🌶️ Best Damn Vegan Chili

Thick, smoky, hearty, and packed with beans and vegetables, this vegan chili has deep, rich flavor without any meat. It’s perfect for a cozy dinner, meal prep, or game day.

Serves: 6–8
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 45 minutes
Total: ~1 hour

🫘 Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• ½ tsp ground coriander
• ¼–½ tsp cayenne pepper, optional
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 1 can (28 oz / 800 g) crushed tomatoes
• 1 can (15 oz / 425 g) diced tomatoes
• 2 cans (15 oz / 425 g each) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can (15 oz / 425 g) black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can (15 oz / 425 g) pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 1½ cups (360 ml) vegetable broth
• 1 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
• 1 tbsp maple syrup or brown sugar
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

👩‍🍳 Instructions

1. Sauté the vegetables: Heat olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, bell peppers, and carrots. Cook for 7–8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.
2. Add garlic: Stir in garlic and cook for 30–60 seconds.
3. Bloom the spices: Add tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, coriander, cayenne, salt, and black pepper. Cook for 1–2 minutes, stirring constantly. This brings out the flavor of the spices.
4. Build the chili: Add crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, beans, vegetable broth, soy sauce, and maple syrup. Stir well.
5. Simmer: Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer 35–45 minutes, partially covered, stirring occasionally.
6. Thicken: For an extra-thick chili, mash some of the beans against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon during the final 10 minutes.
7. Finish: Remove from heat and stir in lime juice and fresh cilantro. Taste and adjust salt, chili powder, or lime juice.