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.
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
- Sides to Serve with 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
Easy to Make with Simple Ingredients. Just chop vegetables and combine them with pantry staples to create this easy chili.
Two Cooking Options. Make it on the stovetop in 30 minutes when you’re in a hurry, or use the slow cooker for hands-off cooking while you go about your day.
Packed with Plant-Based Protein. The three different beans provide filling protein and fiber that makes this a satisfying, complete meal rather than just a side dish.
Great for Meal Prep. This chunky, flavorful chili keeps well in the fridge for days and freezes beautifully for up to three months of easy meals.
3 Bean Chili Recipe Ingredients
- 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
How to Make 3 Bean Vegetarian Chili in the Slow Cooker
Wash and chop your veggies: Prep your veggies per notes on ingredient list
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
- Wash and chop your veggies: Prep your veggies per notes on ingredient list
- 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.
- 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.
- Once veggies are ready, add in the chili seasoning: Stir to coat your veggies.
- 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.
- Add beans and V8 juice: Stir until well combined and bring your chili to a boil.
- 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.
Toppings to Serve with 3 Bean Vegetarian Chili
You can use any of your favorite chili toppings on this vegetarian chili! Some ideas include:
- Oyster crackers (or crushed saltine crackers)
- 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
Sides to Serve with Chili
Cornbread is a natural pairing for chili! We love making whole wheat cornbread or cheese cornbread muffins with jalapenos to enjoy with this recipe.
This post on what to serve with white chicken chili outlines all kinds of other side dish and recipe ideas to pair with chili that will work well with this vegetarian recipe too! Breads, crackers, rice, veggies…. and so much more!
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
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.
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.
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!
Love This Recipe? You May Also Enjoy
3 Bean Vegetarian Chili
Equipment
- Large Stock Pot or Dutch Oven
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.
Marge says
Our favorite veggie chili!
Meredith says
So glad you love this one too Marge!
FRUgirl22 says
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!!
ourlovelanguageisfood says
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 🙂
Kimmy Giaco says
so sorry will make it tomorrow
ourlovelanguageisfood says
can’t wait to hear how it goes! enjoy!
David says
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.
ourlovelanguageisfood says
I’m glad you gave this vegetarian chili a try and loved it!! thank you for making my recipe
FRUgirl22 says
I feel you, beans make all the difference..picky eaters here, family hardly missed the meat.
ourlovelanguageisfood says
I’m so glad they still loved it! Hooray!