Do you drain black beans for chili?

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.

What is the best secret ingredient for chili?

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.

Can you use black beans instead of kidney beans in chili?

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!

Vegan Chili Recipe with Black Beans

Name: Vegan Black Bean Chili
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 15 min
Cuisine: Mexican
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; Fritos; vegan sour cream; fresh chopped cilantro; sliced jalapeno

Vegan Black Bean Chili

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5 from 93 reviews

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!

Author: Kylie
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

Units Scale

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.

chipotles in adobo

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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.

Vegan Black Bean Chili

Ingredients

Instructions

Equipment

Notes