An excellent, simple vegan chili, this one-pot, 8-ingredient plus spices three bean chili is one of the best things to come out of my kitchen this year. Vegetarian chili can be a little tricky to get right – especially in terms of texture – but this one hits the spot without using fake meat alternatives or soya. Mushrooms add a meaty flavour and texture and it’s loaded with beans (pinto, kidney, and black). Serve with pickled red onions, avocado, sour cream, or whatever else you’d like.
For some more spicier bean-filled mains, try this black bean sweet potato chili, vegan and gluten-free spicy black bean burgers, or our go-to quick vegan refried beans.
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Mushrooms: fresh mushrooms, cut into small pieces, add a nice meaty texture and taste to vegan chili. Use common button mushrooms or a mix of types.
- Spices: if preferred, you can use a pre-made chili powder in place of the spices listed. Be sure to use chili powder for chili (chilli), and not hot pepper flakes or hot pepper powder – check the ingredient list and make sure it has several spices listed.
- Beans: this is about a can each of kidney, pinto, and black beans. If you can get a mixed bean blend that’s made with these three beans, great, simply use three cans of the blend. You can sub other beans but these are best here.
- Wine: see the recipe card for how to use tomato paste instead of wine. It adds depth to the chili and one or the other must be added.
Step by Step
Step 1: finely dice the onion and mushroom and cook for about ten minutes.
Step 2: add the garlic, then spices, then wine.
Step 3: stir in the remaining ingredients.
Step 4: simmer for about half an hour before serving.
How to Store
Storage: keep leftovers, without any added toppings, in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to five days. Reheat as usual.
Freezing: cool to room temperature, then transfer to airtight containers and freeze for up to three months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
Expert Tips
- Season to taste: as with any soup or stew, you should adjust the amount of salt (and other spices) to suit your personal preference. Using canned vs home-cooked beans, the type of tomatoes, and age of spices will all play roles in this, so its best to use your taste buds.
- Rinse and soak: for canned beans, I always drain and rinse, then give them a 30-minute soak in cool water to help reduce the canned taste and gastric effects a bit. This gives you more control over the seasoning too. For home-cooked beans just rinse.
- Start the mushrooms first: searing the mushrooms at the beginning will give the best taste and texture. No one likes rubbery mushrooms. Make sure your pot is big enough so that the liquid that’s released from the mushrooms can evaporate quickly.
More Bean Recipes
Kidney Bean Burgers
Spicy Pinto Bean Soup
Greek Chickpea Salad
Chickpea Noodle Soup
If you make this Vegan Three Bean Chili recipe or any other vegetarian main dishes on Occasionally Eggs, please take a moment to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. It’s such a help to others who want to try the recipe. For more OE, follow along on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest, purchase the Occasionally Eggs cookbook, or subscribe for new posts via email.
One-Pot Three Bean Chili
Description
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 large onion finely diced
- 400 grams (4 cups) mushrooms finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
- ½ teaspoon hot pepper flakes to taste
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 100 ml (⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon) dry red wine OR 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 800 grams (28 oz.) canned diced tomatoes
- 400 ml (13.5 oz.) water or vegetable broth
- 400 grams (13.5 oz.) pinto beans canned, see note*
- 400 grams (13.5 oz.) black beans
- 400 grams (13.5 oz.) kidney beans
- 2 teaspoons sea salt to taste
- 1 teaspoon black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Once hot (make sure it is fully preheated) add the onion and mushrooms. Cook for about ten minutes, stirring just once or twice, until all of the liquid from the mushrooms has evaporated and the mushrooms are lightly browned.1 tablespoon oil, 1 large onion, 400 grams (4 cups) mushrooms
- Add the garlic and cook for another two minutes. Stir in the cumin, paprika, hot pepper, oregano, and smoked paprika.3 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon cumin, 2 teaspoons sweet paprika, ½ teaspoon hot pepper flakes, ½ teaspoon dried oregano, ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- Add the wine to deglaze the pot and let it simmer for 3-4 minutes. If using tomato paste, stir it in and cook for five minutes.100 ml (⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon) dry red wine
- Add the canned tomatoes, water, and all of the beans. Stir in the salt and pepper.800 grams (28 oz.) canned diced tomatoes, 400 ml (13.5 oz.) water, 400 grams (13.5 oz.) pinto beans, 400 grams (13.5 oz.) black beans, 400 grams (13.5 oz.) kidney beans, 2 teaspoons sea salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper
- Bring the chili to a low boil, then reduce the heat to simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. Once finished cooking, taste the chili and season to your preference.
- Serve hot topped with anything you'd like. Leftovers can be refrigerated in a sealed container for up to five days or frozen up to three months.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate. If this information is important to you, please have it verified independently.
About Alexandra Daum
Alexandra Daum is a professional recipe developer, food photographer, and cookbook author. She started sharing carefully tested vegetarian recipes in 2014 and has since published hundreds of recipes with seasonal ingredients and whole grains as the focus. Her work has been featured on CTV, in House & Home and Chatelaine, on popular websites like Buzzfeed and Best Health, and in countless other publications.