This recipe for easy vegan chili made on the stovetop tastes just as meaty and savory as classic chili. It’s the perfect one-pot dinner that only needs about 30 minutes of cooking time. This vegan bean chili also features chopped up veggie sausages for that unctuous texture and full-bodied umami flavour. Since this dinner recipe uses mostly pantry ingredients and involves a simple cooking method, it’s a good one for vegan beginner cooks! For some unusual vegetarian chili recipe variations, check out my sweet potato walnut chili with corn dumplings and my vegan buffalo chickpea chili. I love serving this with vegan sour cream on top.
There are already a few chili recipes on the site! But I wanted to offer my version of a “classic” meaty and plant-based chili. I use veggie sausages in the flavour base. I know that this is not typical, especially given all of the vegan “beef” substitutes that are in stores. Veggie sausages have a better texture and are already loaded with flavour, which helps to shorten the overall cooking time. These are the only vegan “meats” that I use somewhat regularly and I do enjoy them as a treat!
My favourite veggie sausages for this recipe: Beyond Meat or Gardein’s brats. Both are quick and delicious substitutes for meat in vegan chili. For those that prefer a more whole food vegan option, try my smoky squash chili with with quinoa, pinto & black beans.
Once you chop up your veggie sausages, you just sauté them with onions before adding spices and minced garlic. Tomato paste and 2 types of beans go in, followed by fire-roasted diced tomatoes, and a bit of vegetable stock. I like red kidney and black beans here, but feel free to use what you have. I finish with a dash of apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, and Tamari. Again, these add-ins might sound a bit unusual, but they really help us achieve a complimentary flavour balance which makes for the best vegan chili.
I love to serve this with a dollop of vegan sour cream, chopped green onions and cilantro, and tortilla chips for scooping. It’s also very fun (and game day-appropriate) to ladle this chili over some fries–homemade or frozen! Again, the vegan sour cream and herbs are great on top in this configuration.
The flavour of this veggie chili only gets better as it sits and “marinates,” which makes it excellent for weekly meal prep! Hope you love it.
30-Minute Hearty Vegan Chili
This hearty and meaty vegan chili only needs 30 minutes of cooking time on the stove. Loaded with spices, and deep flavour from Tamari and fire-roasted tomatoes, this vegan dinner is sure to satisfy all types of eaters.
Servings 4
Ingredients
Spice Blend
- 1 tablespoon ancho chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
Vegan Chili
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, small dice
- 2 vegan sausages, chopped
- spice blend, see above
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 15oz can red kidney beans, drained & rinsed
- 1 15oz can black beans, drained & rinsed
- sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 28oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 1 cup vegetable stock, plus extra
- 1 tablespoon Tamari
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
Notes
- I know that using plant-based sausage seems a bit weird as the vegan meat replacement of choice considering that vegan “ground beef” options exist. But! I think the texture and flavour of veggie sausages works better in chili. They have more spices and that unctuous texture is undeniable when chopped up and simmered.
- My favourite veggie sausages for this recipe: Beyond Meat or Gardein’s brats.
- The simmering time is short on this one, but of course the flavour will get better if you make it ahead of time and let it “marinate” before re-heating and serving.
- I would omit the cayenne if you’re sensitive to hot spice!
Instructions
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Make the spice blend. In a small bowl, stir together the ancho chili powder, ground cumin, chipotle chili powder, oregano, cocoa powder, smoked paprika, ground coriander, and cayenne pepper. Set aside.
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Start the chili. Set a heavy-bottomed pot (like a Dutch oven) over medium heat. Once hot, pour in the oil and swirl it around. Add the onion and chopped veggie sausages. Stir and cook this mixture until the onions are very soft and the veggie sausage bits are starting to brown, about 5 minutes. I recommend breaking up the pieces of veggie sausage with your spoon.
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Once the sausages have stopped letting off liquid, add the spice blend and garlic and stir for about 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and cook it out, stirring constantly, for another full minute.
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Add the kidney and black beans, and then season with salt and pepper. Add the fire-roasted diced tomatoes, and 1 cup of vegetable stock. Stir, scraping up all browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Bring this mixture to a boil and then lower to a simmer. Let the chili simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes.
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To the chili, add the Tamari, brown sugar, and apple cider vinegar, and stir. Give the chili a taste and adjust seasoning as necessary (more salt, pepper, Tamari, vinegar etc). Add more vegetable stock at this point if the chili is too thick for your liking.
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Serve the chili hot with garnishes of your choice.
