Vegetarian Three Bean Chili

WRITER BYCassie

POSTEDFebruary 24, 2020

Vegetarian Three Bean Chili is the ultimate meatless dinner even the carnivores in your family will love. This easy veggie chili is filled with black beans, red kidney beans and chickpeas. This healthy vegetarian chili is packed with flavour and is the perfect comfort food during winter.

vegetarian three bean chili in a white bowl topped with greek yoghurt, cheese and cilantro.

We've been trying to incorporate a few meatless meals into our meal plan each week and this vegetarian three bean chili has been a hit! It's super easy, full of flavour and you won't even notice there's no meat!

I love to serve this veggie chili over a baked potato with a dollop of Greek yoghurt and cheese on top. It's also great over rice and I wouldn't say no to serving it with a side of corn chips. In fact, that's probably mandatory.

This chili freezes beautifully so be sure to stash away a serve or two for an easy lunch or dinner at a moments notice.

WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS RECIPE...

Full of flavour.
Great meatless alternative.
Easy to put together.

a hand placing shredded cheese on a bowl of vegetarian three bean chili.

WHAT ARE THE BEST BEANS TO USE FOR CHILI?

I love to use black beans, red kidney beans and chickpeas for this three bean chili. I almost always have cans of these beans in the cupboard and they bulk out this meatless recipe well.

I'd recommend always keeping black beans and red kidney beans for that authentic chili taste, but feel free to substitute chickpeas for your favourite can of beans.

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE THIS CHILI

ingredients for vegetarian three bean chili on a white background.

Don't be thrown off by the longer list of ingredients. The bulk of these are things you'll already have on hand, and things you may not have (like the spices) can be used again in countless recipes.

Here's what you'll need (full measurements listed in the recipe card below)...

Olive Oil
Carrots
Celery
Onion
Garlic
Red Capsicum / Bell Pepper
Frozen Corn
Tinned Black Beans
Tinned Red Kidney Beans
Tinned Chickpeas
Tinned Diced Tomatoes
Tomato Paste
Vegetable Stock

spices for vegetarian three bean chili in a white bowl.

Spices

Paprika
Cumin
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Cayenne Pepper
Salt & Pepper

Optional Fix-Ins

Greek Yoghurt or Sour Cream
Coriander / Cilantro
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Corn Chips

HOW TO MAKE THREE BEAN CHILI - STEP BY STEP

Heat oil in a large pot or dutch oven on medium heat. Sauté onion and garlic, stirring regularly, until softened.

diced onion and garlic being sautéd in a pot.

Add carrot, celery and capsicum to the pot and sauté for 3 minutes, stirring regularly, until softened.

vegetables cooking in a large pot.

Add spices and mix together with the vegetables, then add tinned tomatoes, stock, tomato paste, beans and corn. Stir well to combine, then let simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. If you find the mixture getting too thick as it simmers away, you may want to add a little more stock.

all vegetarian three bean chili ingredients in a large pot.

Transfer 1.5 cups of chili to a blender and blend until smooth. Pour back into the pot. If you don't have a heat-friendly blender you can alternatively use a stick blender to blend the chili slightly. This step helps thicken the chili and gives it a more authentic consistency.

blender filled with vegetarian three bean chili.

Serve over rice or a baked potato with your favourite toppings!

vegetarian three bean chili in a white bowl topped with greek yoghurt, avocado and spring onions.

WHAT GOES WELL WITH CHILI?

I love to serve chili over a bed of rice or on top of a baked potato, but a side of corn chips to scoop the chili up doesn't hurt either.

Feel free to pick and choose your favourite toppings - sour cream, greek yoghurt, cilantro, cheese or chopped avocado all work well!

CAN I FREEZE THIS?

Absolutely! This vegetarian chili freezes so well. Just pop any leftovers in an air tight container and freeze for up to 3 months.

TOP TIPS

Stick with the black beans and red kidney beans but feel free to substitute chickpeas for another bean if you'd prefer.
I like to blend a cup and a half of the chili to help thicken it up and give it a more authentic consistency. If your blender isn't heat-friendly, be sure to either wait for the chili to cool OR use a stick blender to just blend a small portion of the chili until you get your desired consistency. Of course if you have neither blender you can skip this step - your chili may just be a little of the thin side but still delicious.
Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

vegetarian three bean chili in a white bowl topped with greek yoghurt, cheese and cilantro.