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!
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Recipe
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
- ½ 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.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 284
- Sugar: 4.2 g
- Sodium: 909.8 mg
- Fat: 3.2 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 49.6 g
- Fiber: 15 g
- Protein: 16.5 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Keywords: black bean chili, black bean chili recipe, vegan chili, lentil chili
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.
Helen
This is the best tasting Vegan Chili I have eaten!! So flavorful and easy. I used one can of Pinto Beans because I only had 2 Black Bean cans. Delicious!! This will be on my regular list of meals.
★★★★★
Kathryn
Thank you for excellent chili recipe! I had only 1 can of black beans, so I added a can of red kidney beans as well. I didn't have any red lentils, but I did have some cooked brown lentils so I added them instead along with some Mexican oregano. It tasted quite harsh at the beginning, but after simmering for an hour the flavours all came together and it was absolutely delicious! This will be my new go-to chili recipe!
★★★★★
@bombadig
This was really good. Instead of eating it like soup, I ate it as a dip with blue corn chips. I got a little carried away with the chili in Adobo so it was extras spicy, but nothing sour cream couldn't fix.
★★★★★
Jessica
Fantastic flavours! Best chilli ever and soooo easy to make. 🙂 We decided to go vegan and this did not disappoint. I love that there isn't a tone of added fat. My husband and 8 year old daughter also loved it.
★★★★★
Kylie
Woohoo! I love to hear that, Jessica! This is one of our family's favorite recipes. Thanks for leaving a review - I really appreciate it 🙂
Cary
This was so good! I only had 1 large can diced tomatoes and 1 can of tomato sauce and 1 can black beans which was perfect for this consistency. I've never had red lentils before, loved them in this recipe! I also added: 1/2 tsp smoky paprika, oregano, ancho chili powder, medium hot chili powder, and some frozen banana peppers from our garden last summer. Also, at the very end, I added some beer to loosen it up a little. So good!!!
★★★★★
Angie
Does this hold up / reheat well if you freeze it?
Kylie
Yes! This is a great freezer meal! I recommend thawing it in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Eopp
Hey! This looks fab I am making in the UK. Is the tinned tomato sauce the same as pasata?
Kylie
Yes! Passata should work in place of the canned tomato sauce. Good question!
TK
That was Absolutely DELICIOUS!!😋😋😋
A Definite DO OVER! I made the recipe as explained no deviations. Thank you!
★★★★★
Susan Marshall
I made this yesterday and it was great and easy to make. I will definitely make this again.
★★★★★
lovelcute
wow nice your blog and very perfect your blog thank you very much I am very happy
★★★★★
Kristal
So good! Great flavor!
★★★★★
Amy F
Wow we loved this so much! It is our 2021~22 Chili recipe! Thank you
★★★★★
Carol
I loved this. How long would you say this will last in the refrigerator?
★★★★★
Kylie
I'm so glad that you enjoyed this chili, Carol! This will stay good for about 5 days and probably up to a week in an airtight container in the fridge!
Constance
Can you use canned lentils?
Kylie
I haven't tried it with canned lentils but I don't see why not!
Carol
WhatCarol is the serving size for this?
Kylie
I'd guesstimate each serving to be about 1.5 cups or so.
Brenda
This is great!,
★★★★★
Virginia Gross
What incredible flavors! And so easy to prepare. I used a can of rotel tomatoes, a chopped zucchini and red bell. This is a new favorite.
★★★★★