If you're looking for the ultimate vegan chili recipe, you're in the right place! Adapted from an America's Test Kitchen chili recipe, this award-winning vegan chili is thick, meaty, satisfying, and deeply flavorful. In our house it even has a nickname, "actual chili perfection." Yeah, I know, everyone thinks their chili is the best. But seriously, this isn't your average vegan chili! Give it a try, share it with friends, and don't be surprised when everyone asks for the recipe!
Why You'll Love It
Vegan chili recipes come in a variety of different styles, but this is easily our favorite. The classic flavors and comforting, hearty, stick-to-your-ribs texture are hard to beat!
Often, vegan chili ends up being nothing more than a thin, tomato-y, vegetable stew. But not this one! The recipe I'm sharing today is lightly adapted from an America's Test Kitchen recipe I came across years ago.
Over the years I've tweaked the recipe each time I make it, with a few additions, subtractions, and process changes here and there in an attempt to streamline the process. Theirs was fairly complex and took several hours to make. And honestly, I don't know many people who have time for that!
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Also, these days you have to pay to access America's Test Kitchen recipes. So let me help you out with this free, tried-and-true, and much easier chili recipe!
You'll love the perfect balance of umami, acidity, spice, and fat (from ground walnuts). This chili is worth enjoying year-round, not just during cooler months.
I've even won a couple of local chili cook offs with this recipe. I hope it becomes your family's favorite, too!
Key Ingredients
The ingredients that make this chili SO good are:
- chili powder - I used to use whole, dried Ancho and New Mexican chiles, but these days I prefer to save time and money by using regular chili powder - a full 4 tablespoons, or ¼ cup!
- dried shiitake mushrooms - in 2018 when I first shared this recipe, dried mushrooms and mushroom powder hadn't yet become so popular. So the recipe called for whole, dried shiitakes, which you can usually find in 1 oz. packages near the produce section. But now that shiitake mushroom powder is more common, I recommend saving yourself the hassle of blending the dried shrooms. Store mushroom powder in the fridge, and it will keep for many, many months. It's a great way to add umami to sauces, gravy, soups, and stews.
- ground walnuts - half a cup of walnuts are processed into a coarse crumb consistency and stirred directly into the chili for thickening, richness, and umami.
- bulgur - you can usually find this in the bulk bins at the grocery store. Dry bulgur gives the chili its thick and meaty texture. Substitute TVP (textured vegetable protein) or quinoa for gluten-free chili.
- onion and jalapeno - I like yellow onions here, but other varieties are fine, too. For a spicier chili, include all of the jalapeno seeds.
- smoked salt - this is optional but does add a little something extra to the flavor! Feel free to use regular flaked salt or sea salt if needed.
See the recipe card below for amounts and full instructions.
How to Make Vegan Chili
- Briefly toast the walnuts in the soup pot for a few minutes, stirring frequently. Transfer to a food processor and pulse until the nuts are the texture of coarse crumbs. Pour into a bowl and set aside.
- Add the jalapenos, garlic, soy sauce, and ½ cup of the crushed tomatoes to the food processor and blend until thick and creamy. Set aside.
- Heat oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add onions and ½ teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium-low, stir in the chili powder, cumin, oregano, and mushroom powder, and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Add the pureed mixture from the food processor and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the water and bouillon, tomatoes, beans, and smoked salt. Bring to a boil, then stir in the bulgur and ground walnuts. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Variations
You'll find this recipe to be very versatile and welcoming of your substitutions.
- Want it extra spicy? Add a third jalapeño, and include all of the seeds.
- Want it thicker or thinner? Adjust the water/broth and/or add more bulgur or TVP.
- Want to add cocoa, beer, or other flavor enhancers commonly found in chili? Go for it!
- Need a gluten-free vegan chili? Use certified GF tamari instead of soy sauce and TVP or quinoa instead of bulgur.
What to Serve With Vegan Chili
Toppings:
- plain vegan yogurt, sour cream, or creamy lime dressing
- cilantro and green onion
- shredded vegan cheese
- homemade vegan queso fresco
On the side:
- Chipotle corn salsa
- tortilla chips and guacamole
- southern-style vegan cornbread
- oil-free cornbread
- jalapeno cornbread muffins
But honestly, I never add toppings to this chili. Like I said, it's so perfect as-is, it doesn't need anything!
Recipe FAQs
Some chili recipes use starchy grains or refried beans. This recipe uses both bulgur and ground walnuts to create an impressively thick and meaty vegan chili.
Crumbled tofu or tempeh and lentils are all great options for replacing beans in chili. You can also experiment with plant-based ground "beef" products like Beyond Meat and Impossible. See my Beyond Meat Chili and lentil chili recipes for inspiration!
Yes, chili freezes very well. Let it cool completely, then transfer to a freezer-safe storage container and freeze for up to 2 months.
In all my years of being vegan and testing recipes, this truly is STILL the best damn vegan chili I've ever eaten, and I hope you love it, too!
If you try the recipe I would love to hear from you. Leave a comment and star rating below to share your feedback and let others know how it turned out!
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📖 Recipe
The Best Vegan Chili Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup walnut halves
- 2 large jalapeños, stems removed - remove seeds for mild chili, or include them for extra heat
- 5 or 6 medium cloves garlic, peeled
- ¼ cup soy sauce - or tamari for GF
- 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes, divided - preferably fire-roasted
- 2 Tablespoons oil - omit for oil-free and use water or broth to sauté onion
- 2 medium yellow onions, finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 4 Tablespoons chili powder - see Note 1 for homemade
- 2 ½ Tablespoons shiitake mushroom powder - see Note 2
- 1 Tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 Tablespoon dried oregano
- 6 cups water, divided - or use 4 cups veg broth + 2 cups water and omit bouillon below
- 2 teaspoons Better than Bouillon "No Beef" Base, optional
- 3 (15 oz) cans beans of choice, rinsed and drained - I like 2 cans black beans and 1 pinto
- 1 teaspoon Maldon smoked sea salt, optional - or other salt to taste
- ⅔ cup bulgur, dry - or TVP or quinoa (½ cup) for GF
Instructions
- Preheat a large soup pot over medium-low heat. Toast the walnuts for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Transfer to a large food processor and pulse until the texture of coarse crumbs. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
- Add the jalapeños, garlic, soy sauce, and ½ cup of the tomatoes to the food processor. Blend until pureed, about 30 seconds. Set aside.
- Use a towel to wipe out the soup pot and remove any walnut fragments. Add the oil and place over medium heat. Once hot, saute the onions, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes or until translucent. Season with ½ teaspoon fine sea salt.
- Reduce heat to medium-low, stir in the chili powder, mushroom powder, cumin, and oregano. Cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add the pureed mixture from the food processor, and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
- If using bouillon, dissolve in ½ cup water. Add this plus the remaining 5 ½ cups water, tomatoes, beans, and smoked salt to the pot. Bring to a boil.
- Stir in the bulgur and ground walnuts. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Let stand 5 minutes, then serve.
Notes
Estimated Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary depending on the exact amounts and specific products and ingredients used. We calculate this information using the online calculator cronometer.com.
Tammy
This was so easy to make and so flavorful. The only thing I will do different next time is leave the walnuts out. While they added great texture, I preferred the flavor before I added them. This is just a personal preference because it was super delicious. Thx for a great recipe.
Marcy
Made this yesterday. Thank you for a definite keeper! I made a few changes, some to my taste and another because of inability to get product. I like 'heat' but not a lot, so cut back on jalapenos and onion. Added 1 additional can of beans at the end 'just because.' Couldn't get the Better Than Bouillon no-beef without buying 2 jars and paying too much so ended up with Orrington Farms dry broth mix. While searching for the BTB no-beef, I found their Chipotle flavor and bought it, then added a generous tablespoon with the other bouillon; next time will add 2 tblsp. I added black salt (didn't have smoky salt), but will not next time as it didn't need all the salt IMO. Living in CO (altitude) I also had to cook the chili a lot longer to fully cook the quinoa, so will precook it next time.
All in all I was VERY pleased with the outcome. It is very filling. I topped it with some cheese and avocado. Froze 3 quarts for later since I'm single.
Beth
Truly the best- absolutely delicious! I used quinoa as I was out of bulgur and the chili was thick and satisfying. Thank you for another winner
Patti W
You weren’t kidding - this is the BEST chili I’ve ever eaten! My husband won’t stop talking about it. 🤣 I cannot wait to make it for parties and literally every opportunity I get just to show people how good vegan chili can be. So glad I tried this recipe. Thank you, Lori!
Jacqui
I’m gonna make it in about 15 minutes. I was wondering though if I should cook the bulgar and quinoa first or just put it in there right out of the bag?
I’ll let you know how it turns out
Lori
Hi Jacqui,
No need to cook those ingredients first. They go in dry/uncooked and soak up lots of flavor. Although, with quinoa you do want to rinse it well to remove the bitter taste. Hope you love it!
Smitty
I made this chili and a meat chili for my kickball league. Omnivores that had this chili asked me if it was the meat one! Very nice flavor and texture. Will make again and again.
Valerie
I found your recipe after reading the America's Test Kitchen version and trying to figure out how to incorporate my already-cooked beans into their instructions. Your version was perfect - it took the cook time from ~3 hours to less than 60 minutes. The only real change I made was cooking an extra batch of bulgur on the side (since the chili was already done) and mixing it in, as I wanted a chunkier chili. Otherwise, it got great reviews from my husband, who normally enjoys meat and was quite satisfied with this version.
Robyn
I would love to make this but I’m in Australia and don’t know what to use for the chilies. We have different types here. Are these chilie you use dried?
Lori
Hi Robyn, yes these are dried chiles. Sadly, I'm not familiar with the types of chiles you have in Australia, so it's difficult to suggest a replacement. Are there common types you would typically use in this sort of recipe? A quick Google search combined with your knowledge of the chiles available in your area would probably lead to a great option! Can you get standard chile powder at the grocery store?
Robyn
Thank you for replying, yes we get chili powder and flakes here and may be able to get other dried chillis in more specialty stores. I will tray as Im keen to try you recipes
Lori
That sounds great! It will be just as good using chili powder. It’s really the combination of everything, like walnuts for richness and bulgur for texture, that make it so good. Enjoy!
Kirsten
Perfect for a chilly day! I can't wait to make this for my family.
Lori
Thanks, Kirsten. I hope you love it!