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This Easy Vegan Chili Recipe is the perfect cozy meal for winter days! It’s a hearty, healthy, and delicious chili, packed with protein and fiber – thanks to lentils, beans & veggies.
You may also like my vegan lentil soup or my vegan detox cabbage soup.
Who doesn’t crave a mouthwatering chili that’s rich and packed with flavor? Warm-up your soul as the chilly days roll in with this Vegan Chili recipe! It is filling, healthy and so simple to put together.
Loaded with plant-based protein from lentils and beans and prepared with flavor-bursting ingredients. Make this wholesome homemade chili part of your weekly rota; you’ll be so pleased you did! Not keeping a vegan or vegetarian diet? You may add any protein of choice, like shredded chicken, ground beef, or ground turkey.
Why I love this chili
- A Cajun chili. Loaded with Cajun spices, adobo, and a twist of honey this hearty soup packs a smoky-sweet punch, so good!
- Loaded with goodness. This chili is made healthy and hearty with lentils, black beans, and veggies. Only 370 calories per serving and loaded with protein while keeping it plant-based!
- An easy chili. Easy to prep, all made in one pot – this goes from pantry to table in around 30 mins,
Ingredients needed
Below is a list of ingredients you will need to make this vegan chili. Full measurements are listed further down in the recipe card.
- Olive Oil: or you may use avocado oil
- Onion
- Garlic Cloves: use fresh garlic if possible.
- Honey for vegetarian and maple syrup or agave for vegan
- Cajun Seasoning
- Diced Tomatoes
- Tomato Sauce
- Black Beans
- Split Red Lentils
- Vegetable Broth
- Lime
- Chipotle in Adobo
- Salt & Pepper
- Garnishes – vegan sour cream, cilantro, jalapeno.
How to make vegan chili
- First, heat your aromatics – In a large pot with oil, cook the onion and garlic, then add the Cajun seasoning.
- Then, combine your ingredients – In the pot, add your rinsed lentils, beans, tomatoes, and all other chili ingredients. Reduce heat to low and simmer until lentils are tender.
- Finally, season to taste, serve, and enjoy!
Recipe notes and tips
- Be sure to remove any small dust/debris from the lentils and rinse them well with cold water.
- Use canned beans for this Vegan Chili, drain them, but don’t rinse them. The starch on the beans will help with chili thickening.
- If you don’t want the chili too hot, make sure you deseed and remove the ribs from the jalapeno.
- This recipe can easily be doubled for a large crowd!
- This chili recipe is vegan, as it’s written. Be sure to choose vegan/dairy-free toppings, such as avocado and tortilla chips.
- Vegetarian option, you may top with yogurt or sour cream.
- Top with chopped cilantro for a lovely pop of freshness.
Frequently asked questions
This chili recipe will serve 6-8 people. If you have leftovers, you can bring the chili to room temperature, place it in an airtight container then freeze up to a month. Let the chili defrost in the fridge a day before you are planning to serve it.
To make your vegan chili more hearty, filling, and protein-rich, add other ingredients like chopped mushrooms, Bulgur., Quinoa, more beans, or plant-based meat substitutes.
To thicken your chili, you can do one of two things. Ether you add in a little bit of cornstarch slurry, or you can remove the beans from the chili, mash them, and add them back it. This will help thicken up the chili.
If you do not like beans and would rather use something else, then consider substituting it with rice, quinoa, bulgur, sorghum, and/or amaranth.
Topping Options for vegan chili
This chili is dairy-free and vegan, and you can keep it that way by choosing vegan toppings. Here’s some popular vegan topping options:
- Grated vegan cheese
- Coconut yogurt
- Sliced or diced avocado
- Crumbled Tortilla chips (crumbled if desired)
- Additional cilantro
- Lime wedges
- Sliced jalapeno
- Cilantro
How to make it in an instant pot
- First, place the instant pot in sauté mode. Add the oil and then add in the onions. Cook for about a minute and add in the garlic and the cajun seasoning. Cook for another 1-2 minutes.
- Next, add all the other ingredients– In the same pot, add the rinsed lentils, beans, tomatoes, and all other chili ingredients.
- Then, close the lid of the instant pot. Make sure it is set to sealing and pressure cook (on manual) and cook for 10 minutes. Allow pressure to release naturally. Turn to vent.
- Open serve with your favorite toppings.
How to make it in the slow cooker
- The preferred method for best taste: sauté the onion, garlic, and cajun seasoning on a skillet on your stovetop until fragrant and translucent. Then, transfer to the slow cooker. (alternatively, you may skip cooking the onion, garlic, cajun, and just add them right into the slow cooker.
- Next, add in the lentils, beans, tomatoes, and the remainder of the ingredients.
- Cook on low for 8 hours, or high for 4 hours.
- Finally, serve with your favorite toppings and enjoy!
Recipes you may like
- Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers
- Easy Vegetarian Bean Chili
- Cheesy Cauliflower Bake
- Easy Crustless Quiche
- Healthy Asparagus Soup
- Mexican Chipotle Chicken Pasta
If you try a recipe and you like it, leave me some feedback in the comment section below, and don’t forget to rate it! I would love it if you shared it with friends and family.
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Homemade Vegan Chili Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, or avocado oil
- 1 red onion, diced
- 3-5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 tbsp cajun seasoning
- 1 tbsp maple syrup or brown sugar, honey for vegetarian
- 14.5 ounces diced tomatoes, one can
- 15 ounces tomato sauce, one can
- 1 chipotle in adobo, minced
- 30 ounces black beans, drained and rinsed, 2 cans
- 1 cup uncooked split red lentils
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 1 lime, juiced
- Kosher salt and ground pepper, to taste
Optional garnishes:
- vegan sour cream or coconut yogurt
- fresh chopped cilantro
- sliced jalapeno
Instructions
- Remove any shriveled old lentils or any stones from the lentils.
- Place the 1 cup uncooked split red lentils in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse under cold running water to remove any dust or debris. While washing, scrub them by rubbing your palms together.
- In a large pot, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and heat until shimmering hot. Add 1 red onion (diced) and sauté until translucent. Stir in 3-5 cloves garlic (minced) and sauté again until just fragrant. Add 1 1/2 tbsp cajun seasoning and cook for a minute.
- Immediately stir in the 14.5 ounces diced tomatoes, 1 tbsp maple syrup or brown sugar, 1 chipotle in adobo, 30 ounces black beans, the washed lentils, 15 ounces tomato sauce, and 3 cups vegetable broth. Season with some Kosher salt and ground pepper.
- Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until lentils are tender. Add in the 1 lime (juiced) and stir well.
- Taste and adjust the salt and pepper according to your taste. Pour the Cajun chili to a large serving bowl.
- Garnish with sliced jalapeno and fresh chopped cilantro if desired. Top with vegan sour cream or coconut yogurtand serve.
Notes
- Be sure to remove any small dust/debris from the lentils and rinse them well with cold water.
- Use canned beans for this Vegan Chili, drain them, but don’t rinse them. The starch on the beans will help with chili thickening.
- If you don’t want the chili too hot, make sure you deseed and remove the ribs from the jalapeno.
- This recipe can easily be doubled for a large crowd!
- This chili recipe is vegan as it’s written. Be sure to choose vegan/dairy-free toppings. Also, add avocado and tortilla chips.
- Vegetarian option: you may top it with sour cream or plain yogurt. Honey is used as a vegetarian option. Maple syrup or brown sugar for vegan.
- Top with chopped cilantro for a lovely pop of freshness.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Lovely meal. My kids keep asking for it! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks
Hi! Little sidenote: honey is not vegan. I would anyway love to try it since I’m vegetarian. Looks awesome!
Hi Pam. You are absolutely right. Sorry about the oversight. Its maple syrup or brown sugar for vegan or honey for vegetarians. I went ahead and fixed it.