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Our Love Language is Food > Recipes > Soups & Sides

Published: Feb 17, 2021 · Modified: Mar 15, 2025 by Meredith · This post may contain affiliate links · 10 Comments

Three Bean Vegetarian Chili

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Our three bean chili is warm, comforting, and super easy to make too! Packed with plant-based protein, fiber, and veggies, this is a great everyday chili recipe to enjoy throughout the fall and winter.

Three bowls filled with this vegetarian chili recipe topped with cheese and cilantro and a side of oyster crackers and sour cream

My husband and I have probably made this recipe more than any other during our marriage. I was still in my decade as a vegetarian when we got hitched, and this vegetarian chili is what convinced my husband that an intentionally meatless meal could actually fill you up and be 100% delicious too. So if he can sign on and say it’s worth making again and again, you know this is a great recipe to try.

This is our go-to when we’re looking for an easy, nutritious meal to put on the table. With our easy-to-follow instructions for both the stovetop and the slow cooker, you’ll be able to make a hearty batch of this meatless chili easily in the comfort of your own home too.

Jump to:
  • Why you’ll love this Three Bean Chili
  • 3 Bean Chili Recipe Ingredients
  • How to make 3 Bean Vegetarian Chili in the Slow Cooker
  • How to make Three Bean Chili on the stove
  • Toppings to serve with 3 Bean Vegetarian Chili
  • How to store Meatless Chili
  • Three Bean Vegetarian Chili FAQs
  • Love This Recipe? You May Also Enjoy
  • 3 Bean Vegetarian Chili

Why you’ll love this Three Bean Chili

Level of difficulty: Easy. Lots of chopping, but nothing fancy; only basic kitchen equipment needed too.

Flavor: The chili spices are the prominent flavor in this dish, so making sure you’ve got a blend you like is key. While making your own spice mix is fun and allows you to control what gets included, this chili recipe is written out using the chili seasoning packets you can find at the grocery store. They’re easy, convenient, cheap, and taste good.

Texture: Chunky. The variety of vegetables and the varying sizes of the beans make this three bean chili a meal, not just a side dish!

Time: This will vary depending on the cooking method you select. After 15-20 minutes of prep work, you can either cook your vegetarian chili in a slow cooker (4hrs on high or 8hrs on low) or the stove top (30 minutes cook time).

3 Bean Chili Recipe Ingredients

Ingredient shot for this vegetarian chili recipe. Includes 3 types of canned beans, bell peppers, carrots, onion, V8 juice, diced tomatoes, and chili seasoning.
  • Fresh Veggies: This easy vegetarian chili recipes uses carrots, bell peppers, and a medium onion. Using fresh vegetables gives good texture to your chili. The vegetables also release water as they cook, helping to give your vegan chili a nice consistency.
  • Canned Beans: We’ve experimented with endless combinations of beans for this recipe, sometimes making batches with just one bean, and sometimes going all the way up to 6 types of beans. We’ve found three is just the right number. Lower and the flavor can be boring; higher, and you lose the flavor of each type of bean.
  • Chili Seasoning: You can use seasoning packets, bulk-purchased chili seasoning, or homemade chili seasoning for this vegetarian chili recipe.
  • V8 Juice or Canned Tomato Sauce: This adds liquid (and more veggies) to you chili.

See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

Helpful Equipment

  • A Large Crockpot

How to make 3 Bean Vegetarian Chili in the Slow Cooker

Collage showing the steps to make this vegan chili recipe in a slow cooker.
  1. Wash and chop your veggies: Prep your veggies per notes on ingredient list
  2. Place all ingredients in the crock pot and cook: Drop all ingredients into the slow cooker and mix to ensure all vegetables are coated in liquid and the spices are distributed. Select heat (low or high) and set a timer (6-8 hours for low, 3-4 hours for high).

How to make Three Bean Chili on the stove

  1. Wash and chop your veggies: Prep your veggies per notes on ingredient list
  2. Give your root veggies a head start: Sauté the onions & carrot on their own before you add the other ingredients. Because raw root vegetables are tough, they need a bit of extra time to soften up and release their flavor.
  3. Add in your bell pepper: The pepper won’t need as much time as the onions and carrot, so add them to the pot about 5 minutes after the first veggies go in.
  4. Once veggies are ready, add in the chili seasoning: Stir to coat your veggies.
  5. Add in tomatoes and their juices: Add in the diced tomatoes. Scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to deglaze your pan.
  6. Add beans and V8 juice: Stir until well combined and bring your chili to a boil.
  7. Simmer low and slow: Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for at least 20min. Chili is ready to eat once carrots are fork-tender.
Top down view of a bowls of chili topped with cheese.

Toppings to serve with 3 Bean Vegetarian Chili

You can use any of your favorite chili toppings on this vegetarian chili! Some ideas include:

  • Sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
  • Shredded cheese such as cheddar, colby jack, Mexican-blends, etc.
  • Lime wedges (for squeeze fresh lime juice onto your chili)
  • Sliced jalapeño peppers
  • Sliced avocado
  • Green onions
  • Oyster crackers (or crushed saltine crackers)

How to store Meatless Chili

How long does Vegetarian Chili last in the fridge?

Leftover three bean chili will last in the fridge for 3-4 days when stored properly in an airtight container. Be sure to place the chili into the fridge after it’s been cooled closer to room temperature (not hot off the stove). Reheat on the stovetop over medium heat, or in the microwave in 30-second increments until heated to your desired temperature.

Can you freeze 3 Bean Vegetarian Chili?

Yes! 3 bean chili freezes really well for a later date. Be sure to allow the soup to cool fully before packaging into an air-tight container (or into freezer-safe zip-top baggies to lay flat and stack in your freezer). You can freeze your vegetarian chili for up to three months.

Three Bean Vegetarian Chili FAQs

Help! My veggies are still crunchy! What do I do?

If you made your chili on the stovetop: You likely didn’t sauté them long enough at the beginning of the recipe. Think of it this way: you want the onions, carrots, and peppers to be about 90% cooked by the time you add the rest of the ingredients. No worries, though! If you’ve reached the end of the recipe and the veggies are crunchy, bring the pot back up to a boil, maintain that boil for about 5min (covered), and then reduce heat to medium-low for another 5min (covered). This isn’t optimal (the beans may become overcooked), but it’ll save the batch of chili: an overcooked bean is often more preferable than an undercooked carrot.
If you made your chili in a slow cooker: Continue to cook your chili, it needs more time. Check in on it periodically to check the status of your veggies.

Can I use a different combination of canned beans for chili?

Definitely! Alternative beans we also enjoy using in this recipe include: cannellini beans, black eyed peas, garbanzo beans, and great northern beans. Mix and match your canned beans to find your perfect combination. Note: I would not recommend using butter beans as they tend to disintegrate as they cook…not ideal for chili.

My partner just has to have meat in their chili. What do you recommend?

Leftover rotisserie chicken is a really tasty addition to this vegetarian three bean chili recipe. It adds a deep savory flavor without drawing too much attention to itself. Using chicken also adds protein without adding a lot of fat, making the chili heartier while still letting the veggies and beans be the stars of the show!

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Did you make this recipe? Leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating & comment below! You can also tag @ourlovelanguageisfood on Instagram & Facebook. Be sure to subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get free recipes sent directly to your inbox!

Top-down shot of three bowls of vegetarian three bean chili, oyster crackers, and shredded cheese.

3 Bean Vegetarian Chili

Meredith
An easy to make, nutritious, and delicious vegetarian chili recipe that is filling. Option to make on stove top or in a slow cooker.
4.91 from 11 votes
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Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 30 minutes mins
Total Time 40 minutes mins
Course Soup
Cuisine American
Servings 8 Servings
Calories 471 kcal

Equipment

  • Large Stock Pot or Dutch Oven
  • Large 6-Quart Slow Cooker

Ingredients
  

  • 2, 15 oz cans black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 2, 15 oz cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
  • 2, 15 oz cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 2 bell peppers, chopped⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀
  • 4 medium carrots, peeled and chopped⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀
  • 1 medium onion, diced⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀
  • 1, 28 oz can petite diced tomatoes⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
  • 1 can of V8 -OR- small can tomato sauce⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
  • 1.5-2 packs of chili seasoning (this is 3-4 tablespoon if you buy or make chili seasoning in bulk)⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
  • tablespoon olive oil*⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
  • optional toppings of your choice

Instructions
 

Cooking Option 1 – Stove Top Method

  • Sautee the onions and carrots with olive oil until onions are translucent and carrots have begun to soften, approximately 5mins⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
  • Add bell peppers and continue to sauté another 3-5mins⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
  • Add spices and continue to sauté until aromatic, approximately 1min⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
  • Add tomatoes and juices. Scrape bottom of pan with a wooden spoon while stirring to deglaze your pan⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
  • Add beans and V8 (or tomato sauce) and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat to medium-low and simmer 15-20mins. Chili is done once carrots are fork tender⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
  • Serve with your favorite toppings⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
  • Store leftovers in airtight container in fridge for up to a week

Cooking Option 2 – Slow Cooker Method

  • Place carrots, onions, and peppers at the bottoms of crockpot. Then add the beans, tomatoes, and spices. Pour V8 over the top⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
  • Cook on the low setting for 6-8 hours, or on the high setting 3-4 hours

Notes

  • Olive oil is only needed if cooking on the stove top, not required if cooking in the slow cooker.
* Time noted on recipe if for cooking method option 1 – stove top.
* You can use any combination of beans that you’d like. You just need 6,15oz cans of beans. This recipe includes black beans, kidney beans, and pinto beans. Other great options / ideas: canellini beans, black eyed peas, garbanzo beans (aka chickpeas), great northern beans.

Nutrition

Calories: 471kcalCarbohydrates: 87gProtein: 30gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 169mgPotassium: 1641mgFiber: 29gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 6242IUVitamin C: 52mgCalcium: 154mgIron: 9mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

    4.91 from 11 votes (7 ratings without comment)

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    How many stars would you give this recipe?




  1. Marge says

    October 18, 2024 at 11:51 am

    5 stars
    Our favorite veggie chili!

    Reply
    • Meredith says

      October 21, 2024 at 9:57 am

      So glad you love this one too Marge!

      Reply
  2. FRUgirl22 says

    September 25, 2022 at 1:21 pm

    5 stars
    Made it today with scratch cornbread!!! DELISH! Added few drops of soy sauce because the pre packaged chilli seasoning didn’t have much salt, fall here we come!!

    Reply
    • ourlovelanguageisfood says

      September 25, 2022 at 4:15 pm

      I am so happy to hear that it was a hit!! Great idea on the soy sauce to amp up the chili seasoning. Thank you so much for making my recipe 🙂

      Reply
  3. Kimmy Giaco says

    April 18, 2022 at 4:22 pm

    5 stars
    so sorry will make it tomorrow

    Reply
    • ourlovelanguageisfood says

      April 18, 2022 at 4:23 pm

      can’t wait to hear how it goes! enjoy!

      Reply
  4. David says

    April 18, 2022 at 4:22 pm

    5 stars
    Big fan of this chili. Not normally a big fan of vegetarian chilis, but I like that this one focuses on hearty things like the beans, and not on filler like zucchini.

    Reply
    • ourlovelanguageisfood says

      April 18, 2022 at 4:22 pm

      I’m glad you gave this vegetarian chili a try and loved it!! thank you for making my recipe

      Reply
    • FRUgirl22 says

      September 25, 2022 at 1:23 pm

      I feel you, beans make all the difference..picky eaters here, family hardly missed the meat.

      Reply
      • ourlovelanguageisfood says

        September 25, 2022 at 4:16 pm

        I’m so glad they still loved it! Hooray!

        Reply

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Hi, I'm Meredith!

I am a Midwest-based foodie and mom working full time by day and sharing my passion for all things food by night. Follow along for great recipes to share with your family and friends. I've got you covered for breakfast, dinner, snack-time, parties, desserts, drinks, and more!

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