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
- PREP
- COOK
- 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.
You Will Need
Bean Chili1 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
ServingLime 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.
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I tried this and it was perfect! I cooked this in the instant pot (45 min on high pressure and 20 min natural release, for the stated 1.5 cups of dried beans) and it was perfect. I was in a rush and forgot the vinegar and corn lol, but it still turned out great.
Has anyone tried using dry chickpeas in this? Maybe it is my imagination that they may take longer to cook than other beans?
Hi Megan, Great question! You’re right, chickpeas sometimes need a bit more time to cook than other beans. While soaking does help speed up the cooking process and can make them a bit easier to digest, it’s not essential for this chili recipe since it simmers for 2.5 to 3 hours. That’s plenty of time for the chickpeas to become tender, even without pre-soaking. If you’re short on time or prefer not to soak, feel free to add the chickpeas directly to the chili. However, if you’d like to soak them to potentially reduce cooking time or improve digestibility, go for it! Just be sure to drain and rinse them well before adding them to the pot.
This recipe name does not lie, it is UTTERLY delicious and for a person who has a hard time eating beans, its a WINNER. Ten times more flavorful that chili recipes of leading vegetarian bloggers. It is a weeknight staple and a leftover nobody complains about having!
This is very tasty despite not having all the ingredients. Subbed smoked paprika for the chipotle and umami powder for the mushrooms. Threw in some diced jalapeño. It makes a difference to cook the spices for a few minutes with the onions – enhances flavor. Had half a pound of lean ground beef defrosted so cooked down to render the fat and drained before adding. Cut the beans in half as I had added the meat. Despite all the non-recipe shenanigans it still tasted great!
Hi. I am making this right now but I don’t see anything in the instructions about what to do with the Chipotle peppers??
Hi Amanda, We add them along with the garlic and spices. Happy cooking!
Is the red wine vinegar essential? I don’t cook with it a lot and hate to buy a bottle for just a teaspoon.
Hi Heather, any acid will work — fresh lime, lemon or another vinegar.
PS I used only canned beans..red, pinto, black…no problemo!
Well indeed ya did it again! Did not have access to meat, so this was a serious winner, and the mushrooms!!! Shared mine with a friend, and she commented she could not believe it was chili without meat! Bravo..I am about to start a second batch while there is still a cup-full in the fridge! Bravo!
Looks divine, and thank you so much. I ALWAYS enjoy your recipes, and as I am up in the mountains in Central America for the next 3 months, with LESS access to stores with meats, sounds like a real winner…thanks!
I’m now making it in a slow cooker. The kitchen smells delicious! I think it will make a perfect lunch today! Thanks, Adam and Joanne. I know it will taste great!