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This 3-step vegan chili is filling, rich and comforting with layers of flavor from hearty butternut squash, earthy black beans, and deep warming spices. Each spoonful is so healthy and satisfying, meat-based chilis better watch out!
With just the right amount of spice and kick from the chili powder and ginger, this vegan chili recipe is sure to bring the whole family together around the dinner table. Vibrant butternut squash, bold spices, and wholesome black beans make for an easy and rich meal. Make extra! It’s even better the next day, after the flavors have had more time to meld.
Sometimes I serve it over wild rice, but mostly I’ve been eating it on a bed of quinoa pilaf with a dollop of Greek yogurt, and then smothered in crispy, roasted kale. Whip up your favorite vegan cornbread, make some sweet cornbread, savory southern cornbread, or dip tortilla chips in your chili bowl, you can do no wrong! Plan a plant-based feast this week with our Quinoa Vegetarian Meatballs, Vegetarian Stuffed Sweet Potatoes, and Spaghetti Squash Lasagna!
Why this is the best vegan chili recipe:
- It has a careful combination of spices. With a hint of warm ground ginger, sweet cinnamon, a blend of smoky chili powders, and vibrant paprika, the seasoning blend used in this recipe is deeply aromatic and has an unbeatable depth of flavor.
- Easy and flavorful recipe. One pot, a bit of prep, three steps, and you have a healthy, filling bowl of rich vegetarian chili!
- You can control the heat level. This dish can be customized to your heat preference. For a hotter chili, add chopped chipotles in adobo sauce. For a milder chili, substitute some of the chili powder with sweet paprika.
Professional Tips for the perfect texture and taste:
- Cut your squash in even sizes. Keeping your squash cubes even will improve the general texture and help with an even cooking rate. Be aware that if you cut them too small, they might turn to mush before your chili flavors have a time to properly meld. Your goal is no smaller than a centimeter.
- Allow your spices to bloom. When you stir your spices in the oil, give them about 2 minutes to bloom. This will build a rich and aromatic base for your chili.
- Give the flavors time to meld. Just as with my steak chili recipe and the best turkey chili, letting the chili cook low and slow is worth the wait. By letting the chili simmer for a longer period, the flavors will blend and develop in a way they would not over high heat. If you can make extra, the flavor will be even deeper the next day!
Ingredients
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Extra virgin olive oil goes through the least amount of processing of the olive oils, so it keeps some of its nutritional values! It has a gentle taste and helps veggies retain their moisture.
- Onions: I recommend using yellow onions for this recipe. They are milder than white or red onions. You can also use sweet onions.
- Garlic: Be sure to use fresh garlic for this dish. You can also use jarred, chopped garlic stored in water. I don’t recommend replacing the garlic with garlic powder.
- Chili Powder: You can use both ancho and regular chili powder in this recipe to build a complex, rounded flavor. If you can’t find ancho chili powder in your pantry, add chipotle chili powder or Mexican chili powder.
- Ground Ginger
- Cinnamon
- Tomato Paste: Tomato paste adds an extra layer of flavor, a little sweetness and helps with thickening the chili. Get a second can, and make some 15 Minute Pasta Sauce for a rainy day!
- Kosher Salt & Black Pepper
- Butternut Squash: When buying butternut squash, choose one that does not have any green and feels heavy for its size. You will need to peel your butternut squash, remove the seeds, and dice it into even cubes.
- Beans: I prefer black beans for this recipe. I mash some of them to thicken the chili’s texture, which keeps it from being a bean soup. If desired, you can swap them out for pinto beans or kidney beans.
- Canned Tomatoes: I like to use the traditional whole San Marzano tomatoes for this recipe but whole, peeled roma tomatoes can also be used. San Marzano tomatoes can be a bit pricier. Honestly Amazon’s Happy Belly brand of whole tomatoes is an excellent lower cost option.
- Low Sodium Vegetable Broth
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Instant Pot Vegan Chili and Other Variations
- Slow Cooker: To make slow cooker vegan chili, follow the first 2 steps in the recipe below. Then add all of the ingredients to the crock pot and cook on low for 3-4 hours or on high for 2 hours.
- Instant Pot: To make Instant Pot chili, set the Instant Pot to sauté mode. Sweat the onions and garlic. Add all of the remaining ingredients and cook for about 15 minutes on high pressure. Allow to naturally release.
- Experiment with spices: Chilis, like this and my red chili recipe with ground beef, are the perfect setting for experimentation! Swap in some ground cumin, cayenne pepper, or even a dash of lime juice.
How to Make Vegan Chili
Further details and measurements can be found in the recipe card below!
Step 1: Heat a Dutch oven or large stock pot over medium heat. Add olive oil and swirl to coat. Cook onions until they begin to release their juices and then add the garlic; cook, stirring frequently to prevent the garlic from burning, until onions are translucent.
Try not to brown the garlic or it adds an “off flavor” to the chili.
Step 2: Add the chili powder, ground ginger, and cinnamon, and stir to coat with oil. Cook to toast spices a bit, around 2 minutes. Mash some of your black beans.
Step 3: Add all the remaining ingredients, bring to a boil then reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, until the squash is tender. This takes about 1-2 hours depending on how large the cubes are. I like to taste every hour and adjust the salt and spices as needed.
Low and slow is best for flavor and also so the squash cooks but doesn’t break down.
Chef Lindsey’s Recipe Tip
Be sure to taste for seasoning during the cooking process. This will let you know whether the chili is balanced and seasoned to your tastes, but always allow the flavors to meld for about 10 minutes before adding more. Salt intensifies over time and is easy to overwhelm tomato based dishes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Store leftover chili in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days. You can also freeze this chili. Allow the dish to cool completely, transfer it to a freezer-safe container, then freeze for up to six months.
This chili is excellent topped with a bit of melty vegan cheese, vegan sour cream, a sliced avocado, and some chopped fresh cilantro or green onions. I also love eating this chili over a bed of roasted cauliflower, with a side of corn on the cob, or with some gluten-free spoonbread!
To reheat this chili, place leftovers in a stockpot on the stove over medium to medium-high heat. Bring the chili up to a boil and down to a simmer until it is heated through. You can also reheat chili in the microwave at 30-second intervals until hot. No need to thaw in advance!
Beans and lentils are common substitutions for meat in chili. Kidney beans, black beans, pinto beans, garbanzo beans, and either brown or green lentils add protein and texture. Tofu, squash, and mushrooms all add richness and a meaty texture to chilis. You’ll want to crumble or dice those options! Some people also put quinoa in their chili, but I prefer to serve mine over a bed of quinoa instead.
If you tried this recipe and loved it please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the comments below. I love hearing from you; your comments make my day!
Vegan Chili
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 2 teaspoon garlic minced
- 3 tablespoon ancho chili powder or New Mexican chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 cups butternut squash cubed
- 15 oz black beans 1 can rinsed and drained
- 28 oz peeled pomodoro tomatoes 1 large can
- 6 oz tomato paste 1 small can
- 1 ½ cups vegetable broth low sodium
Instructions
- Heat a Dutch oven or large stock pot over medium heat. Add olive oil and swirl to coat. Cook onions until they begin to release their juices and then add the garlic; cook, stirring frequently to prevent the garlic from burning, until onions are translucent.
- Add the chili powder, ground ginger, and cinnamon, and stir to coat with oil. Cook to toast spices a bit, around 2 minutes. Mash some of your black beans.
- Add all the remaining ingredients, bring to a boil then reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, until the squash is tender. This takes about 1-2 hours depending on how large the cubes are. I like to taste every hour and adjust the salt and spices as needed.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Before You Go
I hope you enjoyed this professional chef-tested recipe. Check out our other delicious, chef-developed soup & stew recipes, or try my pork chops with cream of mushroom soup next!
