• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

The Vegan Larder logo

  • Recipes
  • How To Vegan
  • Cook Books
  • About Me
  • Work with Me
  • Nav Social Menu

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • How To Vegan
  • Cook Books
  • About Me
  • Work with Me
  • Connect with us...

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • How To Vegan
    • Cook Books
    • About Me
    • Work with Me
  • Connect with us...

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Recipes

    Vegan Bean Chilli (And why it's our fave recipe!)

    Published: Apr 12, 2017 · Modified: Jun 8, 2021 by Louise-Claire Cayzer · This post may contain affiliate links · This blog generates income via ads · Leave a Comment

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This Vegan Bean Chilli is an all time favourite in our house. Full of yummy beans and tasty flavours, this recipe lends itself to all kinds of other additional recipe ideas.

    The very very first recipe I blogged about was my Bean Chilli. It's one of my all time favourite recipes. It's one I turn to over & over. I make it for easy Sunday lunches with friends, I make it in batches and freeze it & I make it when I'm in need of a comforting easy dish. A big pot of it feeds two people for 2-3 days. We use it in tacos, as the base for shepherdess pie and over nachos, it even gets used to fill little hand pies made from filo pastry.

    It's such a beloved dish that when I was ill recently, my husband made it for me to cheer me up. And it really really worked. It felt like a hug in a bowl.

    A bowl of chilli with tortilla chips, vegan cheese, vegan sour cream and an avocado on top. this recipe
    Jump to:
    • 🌱Ingredients
    • ❓FAQ
    • 🥗To Serve
    • 📖 Recipe

    🌱Ingredients

    There's something about the combination of beans, warming spices and chilli that is an instant mood lifter.

    • Beans: I try to use at least 3 different types of beans in my vegan chilli for texture and variation, but don't worry if you don't have three types to hand. Use whatever your favourite is. I like to use a combo of black beans, kidney beans and cannelini or butter beans, but you use your faves!
    • The Chilli: I like to use a lot of sweet smoked paprika along with a regular chilli. In recent years it has become much easier to find chipotle chilli in our local supermarkets, whether whole, or in a paste form, so you can use that instead for an even better flavour. I also add a sweet pepper to round out the flavour and add extra colour.
    • Onions & Garlic: Sweet onions that are slowly cooked down give this chilli a lovely rounded flavour. And garlic is always a good idea!
    • Other herbs and spices: Cumin for warmth and a tiny bit of cinnamon help to round out the flavours. Bay leaves and thyme also help the overall flavour come together.
    • Optional wine and/or chocolate: A glug of dark red wine is helpful but not 100% necessary. Similarly a few squares of good very dark chocolate are also delicious.

    ❓FAQ

    Which beans are best to use in the chilli?

    A combination of beans is good for texture and flavour. But if you just choose one, either black beans or kidney beans are a good option.

    Can I used canned/tinned beans for this chilli?

    Yes, tinned beans are fine to use, as are dried beans that you have soaked and cooked.

    Can you freeze the chilli?

    Yes this recipe freezes very well. Make a double batch then freeze in one or two person portions so you have an easy dinner ready to go!

    A bowl of chilli with tortilla chips, vegan cheese, vegan sour cream and an avocado on top.
    A bowl of chilli with tortilla chips, vegan cheese, vegan sour cream and an avocado on top.

    🥗To Serve

    Serve the chilli with all kinds of yummy extras, chopped herbs, some tomatoes or salsa, some chilli flakes or some avocado slices.

    Great topping ideas are:

    • Avocado
    • More chillis (Jalapenos!)
    • Vegan cheese
    • Vegan sour cream (use this recipe and thin it out)
    • Coriander leaves (Cilantro)
    • A squeeze of lime

    We like to serve this chilli with some flatbreads like these Easy Triple Garlic Flatbreads

    Or with a big salad too- like one of these Chargrilled Chopped Corn, Tomato & Herb Salad

    or High Protein Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad (Gluten Free)

     

    📖 Recipe

    A bowl of chilli with tortilla chips, vegan cheese, vegan sour cream and an avocado on top.

    Vegan Bean Chilli

    Our favourite vegan bean chilli!
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    No ratings yet
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Mexican, Vegan
    Keyword: beans, black beans, chilli
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 35 minutes
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 148kcal
    Author: Louise-Claire Cayzer

    Ingredients

    • 500 g dried weight of 3 types of beans. Try butter beans & black beans, cannellini beans & kidney beans.. One creamy & one with more texture seems to work well
    • OR 3 tins of beans (3 different types is ideal.)
    • 1 medium onion- finely chopped
    • 4 garlic cloves -minced
    • glug olive oil
    • 2 tins tomatoes
    • 3 tablespoon of tomato paste concentrate
    • 1 large red pepper/capsicum (not necessary, but nice– finely chopped)
    • a glug of red wine
    • 1 small fresh chilli or one small dried chilli- finely chopped/minced- or more if you like it hot.
    • 1 teaspoon mild chilli powder
    • 2 tablespoon sweet smoked paprika (OR use chipotle paste and omit the chilli and paprike. )
    • 2 bay leaves
    • 4 sprigs fresh thyme chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried)
    • ½ teaspoon cinnamon (this gives a deep, scented background, strange, but it really works!)
    • 1 teaspoon cumin- ground
    • 1 tbs vegetarian stock powder- I use Marigold (dissolved in 1 cup warm water)
    • Salt & Pepper

    Instructions

    • If you’re using dried beans- soak them over night in plenty of water. At least 12 hours- or longer if possible. then rinse the beans & drain well then cook for around 45 mins until soft.
    • OR Rinse the tins of beans ready to add to the recipe.
    • In a large saucepan, gently fry the onions & garlic until translucent
    • Add in all the spices & the tomato paste & fry for a minute until fragrant
    • Add in the beans, tins of tomatoes ( I swish each tin out with a bit of water to get all the tomatoey goodness in), the glug of wine, bay leaves and the stock.
    • Put the lid on the saucepan & bring everything to the boil for 5 mins.
    • Then take down the temperature and leave on a gentle simmer for around 10- 20mins, stirring occasionally. Add extra water if you need to.
    • Test for spice balance at this stage too- add in more herbs or chilli if necessary. A splash of cholula sauce or other chilli sauce can be added if you think you need more of a spicy kick.
    • Serve in a bowl with some herbs, a sprinkling of tomatoes, avocado or other garnishes as you like.

    Notes

    If you can wait the chilli is even better the next day. Don’t forget to freeze what you don’t use, ready for a lazy work day dinner or a warming lunch after a long gardening session.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 148kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 76mg | Potassium: 558mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 2113IU | Vitamin C: 41mg | Calcium: 55mg | Iron: 3mg

    Share the Vegan Larder Love!

    • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
    • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
    • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
    • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
    • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
    • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
    • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
    • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
    • Click to print (Opens in new window)
    • Click to share on Yummly (Opens in new window)
    « Vegan Chickpea of the Sea 'Tuna' Sandwiches
    How to Tofu! Beginner Level- Basic Crispy Tofu (aka Facon!) »
    Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
    To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi! I'm Louise!

    I love to cook and share gorgeous vegan food! I'm also a photographer, recipe developer and gardener. Find out more over on my About Me page.

    Everyone's talking about these recipes..

    • Super Delicious Vegan Carrot Cake using Aquafaba
    • Chestnut, Mushroom & Squash Christmas Filo Wreath Pie
    • Green Tomato, Apple & Chilli Chutney
    • Lentil Koftas with Tomato Curry Coconut Sauce
    • Zucchini Babaganoush (Smokey Courgette Dip)
    • Wild Garlic Pesto- Foraged and Vegan!

    Recipes for Tofu Lovers..

    • Silken Tofu Recipes - Our Top 40
    • Vegan Sesame Tofu 'Prawn' Toast
    • Scandi Inspired Smoked Tofu Sandwich
    • Vegan Tofu 'Egg' Salad Sandwiches - 3 Ways!

    Gluten Free Vegan Recipes

    • Potato Salad with Dill and Peas
    • Easy Lemon Herb Tahini Sauce
    • Mushroom and Pea Risotto
    • Healthy Gourmet Vegan Chocolate Granola
    • Contact Us
    • About Me
    • Privacy Policy, Cookies, Ads & T&C's

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • About Us
    • Our Story

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • What we Do

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2020 The Vegan Larder on the Cravings Pro Theme