This meatless three bean chili recipe is rich in flavour from lots of chili powder, cumin and coriander and has a hit of smoky spice from chipotle peppers. It’s super hearty and will warm ya right up on a cold day! Garnish with your favourite toppings!

Bowl of three bean chili garnished with toppings.

Hi everyone! How was your weekend? Are you wondering how I’m doing with my meatless March adventure? So, for those of you who aren’t familiar, basically I’d enjoy a whole month of vegetarian-only meals.

Though, I’m not a vegetarian, I absolutely love vegetarian and vegan eats.

This past month, I got a huge hankering for some of my faves like wings and chili.

You know when all is going through your mind is that and you can’t let it go until you have? That was me, LOL. Good thing I love spicy cauliflower wings and I was covered with this yummy vegetarian chili.

This meatless chili is so hearty, even meat lovers would inhale a huge bowl of it. While it’s no longer meatless March, any day is a good one to chow down on a bowl (if you ask me)!

Ingredients for Three Bean Chili

You basically have similar components in a meatless chili as you would for a regular meat-based one, except, of course, there’s no meat.

There are:

Plenty of beans
Veggies, like celery, bell pepper and mushrooms
Aromatics, like onion and garlic
Canned tomatoes and tomato paste
Lots of flavourful seasoning
Cider vinegar
Oil

Tip: If you want to add a beef-like texture, try using veggie meat crumbles. You can omit one can of beans and replace with some of that (if you like).

I often use veggie meat crumbles and used it in this vegan sloppy joe recipe (so good).

Ingredients for a meatless chili recipe.

Best Beans To Use

For this three bean chili recipe (or most chili recipes, really) I often use any of the following canned beans:

Black beans
Kidney beans
White kidney beans
Romano beans
Great Northern beans

Three varieties of canned beans in a glass bowl.

Why We Love Beans

Beans are a staple in our home, both dried and canned. Whenever possible, I buy the no salt added variety of canned beans and, of course, I always rinse them before using.

Beans are not only pretty inexpensive, but they are tasty and versatile.

I use them in salads, burgers, soups, dips, and chili on the regular. I can honestly say that I’ve never eaten as many beans as I do now.t

Spoonful of three bean chili from a bowl.

Can I Freeze This Chili?

Yes, you can!

Similarly to my baked beans, this three bean chili freezes really well.

After the chili has cooked and cooled, portion as desired (I like to portion smaller quantities so I can just take out what’s needed at any given time; plus, it thaws quickly) and place into vacuum sealer bags (follow the instructions for your vacuum sealer to seal). Once sealed, spread the bags out flat. Place onto a sheet pan and into your freezer. Once frozen, you can remove the sheet pan and stack the frozen packages of chili neatly in your freezer.

Alternatively, use your favourite sealable freezer-safe bags or freezer-safe containers (leaving some headspace at the top of the container for the liquid to expand as it freezes).

Freeze the chili for up to four to six months. Don’t forget to label the bag or container with the recipe name and date it was made, so you’ll know for later.

When ready to enjoy, thaw the chili overnight in the refrigerator.

To reheat, place chili in a saucepan on the stovetop over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through. If you want to loosen or thin it out, add a splash of broth or water.

Garnish Ideas

As you know, I’m all about those garnishes for extra flavour and pops of colour. I enjoy any of these:

Cilantro
Green onion or diced red or white onion
Sliced avocado
Sliced hot peppers
Diced fresh tomato
Squeeze of lime

Hand squeezing a lime over a bowl of 3 bean chili.

Tips for Making This Recipe

Canned romano, black bean and white kidney beans were used in this recipe. Use whatever you have on hand (suggestions above). And if you only have one type of bean, that’s okay too!
Don’t have fresh mushrooms on hand, only canned? No worries! Drain those and use an equivalent quantity of canned mushrooms.
Like things more or less spicy? Just adjust the cayenne and chipotle peppers to taste.

Two hands holding a bowl of three bean chili.

More Yummy Meatless Recipes

If you make this three bean chili recipe, be sure to leave a comment below!

Three Bean Chili (Meatless Chili Recipe)

Dawn | Girl Heart Food

This meatless three bean chili recipe is rich in flavour from lots of chili powder, cumin and coriander and has a hit of smoky spice from chipotle peppers. It's super hearty and will warm ya right up on a cold day! Garnish with your favourite toppings!

Print Recipe Save Recipe

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 40

Total Time 1

Course Main Course

Servings 6 servings

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 yellow onion, peeled and diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups sliced baby bella (cremini) or white button mushrooms
2 ribs celery, sliced about ¼-inch thick
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 bell peppers, cut into bite-sized pieces (medium dice)
3 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 (28-ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes, tomatoes roughly mashed with a potato masher to break up before using
2 to 3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped (or 1 to 2 teaspoons of chipotle powder or smoked paprika)
1 (19-ounce) can no salt added black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (19-ounce) can no salt added romano beans, rinsed and drained
1 (19-ounce) can no salt added white kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Garnish Ideas (optional)

Sliced jalapeno
Chopped cilantro
Sliced green onion
Sliced avocado
Crushed tortilla chips

Instructions

Heat olive oil in a large enameled cast-iron Dutch oven over medium heat.
Add onion and cook, stirring often, until softened slightly, about 3 to 4 minutes,
Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute.
Add mushrooms and celery, stirring often, until the celery has softened and the mushrooms have released some of their moisture, about 5 minutes.
Add tomato paste and stir to combine. Cook for 1 minute.
Add bell peppers, chili powder, cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper. Stir to combine.
Add tomatoes and chipotle peppers. Stir to combine. Bring to simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes or until vegetables are almost tender.
Add all of the beans, stirring to combine, and cook for an additional 10 minutes, covered.
Stir in apple cider vinegar. Serve and garnish to taste (if desired) with any of the garnish ideas or your favourite chili toppings. Enjoy!

Notes

Like things more or less spicy? Just adjust the cayenne and chipotle peppers to taste.

A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.

Keyword meatless chili

Tried this recipe?

If you do make this recipe, thank you!! It would mean so much if you could leave a comment below. Love to know how you enjoyed it, and it helps other readers too!