This vegetarian bean chili recipe is a cozy comfort food dream come true! Whether you cook it on the stovetop or in a slow cooker, it’s easy and mostly hands-off! I can’t wait for you to try it!
I am head over heels for this easy bean chili! It’s bursting with flavor, and I love how perfectly the beans turn out. You’ll start with dried beans, but no soaking is required! Just toss dried beans in a pot with all the delicious veggies and spices and let them work their magic. I love this with the dried beans, but tips for using canned are included below, or you can take a look at this vegetarian chili with canned black beans and quinoa.
This bean chili is pure comfort food, whether you make it on the stovetop or in a slow cooker (instructions for both are below!). Top it with all your favorite toppings! I love mine with guacamole, a sprinkle of shredded cheese, and a tangy kick from pickled onions or jalapeños.
Key Ingredients
- Beans: The star of our chili! You can use what you love. I usually combine black beans, kidney beans, and pinto beans. Since we simmer our chili for a while, there is no need to soak the beans. If you’d prefer to soak your beans, I’ve included tips for adjusting the recipe below.
- Veggies: This chili starts with an onion, mushroom, and garlic base. Towards the end of cooking, we stir in corn. Feel free to add more vegetables!
- Spices: Beans can take a lot of spice, so we are pretty generous with chili powder, cumin, and salt. When I have it on hand, I love ancho chili powder or this homemade chili powder.
- Chipotle Peppers in Adobe Sauce: These are usually sold in small 7-ounce cans. They are a flavor powerhouse! Chipotles are smoked dried jalapeños, and in this case, they are packed in adobo sauce, which is a tangy, slightly sweet, spicy sauce made with tomatoes, vinegar, and spices. They pack a punch, and I love them for it. Use as much or as little as you like. You can even add slowly and taste the chili to see if you need more.
- Tomatoes: I use crushed canned tomatoes, but diced or whole tomatoes are fine. You just need to crush them with a wooden spoon to break them apart as they cook.
How to Make Bean Chili
We pack lots of flavor into this chili, starting with a base of veggies and spices. I love onion and mushrooms for this recipe. The onions add sweetness, and the mushrooms give the chili a rich umami flavor. I use them a lot in vegetarian recipes, like in these lentil meatballs or this veggie burger. Mushrooms are a fantastic way to make something taste meaty and rich while keeping a plant-based dish.
Once the mushrooms and onions are cooked, we add crushed tomatoes and scrape the bottom of the pan to lift any bits stuck to the bottom (there’s lots of flavor there). Dried beans and some water go in next, and it’s hands-off cooking from there. The chili takes 2 ½ to 3 hours on the stove and 6 to 7 in a slow cooker.
For a faster version, use canned beans. By using canned or previously cooked beans, you can dramatically cut the cooking time to 30 minutes. See the recipe tips below for how to do it.
For more chili recipes, see our best homemade chili (made with beef), easy turkey chili, or this vegetarian chili (made with quinoa and black beans).
Easy Chipotle Bean Chili
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PREP
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COOK
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TOTAL
This vegetarian bean chili is super flexible! You can use either dried or canned beans (see tips below for using canned beans). This recipe is written for cooking with dried beans on the stovetop, but you can easily make it in a slow cooker, too (see below for slow cooker instructions)! We use chipotle peppers in adobo sauce for a delicious smoky heat. You can find small cans of these in the international aisle of most grocery stores. Two peppers make a mild-to-medium chili. Add one or two more peppers for a spicier chili, or use some of the adobo sauce from the can.
6 Servings
You Will Need
Bean Chili
1 ½ tablespoons avocado oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
4 ounces mushrooms, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 ½ tablespoons chili powder, try homemade chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, finely minced, use more for a spicier chili
1 (28oz) can crushed tomatoes
1 ½ cups dried beans, see below for suggestions
4 cups water
1 cup frozen corn
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
Serving
Lime wedges, mashed avocado, guacamole, sour cream, pickled jalapeños, chopped onion, cilantro, tortillas or tortilla chips
Directions
- Stovetop Bean Chili
1Heat the oil in a heavy-bottom pot with a lid (we use our Dutch oven).
2Add the onion and mushrooms, then cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and translucent.
3Stir in the garlic, chipotles, chili powder, cumin, and salt. Cook for about a minute.
4Add the tomatoes and use a wooden spoon to scrape any bits stuck to the bottom of the pot.
5Rinse the beans with cool water, drain them, and then add them to the pot with the water. Bring the chili to a boil and cook for one minute. Reduce the heat to a low, gentle simmer then cover with a lid. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 ½ to 3 hours. If during cooking the chili seems day, add a little more water.
6When the chili is done, stir in the corn and red wine vinegar. Add additional salt if needed. Cook until the corn is warmed, about 5 minutes, then serve topped with your favorite chili toppings.
- Slow Cooker Bean Chili
1Cook the onion, mushrooms, garlic, chipotles, spices, salt, and tomatoes, as shown in the stovetop method above. You can use a skillet instead of a heavy-bottomed pot.
2Scrape the onion-tomato mixture into a slow cooker. Rinse the beans with cool water, drain, and then add them to the slow cooker along with 3 ½ cups of water.
3Cook on HIGH for 6 to 7 hours. If the chili seems dry, add a little more water. Add the corn 20 minutes or so towards the end of cooking.
Adam and Joanne’s Tips
- Storing: Leftover bean chili can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
- Dried beans: We usually use a mixture of beans when making this chili. Black beans and kidney beans are almost always included. Other varieties, like pinto beans, are great too. I’ve even used orca beans with great success. Since the beans cook for almost 3 hours, it’s unnecessary to soak them beforehand. If you want the beans to be very soft, you can always soak them overnight before cooking. Drain and rinse the soaked beans before adding to the chili. Expect the chili to take less time (1 ½ to 2 hours).
- Using canned beans: You will need just less than 4 cups of cooked or canned beans (about three 15oz cans). You don’t need to add the water called for in the recipe above. Cook the onions, mushrooms, spices, and tomatoes as mentioned in the recipe. Add about 1/2 cup of water, bring everything to a low simmer, and cook for about 20 minutes. Add the canned/previously cooked beans, then cook for another 10 minutes. If the chili seems dry, add a little more water.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. We did not include any toppings in the calculations.
Nutrition Per Serving
Serving Size
1 1/2 cups (1 of 6 servings)
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Calories
244
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Protein
12 g
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Carbohydrate
43 g
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Dietary Fiber
14 g
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Total Sugars
7 g
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Total Fat
5 g
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Saturated Fat
1 g
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Cholesterol
0 mg
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Sodium
841 mg
