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Meatless Vegetable Chili

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Nothing beats a big pot of healthy homemade soup for the family! This meatless vegetable chili is loaded with fresh veggies, kidney beans, black beans, and diced tomatoes in a flavorful spicy broth.

This chili feels lighter than traditional versions like our easy instant pot chicken chili, but is just as comforting. Simple to make and leftovers reheat well for lunches.

Two bowls of meatless vegetable chili with the large pot of soup, kitchen towel and crackers beside bowls.

Meatless Chili Loaded With Vegetables!

  • This easy one-pot chili is perfect when you want to skip the meat and make a vegetarian meal.
  • It’s budget-friendly as we’re skipping the meat. Canned beans are an affordable option for added protein!
  • For maximum health benefits, it’s packed with fresh vegetables to create a wonderfully delicious soup.
  • We love to make this recipe for “Meatless Mondays” but leftovers work perfectly for lunches throughout the week.
  • Serve with your favorite fresh toppings or a side of warm crusty bread.
  • Ground Turkey Quinoa Chili is another healthier take on chili with lighter ingredients.
Ingredient to make the chili in bowls on counter including beans, mushrooms, carrots, celery, a can of diced tomatoes and a plate with all the spices used.

Ingredients and Variations

BEANS: Black beans and kidney beans add the base. Traditional chili uses just kidney beans but I prefer the variety of additional bean styles. Feel free to substitute for 1 can of chickpeas, white navy beans or lentils.

VEGETABLES: Piled high with vegetables, it’s what makes this soup so delicious. Carrots and celery add a little bit of crispness, while softer vegetables like mushrooms, bell pepper and zucchini add even more flavor. We truly believe the more the merrier when it comes to vegetables!

LIQUID: You’ll need 2 cups of water and a 28 oz can of diced tomatoes with their juices. This will create the broth for the recipe.

SPICES: To add flavor, brown sugar, chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper are mixed together to create a subtle spicy kick. Feel free to add more chili powder or sprinkle hot sauce on a serving for more heat.

Four steps to make the recipe: image of chopped onion in dutch oven, chopped raw vegetables in dutch oven, beans piled on top of cooked soup in dutch oven, cooked chili in dutch oven with spatula.

How To Make Meatless Vegetable Chili

Have this vegetarian chili ready in no time!

  1. Saute onions in a large pot then add other ingredients except for beans according to the recipe below.
  2. Let simmer until carrots and zucchini are crisp-tender.
  3. In the last few minutes stir in the beans.
  4. Scoop into bowls, serve with favorite fresh toppings, and enjoy!

Cook Chili In An Instant Pot

You can easily cook this vegetarian chili in an instant pot. Use the same instructions as our instant pot chili chicken. First, saute onions and garlic. Next, add all ingredients except kidney and black beans and cook on “high” for 10 minutes. Stir in beans, close lid and let sit 5 minutes (without cooking) before serving.

Chili Toppings

Fresh toppings taste wonderful with chili. Consider a dollop of sour cream or plain greek yogurt. Add favorites like shredded cheese, chopped cilantro, crushed tortilla chips, and hot sauce.

Make this a full vegetarian meal with plant-based sour cream and cheese.

Two bowls of meatless vegetarian chili, one with spoon. Blue dutch oven with more chili and kitchen towel in background.

Recipe Tips

  • Chop all vegetables into small uniform bite-size pieces so that they cook faster. The carrots will take the longest to soften, so I like to slice them thin.
  • Let the soup simmer on the stove for 15-20 minutes to get maximum flavor.
  • Wait until the end of cooking before you add the beans. This will keep them fresh and less mushy. Beans can be added once all veggies have softened, and then simmered for an additional 5 minutes.
  • If you like your chili extra spicy, add more chili powder and add red pepper flakes. Sprinkle hot sauce on top just before serving.
  • Want to save time? Use frozen veggies instead of fresh ones. No need to thaw them, just add straight to the pot and simmer.
Looking down at white bowl with vegetarian chili with spoon and crackers beside it.

More Meatless Soup Recipes

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Meatless Vegetable Chili

This meatless vegetable chili is loaded with fresh veggies, kidney beans, black beans, and diced tomatoes in a flavorful spicy broth.
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Prep Time: 8 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 38 minutes
Servings: 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 Tbsp cooking oil
  • 1 red onion - chopped (about 2 cups)
  • 3 garlic cloves - minced
  • 28 oz canned diced tomatoes, with juice - (2 small cans or 1 large can)
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 carrots - peeled and chopped
  • 2 celery ribs - chopped
  • 2 cups chopped mushrooms
  • 1 cup chopped green bell pepper
  • 1 cup chopped zucchini
  • 1 cup frozen corn
  • 2 Tbsp brown sugar - or coconut sugar
  • 1 Tbsp chili powder
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • ½ tsp salt and pepper - ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper
  • 1 can kidney beans - drained and rinsed
  • 1 can black beans - drained and rinsed

Instructions

  • Heat a large pot with a bit of cooking oil. Add the onion and garlic and cook until onion turns translucent, about 1-2 minutes.
  • Add in the diced tomato (with juices), water, carrots, celery, mushrooms, bell pepper, zucchini, corn, brown sugar, chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper. Mix everything together. Bring to a boil then reduce to let simmer 20-30 minutes or until carrots and zucchini are tender crisp.
  • Stir in the kidney beans and black beans and cook for an additional 1-3 minutes or until warmed through.
  • Remove from heat and add to bowls. Serve and enjoy!

Recipe Notes:

  • Chop all vegetables into small uniform bite-size pieces so that they cook faster. The carrots will take longest to soften, so I like to slice them thin.
  • Let the soup simmer on the stove for 15-20 minutes to get maximum flavor.
  • Wait until the end of cooking before you add the beans. This will keep them fresh and less mushy. Beans can be added once all veggies have softened, and then simmered for an additional 5 minutes.
  • If you like your chili extra spicy, add more chili powder and add red pepper flakes. Sprinkle hot sauce on top just before serving.
  • Want to save time? Use frozen veggies instead of fresh. No need to thaw them, just add straight to the pot and simmer.

Nutrition

Calories: 148kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 329mg | Potassium: 713mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 3093IU | Vitamin C: 32mg | Calcium: 69mg | Iron: 3mg

The nutritional information provided is an estimate and is per serving.

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