This delicious vegan black bean chili is easy to make and perfect for weeknight meals or batch cooking. It's naturally high in protein too from the beans! A favourite dinner all the family will love.
For many of us with busy schedules, batch cooking and meal prepping (or attempting to!) are front and centre right now.
Making high yield recipes with little effort is ideal when it feels like we've got so much to deal with already in work and life.
And this easy vegan black bean chili is by far my favourite meal when it comes to batch cooking (followed closely by my chickpea spinach curry and carrot lentil soup).
I love how versatile it is (if you don't have the suggested vegetables, you can throw almost any you have into it), as well as how easy - literally throw the ingredients into a pan and simmer!
It's perfect served with brown rice, avocado and even some tortilla chips or vegan cheese to give it that special something. We make this almost weekly in our home as it's our favorite chili recipe, and I hope you love it too!
(And if you want to be extra fancy, try serving a bowl of chili with vegan poutine on game day. So good!)
Why you'll love this
Easy & low maintanence - One-pot, simple ingredients and cooks in 30 minutes! This easy vegan chili is perfect for weeknight dinners on a cold day.
Source of protein - Black beans contain about 15g protein per cooked cup. Serve this chili with quinoa and you've got a high protein meal!
Get your veggies in! Each serving gives you multiple servings of veggies - an easy way to increase your fibre intake.
Great batch meal - This vegan chili recipe keeps really well for at least 5 days in the fridge. Perfect as lunch or dinner for your week ahead.
Freezes well - Make double the batch as part of your weekly meal prep and freeze individual portions for days where you need a quick nourishing meal.
Ingredients & substitutions
Onion, celery & garlic - provide a great flavour base to the chili.
Bell pepper & zucchini - If you don't have these veggies, feel free to substitute them. I also love using butternut squash, sweet potatoes, carrots or sweet corn.
Black beans - A great source of protein and fibre. Hearty black beans make the chili filling. (If black beans aren't your thing, feel free to use whichever beans you love! Kidney, cannellini, pinto or even chickpeas work great in this chili.)
Crushed tomatoes - I like using crushed because they're already smooth. You can use diced tomatoes, but personally I don't love the chunks. I find the flavor is better with crushed (or passata) too.
Vegetable stock or broth - I like to use a whole vegetable stock cube dissolved in ¼ cup water for a really concentrated flavor. (We're using this more for flavor than liquid.)
Cumin, coriander, chili powder & smoked paprika - My favorite chili spices! Use more or less of each if preferred.
Soy sauce - Adds a nice amount of salt, umami and rich flavor to the chili.
How to make vegan black bean chili
Heat a large saucepan on medium-high heat. Add onion and celery, along with approx. 2 tablespoon water, and steam sauté for 10 minutes with lid on, stirring regularly to prevent sticking.
When onion is just starting to soften add all other ingredients to pot, stirring well to combine.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low/medium and cover pot with lid. (If chili looks thick at this stage, don't worry and don't be tempted to add more liquid! As vegetables cook chili will naturally becoming more liquid.) Simmer 20 minutes and stir occasionally, until zucchini is tender.
Add salt if desired, remove from heat, and serve this delicious chili in bowls with any of the following (all optional): rice, cornbread, avocado, fresh lime juice, fresh cilantro, jalapeños, vegan sour cream, cheese and tortilla chips.
Expert tips
Cut veggies small - Don't cut the veggies too large in this vegetarian black bean chili recipe. Stick to 1cm pieces, as the larger your veggies are, the longer they will take to cook. And no one wants uncooked veggies!
Use minimal water - Don't be tempted to add more water at the beginning of cooking. Vegetables release a lot of water as they cook so your chili will get more watery with time. If you add extra liquid in at the beginning you can end up with a soupy mixture!
Add extra plant-based protein - To increase the protein further in this chili, add some tofu crumbles or textured vegetable protein (known as TVP or soy mince) as it cooks.
Storage
Store uneaten leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat thoroughly before serving.
This easy black bean chili recipe will freeze for up to one month in a sealed container. Thaw before reheating.
FAQs
You should drain black beans for chili. They come in a salty solution so by draining them you're actually reducing your sodium intake. You also don't need extra liquid in the chili.
Traditionally kidney beans, black beans or pinto beans are used in chili. These type of beans hold their shape well, but really any kinds of beans will work, so don't be afraid to experiment!
If you don't have store-bought chili powder, make your own blend using a mix of smoked paprika, cumin and some cayenne pepper.
Looking for more big batch easy recipes?
Easy Vegan Black Bean Chili (Gluten Free)
Ingredients
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 stick celery, sliced thinly
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed or chopped
- 2 bell peppers of any colour, cut into 1cm pieces
- 1 medium zucchini/courgette, cut into 1cm cubes
- 1 800ml tin black beans, drained and rinsed (approx. 3 cups)
- 1 800ml tin crushed tomatoes (approx. just over 3 cups)
- 1 vegetable stock cube dissolved in ¼ cup boiling water (or ¼ cup vegetable broth/stock)
- 2 teaspoon cumin
- 2 teaspoon coriander
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (regular will work if you don't have smoked)
- ½-1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari, depending on taste
Serving ideas (optional)
- Avocado slices, lime wedges, cilantro leaves, jalapeño slices, sour cream, cheese (I use vegan) and/or tortilla chips
Instructions
- Heat a large pot on medium heat. Add onion and celery, plus 2 tablespoon water, and steam sauté for 10 minutes with lid on, stirring regularly to prevent sticking.
- When onion is just starting to soften add all other ingredients to pot, stirring well to combine.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low/medium and cover pot with lid. (If chili looks thick, don't be tempted to add more liquid! As vegetables cook chili will naturally becoming more liquid.) Simmer 20 minutes and stir occasionally, until zucchini is tender.
- Add salt if desired, remove pot of chili from heat, and serve in bowls with your favorite toppings or any of the following (all optional): avocado, lime wedges, cilantro, jalapeños, dairy-free sour cream, cheese and tortilla chips.
Notes
Nutritional information per serving
If you’ve tried this easy vegetarian chili recipe, please leave a comment or tip for others below. I'd love to know how you’ve made it your own!
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Luke
I make this recipe so often! Such a good batch cook.
Elizabeth
Me too! Love it.
Alex
I’ve made so many of Elizabeth’s recipes, and this is another one I make all the time!
Great recipe
Elizabeth
Thank you! I'm so glad you love it. I make it all the time as well. 🙂
Sarah
Made this for maybe the 20th time tonight. My go to!
Elizabeth
Yay! I love that Sarah. I made it last night too!
Juyali
Loved this chili recipe! So easy to make and bursting with flavor. A new favorite!
Elizabeth
So happy you liked it Juyali!
Sonja
Just what I needed: All of my 5-a-day in one comforting bowl of chili. Being vegan was a welcome plus for me, as I'm trying to eat less meat. And it was super easy to make too. This will go on my meal rota for sure.
Elizabeth
Really happy to hear that Sonya! Thanks so much for the lovely feedback. 🙂
Ieva
My husband and I are not vegan, but we thought this chili was absolutely delicious, filling and left nothing to be desired. Delicious recipes that we'll definitely make again! Thank you 🙂
Elizabeth
Excellent! So glad you felt full with it!
Marie-Pierre
This is the perfect soup for a cold winter night, when you come back from work and need something comforting! So good, thanks!
Elizabeth
I quite agree! It's one of my favourites for that very reason. 🙂
Tisha
This was a hearty dish that my family devoured! Great recipe!
Elizabeth
So so happy they loved it Tisha!