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    Home » Family Style Dinners

    Vegan White Chickpea Chili

    Published: Jul 22, 2020 » Modified: Jan 13, 2022 » By: Kylie » This post may contain affiliate links. » 157 Comments

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    This White Chickpea Chili is a vegan twist on the ever popular white chicken chili. It's loaded with veggies, beans and plenty of spice in a broth of coconut milk, vegetable broth, and salsa verde. Make room in your monthly meal rotation for this 30 minute dinner!

    Over head shot of a white bowl of chickpea chili garnished tortilla strips and cotija cheese
    Table of Contents show
    You Will Love This
    Ingredients and Substitutions
    Instructions
    Tips
    Make Ahead, Storage, Freezing, Reheating Instructions
    Family Favorite Soups
    Vegan White Chickpea Chili

    You Will Love This

    • If you're a chili lover like me, it's fun to try something a little different than your traditional tomato-based chili recipe. Although I enjoy classic red chilis (as evidenced by the wide variety of chilies on my site including Shredded Short Rib Chili, Creamy Enchilada Chicken Chili, and Vegan Black Bean Chili) but I love the unique flavors that this white chickpea chili has and it's fun to switch it up with some plant-based meals.
    • You won't even miss the chicken, I promise! This type of white chili is typically made with chicken breast, but in this recipe, I've replaced the chicken with chickpeas, and I'm telling you - it's AMAZING. Chickpeas can literally replace any meat in any of your favorite dishes and they really shine in this chili. A few of my other favorites that showcase chickpeas instead of meat include my BBQ Chickpea Sandwich, Creamy Chickpea Noodle Soup, Greek Chickpea Gyros, Sheet Pan Chickpea Fajitas, and BBQ Chickpea Pizza. If you're looking to add more vegan meals to your family dinner rotation - try switching out the meat in the dish for chickpeas!
    Close up shot of a white bowl of chickpea chili garnished tortilla strips and cotija cheese

    Ingredients and Substitutions

    • Yellow Onion - You can use white or red onion in place of the yellow onion if you prefer.
    • Red Bell Pepper - You can use any color of bell pepper for this chickpea chili. I love the flavor of red bell pepper.
    • Jalapeno - You can omit the jalapeno if you don't have any on hand but it adds delicious flavor. If you like a real spicy chili, don't remove all the seeds and ribs.
    • Garlic - I like to use fresh garlic but if you don't have any in the pantry, you can use about ¾ of a teaspoon or more in place of the fresh garlic.
    • Spices - Cumin, chili powder, ground coriander, and dried oregano combine to create a delicious layering of flavors.
    • Garbanzo Beans - Also known as chickpeas, the garbanzo beans replace the chicken breast that is usually used in white chili.
    • Pinto Beans - You can use any type of bean for this recipe - black beans, kidney beans, or even Great Northern beans, but I love the flavor and creamy texture of pinto beans.
    • Salsa Verde - I like to use green salsa (salsa verde) for this recipe because it has a little kick. You could also use red salsa in this chickpea chili recipe.
    • Coconut Milk - The coconut milk is going to give this chili a deliciously creamy texture. If you aren't worried about this soup being vegan, you can substitute about half the amount with heavy cream.
    • Vegetable Broth - If you aren't keeping this chili vegan or vegetarian, use chicken broth in place of the veggie broth.

    Instructions

    Sauté onion, red pepper, and jalapeno in oil along with a couple large pinches of salt and pepper for 5 minutes.

    Large white pot with onion, red pepper and jalapeno in it

    Add garlic, cumin, chili powder, coriander, and oregano and cook, stirring frequently for another minute.

    Large white pot with onion, red pepper, jalapeno, and spices in it

    Add a splash of vegetable broth and deglaze the bottom of the pot, scraping all the yummy bits off the bottom.

    Large white pot with onion, red pepper, jalapeno, and spices in it

    Add garbanzo beans, pinto beans, salsa verde, coconut milk, and vegetable broth along with a couple pinches of salt and pepper.

    Large pot with coconut milk, salsa, and beans in it for chili

    Stir to combine, then bring to a simmer over medium high heat. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in fresh lime juice and season to taste with salt and pepper.

    Large white pot with homemade chickpea chili in it

    Garnish with your favorite toppings - don't forget the homemade fried tortilla strips - and enjoy!

    Over head shot of a white pot of chickpea chili garnished tortilla strips and cotija cheese

    Tips

    • This chickpea chili has a bit of a kick to it! Our family enjoys the amount of spice, although for our daughter we added a scoop of sour cream and mixed it in just to mellow it out a bit. If you'd like a more mild chili, try using mild green salsa and omitting the chili powder.
    • If you like a thicker chili, try adding less vegetable broth. The coconut milk will make the chili super creamy and then the vegetable broth helps to thin that out a bit, but if you want a creamier chili, add less vegetable broth - you can always add more later!
    • Be sure to moderately salt this chili! The ingredient list is simple, and while it does have a few spices in it, salt is going to go a long way in boosting the overall flavors of the dish. I recommend using Kosher salt to season as you have more control over how much you add. It's easy to get heavy handed with traditional table salt and add too much.
    Over head shot of a white bowl of chickpea chili garnished tortilla strips and cotija cheese

    Make Ahead, Storage, Freezing, Reheating Instructions

    • Make Ahead: This chickpea chili is a delicious make ahead meal! It's perfect for Sunday night meal prep and will taste great throughout the week!
    • Storage: Store this chili in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
    • Freezing: You can freeze this soup for up to 3 months in an airtight container. Before eating, thaw in the fridge overnight.
    • Reheating: I like to reheat this chili in a saucepan over medium heat. You may need to add a bit of broth to loosen it up. Cook, stirring frequently, until warmed through. Season to taste with salt and pepper and enjoy!

    Family Favorite Soups

    • Easy Vegetarian One Pot Lasagna Soup
    • One-Pot Macaroni Cheeseburger Soup - NO VELVEETA!
    • Creamy Vegan Instant Pot Lentil Soup
    • 30 Minute One Pot Creamy Vegan Mushroom Soup

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    Vegan White Chickpea Chili

    Print Recipe
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    ★★★★★

    4.9 from 70 reviews

    This White Chickpea Chili is a vegan twist on the ever popular white chicken chili. It's loaded with veggies, beans and plenty of spice in a broth of coconut milk, vegetable broth, and salsa verde. Make room in your monthly meal rotation for this family favorite!

    • Author: Kylie
    • Prep Time: 10 minutes
    • Cook Time: 20 minutes
    • Total Time: 30 minutes
    • Yield: 8 servings 1x
    • Category: Main Dish
    • Method: Stove Top
    • Cuisine: American
    • Diet: Vegan

    Ingredients

    Scale
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 1 yellow onion, diced
    • 1 red pepper, diced
    • 1 jalapeno, ribs and seeds removed, petite diced
    • 5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
    • 1.5 tablespoons ground cumin
    • 1 teaspoon chili powder
    • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
    • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
    • 2 (15 oz.) cans garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
    • 1 (15 oz.) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
    • 16 oz. salsa verde (green salsa)
    • 1 (13.5 oz.) full fat coconut milk
    • 2 cups vegetable broth
    • juice of 1 lime (about 2 tablespoons)
    • Kosher salt
    • fresh cracked pepper

    Serve with:

    • tortilla strips
    • sour cream
    • crumbled cotija cheese
    • fresh chopped cilantro
    • sliced jalapeno
    • lime wedges

    Instructions

    1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium high heat.
    2. Add onion, red pepper, and jalapeno along with a couple large pinches of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently for 5 minutes.
    3. Add garlic, cumin, chili powder, coriander, and oregano and cook, stirring frequently for another minute.
    4. Add a splash of vegetable broth and deglaze the bottom of the pot, scraping all the yummy bits off the bottom.
    5. Add garbanzo beans, pinto beans, salsa verde, coconut milk, and remaining vegetable broth along with a couple pinches of salt and pepper.
    6. Stir to combine, then bring to a simmer over medium high heat.
    7. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 10 minutes.
    8. Stir in fresh lime juice and season to taste with salt and pepper.
    9. Garnish with your favorite toppings - don't forget the homemade fried tortilla strips - and enjoy!

    Equipment

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    Dutch oven

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    measuring cup

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    Nutrition

    • Serving Size:
    • Calories: 294
    • Sugar: 4.1 g
    • Sodium: 788.8 mg
    • Fat: 14 g
    • Saturated Fat: 8.6 g
    • Carbohydrates: 34.7 g
    • Fiber: 10.3 g
    • Protein: 11 g
    • Cholesterol: 0 mg

    Keywords: white chili recipe, vegan white chicken chili, garbanzo bean chili

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sabs

      June 08, 2022 at 5:33 pm

      One that is in constant rotation. No changes made most times but maybe extra veggies might be nice.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Kylie

        June 08, 2022 at 5:52 pm

        I'm so glad that you've enjoyed this chickpea chili, Sabs. Thanks for leaving a review!

        Reply
    2. Shae

      June 03, 2022 at 6:14 am

      I made this with a green pepper instead of red, and way less coconut milk. I added a can of corn to add bulk. It was AMAZING!! Will make again and will probably add more beans. The recipe only made about 4.5 bowls.

      ★★★★

      Reply
    3. Kristen

      May 28, 2022 at 5:46 pm

      Love this version of chili! I think needs a bit more vegetables tho. I added mushrooms and corn. Changed one can of garbanzo beans to white beans. The flavor was excellent, the lime really seals the deal at the end.

      ★★★★

      Reply
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    Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

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    HELLO FROM THE MIDWEST - I'm Kylie and as a mom and blogger, I understand how hard it can be to get a wholesome dinner on the table at the end of a long day. Here at Midwest Foodie, I focus on sharing simple recipes that make it easy to feed your family real food.

    More about me →

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