Vegan Chili Recipe with Black Beans
This vegan chili recipe takes just 15 minutes to make and is filled with all your favorite flavors along with black beans and split red lentils. It’s loaded with over 50% of your daily fiber in each serving and filled with fresh flavors. This chili will fill you up and fuel you through your busy day!
You Will Love This
- It’s filled with pantry ingredients! Most of the ingredients in this easy vegetarian chili are pantry staples and spices that you’ve likely got on hand, which makes this a stress-free meal!
- This easy vegan chili recipe has all the classic chili flavors you love – minus the meat! If you’re trying to eat more plant-based meals or (like me) just enjoy a veggie-loaded dinner once in a while, this lentil chili is for you! It’s so hearty that meat-lovers in your life won’t even miss the ground beef. And the fiber and protein from the beans and split red lentils will fill you up and leave you satisfied.
- If you loved this black bean chipotle chili, be sure to check out my 20 Minute Instant Pot Chili, my Creamy Vegan Chickpea Chili, or my One Pot Creamy White Bean Soup.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Spices – Chili powder and ground cumin are pretty obvious ingredient for chili. Chili powder is where a lot of the that smoky “classic” chili flavor will come from. Cumin combines with the chili powder to give this chili a warm earthy flavor.
- Diced Tomatoes – You could also use crushed tomatoes or even canned tomato sauce in place of the diced tomatoes in this recipe.
- Chipotles in Adobo – This is the brand of chipotles in adobo that I use in my kitchen. I like that it comes in a glass jar so you can store in the fridge for months. If you don’t have these on hand, you could add more chili powder or smoked paprika with a pinch of cayenne pepper but I highly recommend giving these chiles a try!
- Black Beans – You could switch out your favorite beans for the black beans in this recipe if you’d like. Pinto beans or kidney beans would also be delicious too!
- Split Red Lentils – I like to use split red lentils for this recipe because they cook so quickly. You could use other lentils in place of the split red lentils, but keep in mind that you’ll likely have to increase the cooking time significantly to allow the lentils to cook through.
- Tomato Sauce – For this recipe you’ll want to use canned tomato sauce (not pizza sauce or spaghetti sauce). You could also replace the tomato sauce with V8 or any brand of tomato based vegetable juice.
- Vegetable Broth – You could use any kind of broth in place of the veggie broth in this recipe.
- Lime Juice – If you have a fresh lime on hand, fresh squeezed is always best but if we also like this brand of lime juice that comes in a bottle.
Instructions
Sauté onions with salt and pepper in a large heavy bottom pot or Dutch oven.
Add garlic, chili powder, cumin, and sugar and cook for another minute, stirring frequently (this is my fave wooden spoon).
Stir in tomatoes, chipotles in adobo, black beans, lentils, and a large pinch of salt and pepper.
Then add tomato sauce and 2 cups vegetable broth. Cover and heat over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 5-7 minutes or until lentils are cooked through. Add additional broth if desired.
Stir in the juice of 1 lime and season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with tortilla chips, sliced avocado, crumbled vegan Cotija cheese, and fresh chopped cilantro.
Variations
- You can use whatever beans make you happy! I could eat black beans until the cows come home, but if you’re not a big fan of black beans feel free to use whatever beans are your favorite. Some great options include:
- chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
- pinto beans
- light kidney beans
- dark kidney beans
- Great Northern beans (white beans)
- If you’re not worried about this black bean chili recipe begin vegan you can also add ground beef or ground ground turkey.
- I love to bulk up this vegetarian chili recipe with diced bell peppers, minced jalapeño, frozen corn, or cooked diced sweet potatoes as well.
Make Ahead, Storage, Freezing, and Reheating
- Make Ahead: If you like to spend Sunday afternoons prepping your lunches for the week – you are going to LOVE LOVE LOVE this vegan chili recipe! The flavors just get better with time so you can grab a bowl each day for lunch and dig in guilt-free because you know you’re fueling your body with a fiber-packed lunch!
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
- Freezing: Vegan black bean chili will stay good in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Allow frozen chili to thaw in the fridge overnight.
- Reheating: Reheat chili in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until warmed through. Season to taste with salt and pepper before serving. You can also pop it in the microwave to reheat it as well.
Tips
- Don’t let the chili simmer for too long. Just 5-7 minutes is long enough to get the lentils nice and tender. Any longer than that though, and they will likely end up mushy. Which isn’t the end of the world – if anything it will just make the chili a bit thicker and more creamy.
- Be sure to stir the chili every minute or so while it’s simmering. This will loosen any black beans or lentils that may try to stick to the bottom of the pan and make sure that the lentils cook evenly.
FAQ
I like to drain canned beans any time I use them. I find that the liquid can have a bit of an odd flavor, not to mention that it will add more liquid and more sodium to whatever you’re making. I prefer to drain and rinse my beans so that I am more in control of how much salt and flavor in is my dish.
Chipotles in adobo is my go-to ingredient to boost the flavor of my chili recipes. It gives a delicious smoky flavor, with just a hint of spice. I prefer to buy diced chipotles in adobo that come in a glass jar because they’ll stay fresh in the fridge for months and you’ll use just a few teaspoons at a time.
YES! And you should! Kidney beans are great for a classic chili recipe, but black beans are best for black bean chili. And if you’re a fan of black beans – you are going to LOVE this chili recipe!
Try these easy soups next!
Did you love this recipe?
Please leave a 5-star rating and review below!
Vegan Black Bean Chili
This Vegan Black Bean Chili takes just 15 minutes to make and is filled with all your favorite flavors along with black beans and split red lentils. It’s loaded with over 50% of your daily fiber in each serving and filled with fresh flavors. This chili will fill you up and fuel you through your busy day!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 red onion, diced
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons diced chipotles in adobo
- (3) 15–ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup uncooked split red lentils
- (2) 15–ounce cans tomato sauce
- 2–3 cups vegetable broth
- juice of 1 lime
- Kosher salt
- fresh cracked pepper
Garnish:
- Fritos
- vegan sour cream
- fresh chopped cilantro
- sliced jalapeno
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion along with a large pinch of salt and pepper. Cook 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add garlic, chili powder, cumin, and sugar and cook for another minute, stirring frequently.
- Stir in diced tomatoes, chipotles in adobo, black beans, lentils, and a large pinch of salt and pepper.
- Then add tomato sauce and 2 cups vegetable broth.
- Cover, turn heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer.
- Reduce heat and simmer over medium-low for 5-7 minutes or until lentils are tender, stirring frequently. Add remaining cup of broth if desired.
- Stir in the juice of 1 lime and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Garnish with Fritos, sour cream, and fresh chopped cilantro.
Notes
- Don’t let the chili simmer for too long. Just 5-7 minutes is long enough to get the lentils nice and tender. Any longer than that though, and they will likely end up mushy. Which isn’t the end of the world – if anything it will just make the chili a bit thicker and more creamy.
- Be sure to stir the chili every minute or so while it’s simmering. This will loosen any black beans or lentils that may try to stick to the bottom of the pan and make sure that the lentils cook evenly.
This post was originally published in February of 2019. It was updated in March of 2020 to include process shots, step-by-step instructions, and tips for making the best vegan chili every single time.
I loved this so much!!! I stuck to the recipe, but served it on Cilantro lime rice. SO GOOD!!! Will definitely make this again. Thank you!
That sounds DELICIOUS. I am so glad that you enjoyed this recipe, Katie! Thanks for leaving a review – I really appreciate it 🙂
This chili turned out AMAZING!!! It is absolutely delicious!
I am so glad that you enjoyed this recipe, Natalia! It’s the perfect dinner to snuggle up with as the temps get cooler 🙂 Thanks so much for leaving a review – I really appreciate it!
I bought all of the ingredients to make this tonight! I’m so excited! Do you have any cook times to make this on the instant pot?
You are going to love it; I have no doubt! I have never cooked it in the IP before, but I would imagine that it would work just fine. If you got split red lentils, be aware that those cook up super fast (about 5-7 minutes or so on the stove) so they will cook up even quicker in the IP. I think there was another reader who commented that they’d made it in an IP but did not mention how much time they cooked it for. I’d guess it would need just a few minutes on the manual setting in the IP. Can’t wait to hear how it turns out, Natalia!
I want to make this for tomorrow’s dinner, but I just used up the last of my veggie broth. Do you think that water would work or should I get off my behind & go get the broth?
I think water will work just fine or if you have extra tomato/vegetable juice that would work well too! You may need to increase the seasonings a bit, but just use your judgment. Great question!
Oh my goodness! This Vegan Black Bean Chili is amazing! I made per your recipe and absolutely loved it. Thanks for the great, fast and easy recipe. So delicious! I will be freezing some and saving some to use as a burrito filling (Commenter Lisa: thank you for the great idea!).
I am so glad that you enjoyed this recipe!! Lisa definitely has the right idea to use this for a burrito filling – such a creative way to repurpose leftovers. Thanks so much for leaving a review – I really appreciate it!
I am just preparing this chilli and my kitchen smells so good. I loved how healthy and quick it is. Thank you.
Yay! I can just imagine how great your kitchen smells! Cant’ wait to hear how the final product turned out!! Thanks Megha!
This was an easy to follow recipe that provided a means to substitute as needed for flavor. I loved it and so did my family. We are trying to eat more plant-based meals, and this one hit the spot!
I am so glad that you hear that, Melissa! This chili has familiar flavors making it an easy substitute for a traditional meat-filled chili! Thanks so much for leaving a review – I really appreciate it 🙂
Im new to being vegan and I’m trying to encourage my husband to reduce meat and dairy as well and so I wanted a good hearty recipe to start him on and this was it! It’s so good! I added some pickled jalapeños on top for some additional freshness (though the spice level was already great) and it’s my new comfort food. Thank you so much!
Pickled veggies are the perfect addition! I am so glad that you enjoyed this recipe! Thanks so much for leaving a review, Jessi!
Thanks for the recipe!!! It was super tasty- I will definitely be making it again!
I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Megan. Thanks so much for leaving a review – I really appreciate it 🙂
Easy and absolutely delicious!
I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Coryn! Thanks so much for leaving a review!!
Sweating as I eat this so may have gone over with the spice. Haha. Originally thought this was black bean soup then saw it was chili and made it anyway. Went lower on the tomato sauce, set some black beans aside, and gave it a quick spin with the immersion blender before adding remaining beans in so it was more soup-like. Also had to simmer 10-12 minutes before lentils were done. Delicious!
Haha yes – you can definitely adjust the seasoning to suit your taste. Maybe start with a little less spice and then build more as you go 🙂 I bet blending the beans made it super creamy! I do have a Spicy Black Bean Soup with Rice that you might love if you were looking for a black bean soup. Here’s the recipe link: https://midwestfoodieblog.com/spicy-black-bean-soup-vegan/. Thanks so much for leaving a review, Lisa. I really appreciate it! 🙂
I usually swipe left to recipes with too many ingredients for fear I will fail. This recipe is easy and flavorful!
I do the same! I am so glad that you enjoyed this recipe, Wareska. Thanks so much for leaving a review – I really appreciate it 🙂
Loved it!
I am so glad that you enjoyed this recipe, Lauren! Thanks so much for leaving a review 🙂
Amazing vegetarian dish! Even my meat eating husband loved this recipe!!
WOOHOO! I am so glad that you enjoyed this recipe, Darla! Glad it is husband approved 🙂 Thanks for leaving a review!
Nice one! Thank you ??
So glad you enjoyed it, Sally! Thanks for leaving a review 🙂