with some cheese for a game day chili nachos. Another way to enjoy it? Over roasted sweet potatoes, then top it with cheese, avocado and hot sauce. SO GOOD and an awesome way to reinvent leftovers.
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Ingredients in homemade vegetarian chili
This incredible vegetarian chili recipe is made with super simple ingredients that you might already have in your kitchen and pantry. There’s no meat or dairy, making it vegan too! All you need are a few cans of beans (I love kidney beans in my chili), veggies, spices and crushed tomatoes. To make this plant based chili you’ll need:
- Veggies: we’re adding onion, carrot, bell pepper, sweet potato and corn for the perfect mix of hearty veggies.
- Garlic: always want to add garlic for delicious flavor.
- Green chiles: you’ll need a can of mild green chiles for a mild kick of spice.
- Spices: you’ll add the perfect chili spice blend, which consists of chili powder, cumin, dried oregano, garlic powder, paprika & cayenne pepper
- Crushed tomatoes: the base of the vegetarian chili is made with crushed tomatoes.
- Vegetarian broth: feel free to use vegetarian broth or water to perfectly thin out the chili a bit.
- Beans: we’re using both black beans & kidney beans for a delicious boost of plant-based protein in this chili recipe.
Delicious ways to serve vegetarian chili
My favorite thing about a warm bowl of chili is all of the delicious toppings you can add! DIY chili bar, anyone? Here are some recommendations:
- Amazing toppings: I love topping this easy vegetarian chili with tortilla chips, a squeeze of lime juice, shredded cheese, avocado, cilantro and a dollop of sour cream or greek yogurt.
- Add some heat: if you like a little more heat (like I do) I recommend a few jalapeño slices, too!
- Keep it vegan & dairy free: feel free to customize your toppings to your heart’s content and use a vegan cheese + yogurt or sour cream to keep this recipe vegan.
How to make vegetarian chili from scratch
- Saute the veggies. Place oil in a large pot and place over medium high heat. Add in garlic, onion, diced carrot, red bell pepper, cubed sweet potatoes and green chiles; saute for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add spices. Next add in chili powder, cumin, oregano, garlic powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper; stir for about 30 seconds.
- Mix together & simmer. Finally add in crushed tomatoes, broth/water, black beans, kidney beans and corn. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30-45 minutes or until chili thickens and flavors come together. Taste and adjust seasonings and salt as necessary.
- Top & serve. Garnish with anything you’d like, then devour!
How to make the best vegetarian chili in the slow cooker
This easy vegetarian chili recipe can easily be made on the stovetop or in your slow cooker, which makes it perfect for entertaining.
If you’re using your slow cooker, simply add all of your ingredients to your slow cooker, but reduce the broth/water and use only ¼ cup of broth total instead of 3/4 cup. Then cook the vegetarian chili on low for 6-7 hours or on high for 3-4 hours until it’s nice and thick.
How to store and reheat vegetarian chili
- In the refrigerator: this plant-based chili will stay good in your fridge for about 1 week. Once your chili is completely cooled, just place it in an airtight container (or multiple, if you’d like to meal prep it) without the additional toppings and place it in the fridge. To reheat it, simply do so in the microwave with a microwave safe bowl, or feel free to reheat it on the stovetop. Add your toppings once you’re ready to serve!
- In the freezer: can you freeze vegetarian chili? YES! Follow the instructions above, but instead of placing the chili in the refrigerator just put it in your freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat, simply thaw the vegetarian chili overnight and reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave when you’re ready to eat.
What to serve with this vegetarian chili recipe
Feel free to serve this chili with tortilla chips and homemade pumpkin cornbread or my gluten free cornbread muffins. They’re both delicious for dipping! If you’re making this for game day here are a few more recipes that will pair perfectly with this recipe:
- Tortilla Chip-Crusted Baked Jalapeño Poppers
- Vegetarian Three Cheese White Bean Buffalo Dip
- The Best Guacamole You’ll Ever Eat
- Fresh & Healthy 7-Layer Dip
- Vegetarian Plantain & Black Bean Taco Cups
- Vegan Jalapeño Butternut Squash Queso
Get even more side dish recipes here, and appetizers here!
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I hope you enjoy our best ever vegetarian chili recipe. If you make it, please leave a comment below and rate the recipe — I really appreciate it! xo.
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
The Best Vegetarian Chili Ever
Ingredients
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 1 large carrot, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 (4 ounce) can mild green chiles
- 1 medium to large sweet potato, peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes
- 2 1/2 tablespoons mild chili powder
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes (fire-roasted is great)
- 3/4 cup vegetarian broth (or water, plus more if it needs more liquid)
- 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 heaping cup frozen sweet corn
- To garnish:
- Tortilla chips
- Lime wedge
- Cheese
- Avocado
- Cilantro
- Sour cream/greek yogurt
Instructions
- Place oil in a large pot and place over medium high heat. Add in garlic, onion, diced carrot, red bell pepper, cubed sweet potatoes and green chiles; saute for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Next add in chili powder, cumin, oregano, garlic powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper; stir for about 30 seconds.
- Finally add in crushed tomatoes, broth/water, black beans, kidney beans and corn. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30-45 minutes or until chili thickens and flavors come together. Taste and adjust seasonings and salt as necessary.
- Garnish with anything you'd like. Makes 6 servings, about 1 1/2 cups each.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
This post was originally published on October 20th, 2020, and republished on December 30th, 2021.
I have made this recipe a few times now and it is so delicious! I’m trying to cook more plant based recipes and this is a regular for us. The family really enjoyed it the first time they tried it, and are always happy when they come over for dinner and get to have it again. I make a side of corn bread to go with it.
So happy to hear that! This is perfect with cornbread 🙂
A winner! It took me two tries to figure out the slow cooker version as the sweet potatoes & carrots didn’t cook on low the first time. The winning time: follow steps one and two as written and saute the veggies/spices, then add everything to the slow cooker on high for 4 hours. Top with cheese, avocado and lime (a must!)
Great tips – I’m so glad you enjoyed! Feel free to cut the sweet potatoes and carrots a bit smaller next time if you’re cooking on low. They should soften up in that duration!
If you make in the crockpot do you still cook the veggies first then dump everything in? Or can you just throw all of the ingredients in the crock pot? Thanks!
I just throw them in the crock pot!
This recipe is easy to follow and the spice combination works very nicely which is why I decided to try it. Thought I didn’t have a sweet potato I subbed a few cremini mushrooms and instead of fire roasted diced tomatoes I added a small can of cherry tomatoes (cirio).
Your recipe is now saved to my favourites for next time.
Perfect! This one’s great for customizing 🙂
Seriously… it’s the best. I make this every Halloween and multiple times throughout the colder months. Always a hit!
So happy to hear that!
This is really good. I never would’ve thought about dating the sweet potato, but I’m glad I did
It adds such great flavor and heartiness!
Made this for a community chili cook off and won 1st place from 17 other chili’s. Got lots of requests for recipe.
Amazing! Glad it was a hit!
I am wanting to make a double batch. Would I double everything?
Yes!
I have made this recipe numerous times and it is always so good. I use canned whole plum tomatoes instead of crushed because the best tomatoes are always canned whole. It’s more work but so worth it 🙂
Perfect!!
The title of this recipe is not a lie! This was HANDS DOWN, the best vegetarian chili we ever tasted. The recipe on this site never disappoint. I followed this recipe exactly to the letter with even the toppings and we couldn’t even take a break while eating with our faces down in the bowl. I was tempted to lick the bowl afterwards but got myself back in check. Hahaha! Thank you. Will be keeping this recipe in my go-to tested recipes file. Just lovely.
Amazing!! So glad everyone loved it 🙂
Delicious but I think my sweet potato was too big because they don’t want to cook! Any advice, aside from maybe just keep cooking until they’re soft? Thanks!
So strange! I would suggest just dicing them up smaller next time!
This Chilĺi is absolutely luscious, I will definitely be making it again
Glad you loved it!!
Loved recipe. I added Boca crumble, for those who are missing the meat, gave it more texture and protein!
Perfect!
It was a bleak midwinters night and I was feeling blue. I decided to make something special for my lonesome dinner, and I stumbled across this. It sure warmed my heart! I felt like a true vegetarian, even though I’m not, and I felt less lonely in my small cabin in the woods, eating chilli on a cold winter night.
So happy you found this one! Comfort in a bowl.
I’ve tried a lot of vegetarian chili recipes and this one actually is the best. It’s so full of good veggies. Yum. Loved it.
So glad you love it!
If I make this in the slow cooker, how long do you think it should heat to make the sweet potatoes tender? Thanks!!
Feel free to cook this for 3-4 hours on high or 6-7 on low! The sweet potatoes will get nice and tender.
This was delicious, very flavorful. I have never made a vegetarian chili before, and even though my family members were skeptical that chili could be good without meat, they all liked it. I had been hoping to find fire-roasted crushed tomatoes, but had to settle for regular ones instead; it was still very flavorful. I used extra garlic powder instead of fresh garlic, left out the cayenne pepper because a couple family members don’t like spicy things (even though I do), used smoked paprika and increased that to 1/2 tsp. since I couldn’t find the fire-roasted tomatoes, and increased salt to 1/2 tsp. Very good. Thank you!
Perfect! So glad everyone enjoyed!
Tasty, just double the spices and leave out the corn (add a second pepper for the sweet crunch because corn is just weird). I cooked the onions and bloomed the spices before adding in the veggies and garlic. Stirred in a ton of fresh cilantro and served with yogurt sprinkled with zaatar.
Perfect! Glad you enjoyed.
What’s the sodium in a serving?
Just made the chili and it truly was the BEST ever! Thanks!
So happy to hear that!
I made this recipe but instead of just crushed tomatoes I substituted for two 15 oz. cans of chili ready tomatoes (a mix of crushed and diced tomatoes with spices). Added a lot of depth and flavor. Best chili I’ve EVER made. Thanks for the recipe!
Perfect! Glad you enjoyed!
I hate cold weather but the one reason I look forward to winter is this chili recipe. I make this chili every year at least once and I always enjoy it. The only change I make is adding more veggie broth!
Love that! One of our fav cold-weather meals, too 🙂
I made this last night and it was a huge hit. I wound up using a large Stokes purple sweet potato I had lying around, and also instead of a can of black beans and a can of kidney beans, I used Simpli brand dry organic black beans and kidney beans, which required the full cooking steps (but that brand has been a game changer for my cooking, just very high quality imo.) I skipped the corn just because there wasn’t any in the house. I served it with grain free tortilla chips, some avocado, and some cheese. I added the suggested amount of salt and per your instructions, I added more salt to taste at the end which really brought out the whole array of flavors. I was told I should make this every week during the winter months, so it was a smash hit. I normally make turkey chili, but I’ve been steering clear of adding unnecessary meat to the rotation and it was assuredly not needed here.
Amazing! So happy to hear this was a hit. Those ingredients sound perfect!
I based a lot on the title saying that it’s the World’s Best Vegetarian Chili Recipe, and I followed the recipe and instructions to a T, but it was extremely bland, and I ended up adding sour cream, cheese, and tortilla chips to try to give it some flavor. Then my daughter told me she only ate it because I’d spent so long making it, but she wouldn’t eat it ever again. I spent a lot on the ingredients on a tight budget, getting quality ingredients, but I ended up throwing it out, which made me very unhappy.
So sorry to hear that! With all of the spices and tons of different veggies this shouldn’t be bland, but I always recommend adding salt to taste to bring out all of the flavors.
My 12-year-old vegetarian daughter loved this! She said it was the best thing i’ve ever made from scratch. I don’t get compliments from her much these days, so that felt great 🙂 She even took it to school for lunch the next day. Thanks for the recipe and bonus points with my kid!
We omitted the corn and added a few swirls of Kewpie mayo for extra creaminess. delicious!
Hello, I’m new to cooking and have enjoyed using my crockpot because I’m less likely to make mistakes. You mentioned being able to cook the chili in the crockpot but I’m not sure for how long or if it should be on high or low. Thanks!
Nevermind, you shared this info above. thanks!
Perfect! So glad it was a hit!
Hi! Check out the full blog post – it has instructions for making this in a crockpot 🙂
Phenomenal! Flavor profile is perfect! though, I did colossally mess up and put the entire four-cup carton of vegetable broth in instead of the recommended 3/4 cup. Remedied this by letting it simmer for longer and added 1/3 cup of quinoa to soak it up. Still despite this, I did not need to adjust any of the salt or spices! Thank you for this lovely recipe! Definitely a keeper and toddler approved!
Great tips for fixing it up – the quinoa sounds delicious in here! Glad it was a hit with the kiddo, too 🙂
Thanks for the Best Vegetarian Chili recipe. I doubled the recipe and added white navy beans and entered it into a Chili cook-off at my church. It won first place in the vegetarian division. How cool is that?
No way!! So happy to hear that!
Great flavors. Healthy and delish
Absolutely delicious! So hearty with just the right amount of heat. It was perfect! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
So glad you loved it!
This recipe was ❤️ *chef’s kiss* perfect! I’ve saved it for future use. Absolutely delicious!
Really enjoyed this recipe! I doubled it and took it to a church potluck. I made a few tiny adjustments to the original recipe: instead of just sweet potatoes, I used half sweet potatoes and half butternut squash. I also used a bit more olive oil than the recipe called for when I sauteed the onions and other veggies. I used smoked paprika (vs. regular) as well. The cayenne gives a nice little kick against the sweetness of the potatoes and squash. Yummy dish and great for fall!
Perfect! This one’s great for customizing!
I’ve never made chili before and this turned out great! I made it for friends and everyone loved it. I made it as written except for skipping the bell pepper and having a little extra sweet potato instead. Just the right amount of spice and not too salty.
Perfect! Glad it was a hit!
Thanks for this recipe!! If making it in crockpot, how long would you recommend it be cooked for?
I typically cook all of my crockpot meals on low for about 6 hours or on high for 3-4 hours!
This chili is literally the only way my picky toddler will eat vegetables. We all love it but she devours it. It freezes so well and it is so easy to pull out small portions for her lunches.
So good!! Great way to get veggies in 🙂
I’ll be d—–!
I usually make my own chili (I do all the cooking in this house)and everyone always told me how they really like it. However, I decided to try another recipe and came across yours. I did everything just as you stated except I put a tablespoon of oregano and a half teaspoon of smokey paprika. I did use vegetarian broth.
Well, the wife and kids said that they liked yours better, but they still liked mine. We all agreed that the sweet potato was a good addition.
Nice going, kiddo!
Amazing! Glad this was a hit!