Bursting with fresh vegetables and white beans, this Vegan White Bean Chili Recipe is a hearty and flavorful dinner that cooks quickly on your stovetop. Top with cilantro and serve with lime wedges and your favorite chili toppings.
White Bean Chili is the ideal dinner for Meatless Monday or if you are following a plant-based or vegan lifestyle.
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White Bean Chili
The aromatic spices add smoky notes with just a hint of spice, making every spoonful a culinary delight.
As the vegetable chili simmers the seasonings and fresh vegetables impart an amazing flavor that you won't be able to resist.
Ready in less than an hour, this bean chili is definitely a comfort food that will warm you up and make you smile.
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How to make white bean chili
Scroll down for the full recipe instructions and ingredient amounts in the recipe card below
- In a 4-quart pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add diced onion, garlic, chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, salt and pepper and cook until fragrant and translucent.
- Add bell pepper, zucchini, potato and carrot and cook until the vegetables are tender-crisp, about 7 minutes.
- Stir in the vegetable broth, white beans and diced tomatoes and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Serve with chopped cilantro and lime wedges and your favorite chili toppings.
Recipe Tips
- For a creamy chili, you can use a potato masher or an immersion blender to mash or blend one can of the white beans.
- The longer you simmer the chili, the thicker it will become
- I used a red bell pepper in this recipe because it is sweeter and milder than a green bell pepper
- Serve with your favorite toppings for chili, such as salsa verde, chopped green onions or vegan cheese
- Add a splash of hot sauce!
Substitutions
- You can use an orange bell pepper or yellow bell pepper in place of the red bell pepper.
- White onion or sweet onion can be subbed for the yellow onion
- I used small white beans but you can use your favorite type of white bean, such as cannellini beans, navy beans, butter beans or great northern beans
- Vegetable stock can be used in place of the vegetable broth
- Garlic powder can easily be substituted for the fresh garlic
- Prefer black beans? Go ahead and use them in place of the white beans. This chili will still be absolutely delicious!
- If you are not needing this recipe to be vegan or plant-based, feel free to make it with chicken broth in place of the vegetable broth
Variations
- Mexican: Add minced jalapeno peppers when cooking the vegetables, stir in canned green chiles and use taco seasoning
- Italian: Add chopped sundried tomatoes, a Tablespoon or two of tomato paste and use dried Italian seasoning
- Black Bean Chili: Make the recipe with canned black beans
Sides to go with Chili
Storage
- Let any leftover chili cool to room temperature and then store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Chili will stay fresh for 2-3 days.
Ingredients
You will need the following ingredients to make this vegetarian white bean chili recipe:
- olive oil
- yellow onion
- garlic
- red bell pepper
- zucchini
- potato
- carrot
- canned white beans
- canned diced tomatoes
- vegetable broth
- chili powder
- smoked paprika
- cumin
- salt
- pepper
- fresh cilantro
- lime
White Bean Vegan Chili
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Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion diced, about 1 cup
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 red bell pepper seeded and diced, 1 cup
- 1 medium zucchini diced, 2 cups
- 1 large Yukon gold potato , peeled and diced, 1 cup
- 1 carrot diced, 1 cup
- 2 cans (15.5 ounces each) small white beans , drained and rinsed
- 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- Lime wedges
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Instructions
- In a 4-quart pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add diced onion, garlic, chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, salt and pepper and cook until fragrant and translucent.
- Add bell pepper, zucchini, potato and carrot and cook until the vegetables are tender-crisp, about 7 minutes.
- Stir in the vegetable broth, white beans and diced tomatoes and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Serve with chopped cilantro and lime wedges and your favorite chili toppings.
I consider this one of my favorite comfort food recipes. It is so easy and delicious. I love it!