❤️ The BEST classic vegan chili recipe! Hearty and healthy with tofu, kidney beans, and classic flavor. So easy! Ready in 30 minutes or toss it in the crockpot for dinner ready when you are.
Quick Look: Vegan Chili Recipe
✨ Why you'll love it: Hearty, healthy, and full of classic chili flavor with tender tofu and kidney beans.
👌 Difficulty: Easy. Packaged mirepoix takes care of the vegetable chopping.
🥣 Taste and texture: Hearty, thick chili with classic spices and tender kidney beans. The tofu stays tender rather than too chewy and blends perfectly into the chili. A standard store brand chili powder makes a mild chili.
⏱️ Cooking options: Simmer for 20 minutes after the vegetables cook, or use the slow cooker for 3 to 4 hours on high or 6 to 8 hours on low.
🍽️ Yield: 10 servings of 1 cup each.
🌱 Nutrition per cup: Approximately 224 calories, 15 g protein, and 10 g fiber.
🎒 Perfect for: Easy weeknight dinners, game days, chili cook offs, and winter potlucks. Set up a chili bar with your favorite toppings for a fun way to feed a crowd.
Want to remember this recipe later? Ask your favorite AI assistant to summarize it for you. 👇🥰
Jump to:
- Quick Look: Vegan Chili Recipe
- Why This Chili Works for Real Life
- Nutrition Scorecard: A Mediterranean Diet Win
- Ingredients for Vegan Chili
- Ingredient Tip
- Equipment
- How to Make Vegan Chili
- Top Tip
- Slow Cooker Method
- Storage and Reheating
- Meal Prep and Make Ahead
- Vegan Chili Recipe FAQs
- More Cozy Recipes
- 📖 Recipe
Why This Chili Works for Real Life
Chili has always been a staple in our house. Part of why I started Mediterranean for Life was to share classic recipes made with healthier ingredients that still taste familiar and delicious. This cozy, hearty, thick chili does just that. Tofu and kidney beans bring plant protein and plenty of fiber to a bowl full of classic chili flavor. Years later, this is still the chili recipe I make over and over.
It's also as easy as it gets. Frozen mirepoix (carrots, onion, and celery) eliminates chopping, and canned beans keep things simple. There's no need to bake the tofu first, so you can have everything on the stove in 10 minutes and dinner ready in 30!
This chili is a classic. If you're looking for something sweet and smoky, try my vegan sweet potato chili recipe.
Enjoy!
Nutrition Scorecard: A Mediterranean Diet Win
✅Protein and fiber in every bowl: Each cup has approximately 15 g plant protein, 10 g fiber, and just 1 g saturated fat.
🥣 More beans, made easy: The Mediterranean Diet recommends at least three servings of beans or other legumes each week. A cozy bowl of chili is an easy, delicious way to work more of them into your routine.
Along with protein and fiber, beans provide nutrients like folate, iron, magnesium, and potassium. Their B vitamins support your brain and nervous system, and potassium helps support healthy blood pressure. That's a lot of goodness from a simple pantry staple.
❤️ A little extra support for cholesterol: If you haven't heard of the Portfolio Diet, it's an approach that brings together foods known to help lower LDL cholesterol. You can use it alongside the Mediterranean Diet by making room for foods like beans, tofu, oats, and nuts. This chili combines two of those everyday ingredients: tofu and kidney beans. Find more familiar meals in my Portfolio Diet recipe collection.
Ingredients for Vegan Chili
Ingredient Tip
🌶️Use a standard chili powder for mild, classic chili flavor. A powder made from a single hot pepper, such as cayenne, isn't an equal substitute for the ¼ cup chili powder in this recipe. I typically use Kroger brand chili powder.
Equipment
- Large pot with a lid for the stovetop method, or a slow cooker or crockpot plus a pot for cooking the mirepoix.
- Tofu press, or clean dish towels and a heavy pan.
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Wooden spoon
How to Make Vegan Chili
Press and crumble the tofu
Cook the mirepoix
Add the remaining chili ingredients and stir
Bring to a low boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
Garnish and serve
Top Tip
Keep the tofu crumbles small, similar to cooked ground beef, so they blend into every spoonful. Add them directly to the chili without baking first for a tender texture.
Slow Cooker Method
Cook the mirepoix first, then combine it with the remaining ingredients in your slow cooker. Cook for 3 to 4 hours on high or 6 to 8 hours on low. Full directions are in the recipe card notes.
Storage and Reheating
Refrigerate: Divide the chili into shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking. You don't need to wait until it reaches room temperature. Store covered in the refrigerator and enjoy within 3 to 4 days.
Freeze: Freeze in individual portions or one larger freezer safe container, leaving room for expansion. Use within 2 to 3 months for best quality.
Reheat: Thaw overnight in the refrigerator; a larger container may need more time. You can also reheat directly from frozen. Warm on the stovetop or in the microwave, stirring frequently, until the chili reaches 165°F throughout. Add a splash of vegetable broth if it has thickened.
Meal Prep and Make Ahead
Get a head start: Cook the mirepoix a day ahead. You can combine it with the remaining ingredients in your pot or removable slow cooker insert before refrigerating, or add them the next day. Cover and refrigerate within 2 hours. Follow the recipe's cooking instructions when you're ready to cook.
Pack lunches: After cooking, divide the chili into individual shallow containers and refrigerate. Enjoy within 3 to 4 days, or freeze portions for future lunches.
Vegan Chili Recipe FAQs
No. Press and crumble the tofu, then add it directly to the chili. Skipping the separate baking step keeps the tofu tender rather than too chewy, so it blends right into the thick, hearty chili.
Yes! Cook the mirepoix first, then combine it with the remaining ingredients in your slow cooker. Cook for 3 to 4 hours on high or 6 to 8 hours on low. Full directions are in the recipe card notes.
The heat depends on your chili powder blend. I just use a run of the mill store brand which results in a milder chili. If you like more heat, taste the finished chili and add a little cayenne or hot sauce.
Stir in extra vegetable broth ½ cup at a time until it reaches the consistency you like. This also helps when reheating leftovers that have thickened in the refrigerator.
More Cozy Recipes
📖 Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 12-ounce package frozen mirepoix mix, or 1 diced onion, 1 cup diced celery, and ½ cup diced carrots
- ½ cup water
- 32 ounces extra firm tofu pressed and crumbled
- 2 15-ounce cans low sodium kidney beans drained and rinsed
- ¼ cup chili powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1½ teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 28-ounce can no-salt-added crushed tomatoes
- 1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
- 1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth, plus more if needed
Optional Garnishes
- Sliced green onions
- Vegan sour cream or plain Greek yogurt if vegan is not required
- Small amount of vegan cheese or reduced fat cheese if vegan is not required
- Chopped avocados
- Diced red onion
Instructions
- Drain and press the tofu to remove excess moisture, then crumble it.
- Add the mirepoix and ½ cup water to a large pot. Cook over high heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent and the water has evaporated.
- Add the tofu and all remaining chili ingredients to the pot. Stir and heat over medium high until the chili reaches a low boil.
- Reduce the heat to medium, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
- If the chili is too thick, stir in extra vegetable broth ½ cup at a time. Taste and adjust the seasoning before serving.
Leave a Reply