How to Make Vegan Chili: Perfect Vegan Chili Recipe

Four essential ingredients ensure that your veggie chili is hearty and flavorful.

• Beans: A variety of different beans, such as black beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, chickpeas, and white beans, add texture and richness to vegan chili. You can use cans of beans or beans that you cook yourself on the stovetop or in a slow cooker. Red lentils are essential to the best vegetarian chili recipes since they break down quickly, thickening the chili and giving it a meaty flavor and hearty texture.
• Grains and seeds: If you're not into vegan ground meat or vegan sausage crumbles, a small amount of gluten-free quinoa or a grain like bulgur can function in much the same way as ground beef would in a typical chili recipe.
• Spices: You can use a couple tablespoons of chili powder mix to flavor your vegan chili, or you can combine individual spices to adjust the blend to your tastes. Commercial mixes often include cayenne pepper, garlic powder, paprika, oregano, cumin, coriander, cloves, and allspice.
• Vegetables: The best vegan chilis are packed with fresh veggies for flavor that even meat-eaters will love. Tomatoes add umami, while onion and garlic add a distinctive pungent sweetness. Sweet potatoes and zucchini build on that sweetness and add texture.

The best chili dinner deserves a full toppings bar. Serve your vegan chili with:

1. 1. Vegan sour cream or cashew cheese
2. 2. Chopped fresh cilantro leaves and stems
3. 3. Sliced or cubed avocados
4. 4. Vegan cornbread
5. 5. Warm corn tortillas or tortilla chips
6. 6. Pickled red onions or sliced raw scallions
7. 7. Lemon or lime wedges
8. 8. Shredded vegan cheddar cheese

If you want to make a large batch of vegan chili for meal prep, you can store it in the fridge for three to five days or freeze it in jars for two to three months, making sure to leave at least an inch of headspace in each jar. Defrost vegan chili in the refrigerator overnight. Reheat the chili in the microwave or on the stovetop, and prepare a fresh set of toppings.