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.
We made this last night and it was a hit with my kids & husband! I loved it too! I added diced sweet potato and let them simmer before adding the lentils. So good! I’m looking forward to having this for lunch today! 🙂
YUM! Sweet potato would be delicious in this black bean soup! Thanks so much for leaving a review, Lauren. I really appreciate it 🙂
Thanks for the recipe! This has become a regular favorite in our family. We’ve made it as written, and added ground beef. This last time instead of tomatoes I added a jar of my homemade salsa that I canned this summer. It was fantastic! And I love how quick it is to make after work.
Thanks again!
Mmmmm – homemade salsa would be SO good in this! Great idea! I’m so glad that you’re enjoying this chili, Melissa. Thank you for taking the time to leave a review – I really appreciate it 🙂
My family loves this chili recipe! So easy and delicious
WOOHOO! I love when one of our family favorites becomes one of your family favorites, Dale! Thank you for leaving a review – I really appreciate it 🙂
I made the recipe just as its stated. It was very good but a little spicy for me but I suppose it is chili 😂. I might have to try it with green lentils next time.
This was good! I didn’t have corn or lime juice, but the flavor was awesome. As a South Dakota girl, beef is ALWAYS in chili. It was a little nervous, but this has made the meat-less list! Great job!
Yayyyyy! I love to hear that, Kagney!! I am so glad that you enjoyed this chili 🙂 Thank you for leaving a review – I really appreciate it!
Absolutely delicious! So full of flavor as written. I used a 30 oz can of crushed and diced tomatoes with jalapenos instead of the tomato sauce. It’s what I had on hand and turned out fine. This was easy, fast, delicious, cheap, and healthy. My husband and I are both omnivores and this is going on our regular rotation. He ate 3 bowls the first night! Can’t wait to try your other recipes.
I love it when the meat eaters enjoy the veggie loaded meals too! And I’m so glad you were able to use what you had on hand for this chili! Thanks for leaving a review – I really appreciate it 🙂
This chili is the best! I added quinoa and white beans to the recipe and a little bit more of the chipotles and it turned out amazing! Enough to feed family and have leftovers
YUM – great addition! I am making a chili today and thinking of adding quinoa to it! I am so glad that you enjoyed this recipe, Melissa. Thank you for leaving a review 🙂
This has become a bi-weekly staple in my house. So filling and delicious! Quick and easy too!
I LOVE to hear that, Karyna!!! Thank you so much for leaving a review – I really appreciate it 🙂
This was absolutely delicious and so simple to make! Great flavor and filling!
I eat mostly vegetarian bit my husband does not. I told him I made chili and surprisingly he didn’t question what was in it. He took two bites and said wow this is really good! I smiled and he said oh no, what weird stuff did you put in it” and I just told him there was no meat and listed off the ingredients. He told me to save the recipe, definitely will make again and now I have to share the rest with him. Thought I was going to be able to freeze some, but guess not!
Hahahahhah I LOVE this! Vegan food can be delicious and satisfying even for those who aren’t vegan!!! 🙂 I am so glad to hear that you and your husband enjoyed this chili! You’ll have to make a double batch next time so you have some to freeze 😉 Thank you for leaving a review – I really appreciate it!
This has become a family favorite at our house. Even the carnivores love it!
WOOHOO! I am so glad to hear that, Kirsten! Love a meal that the whole family can enjoy! Thank you for leaving a review – I really appreciate it 🙂
This dish is healthy, inexpensive, and delicious. My kids loved it. Thank you for the receipe!
It’s always a win when the kids like it!! Thank you so much for leaving a review, Mirian! I really appreciate it 🙂
So yummy! My son is not a fan of typical chili, but loved this alternative. Easy, quick, and loads of flavor. I will definitely make this again!
I am so glad to hear that, Jill! I love hearing that the kids enjoyed the meal as well 🙂 Thank you for leaving a review – I really appreciate it!
This is seriously the best vegan chili I’ve ever made! LOVE it!!
I am SO glad to hear that, Rebecca!!! Thank you so much for leaving a review – I really appreciate it 🙂
Hi! Making this recipe tonight and counting calories and macros. What is a serving size? Thanks!
I don’t really keep track of serving “sizes” for my recipes. I decide number of servings based on approximately how many servings we got out of the recipe each time I tested it. If you divide it into 8 servings, you could measure how many cups/grams/whatever measurement you’d like to use. I would guesstimate it’s around 1.5 cups but that would be a rough guess. Hope that helps clear things up a bit!
Very delicious! I cook only for myself, so I cut the recipe in half and used chipotle powder instead of chili powder because I like it spicy 🙂 I added some cream cheese to thicken it up and ate with blue corn chips. Thank you for sharing your wonderful recipe! I cannot wait to try more as I love soup season.
Blue corn chips are my FAVORITE!!! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Katie. Thanks for leaving a review!
Very very tasty. Omitted the canned tomato (did not have at home) but added carrot slices and zucchini cubes. A Tbsp of maple syrup instead of white sugar. Delicious!!! Francine from Nova Scotia, Canada ??
YUM! Your substitutions sound DELICIOUS! I’m glad you were able to use what you had on hand. Thanks so much for leaving a review, Francine!