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    Vegetarian Chili

    Updated January 14, 2026 / By Holly Erickson

    My vegetarian chili recipe is a gluten-free, vegan, one-pot, budget-friendly dish that freezes well and pleases everyone. It uses mostly pantry ingredients, so it’s so easy, too. 

    a bowl of homemade vegetarian chili made with bell pepper, sweet potato, onion and beans topped with avocado and green onions

    My vegetarian chili recipe uses mostly canned ingredients, so if you’ve got a well-stocked pantry, congratulations! You’re 75% of the way to eating a big cozy bowl of ultra-healthy, vegetarian chili. Quick and so easy, this recipe is perfect for lazy days. All you do is chop an onion, open some cans, simmer, and eat! Pro tip: Use the time you save to make homemade cornbread to eat with your chili. 

    a bowl of homemade vegetarian chili made with bell pepper, sweet potato, onion and beans topped with avocado and green onions

    What Our Readers Say About This Recipe

    Fantastic recipe. This recipe won a chili contest compared to other meat chilis! The way I make it, it's definitely a labor of love, but I prep the sweet potatoes, onions/peppers, and beans the day before so the day of I can throw everything in the crock pot. - Katie

    ingredients laid out to make vegetarian chili. A simple and cozy weeknight dinner with sweet potatoes, beans and peppers

    Best of all, this chili tastes even better as it sits, so it’s great to make ahead on the weekend for easy lunches and dinners all week. It freezes well, too. If you crave a meaty chili, try my award-winning chili, or turkey chili, too. For another easy vegan soup, don’t miss my vegetable curry soup. 

    onions, peppers and garlic being cooked in olive oil in a large pot to make vegetarian chili, a cozy and simple meal
    onion, pepper, sweet potatoes, beans, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, chili powder, cumin, bay leaves and salt in a large pot

    Ingredients For Homemade Vegetarian Chili

    • The base veggies: Onions, garlic and bell peppers!
    • Sweet potatoes: A little more heft makes this vegetarian chili filling and nutritious.
    • Beans: Black beans, kidney beans and pinto beans.
    • Canned tomatoes: I use regular diced tomatoes, but the fire-roasted ones are great, too.
    • Canned red enchilada sauce: Not exactly a “secret” ingredient, but definitely a “bang-for-your-buck” trick. Canned or jarred enchilada sauce adds a complex, smokey, spicy richness to this meatless chili.
    • Herbs and spices: Chili powder, cumin and bay leaves.
    vegetarian chili in a pot with peppers, onion, sweet potatoes, beans, spices and enchilada sauce. great weeknight dinner.

    How to Make The Best Vegetarian Chili 

    1. Grab your favorite Dutch oven or soup pot and sauté the onions, garlic, bell peppers and sweet potatoes.
    2. Add the rest of the ingredients.
    3. Pour in just enough water to cover the beans.
    4. Bring the chili to a boil.
    5. Simmer for about an hour.
    6. When the sweet potatoes are soft, the chili is done! 
    homemade vegetarian chili being stirred in a pot made with peppers, onion, sweet potatoes, beans, spices and enchilada sauce

    How to Store + Freeze Leftover Chili 

    This chili is ideal for freezing, and keeps longer than a meat-based chili. It will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. In other words, it’s ideal for meal trains, meal prep, and loading your freezer so that someday when you just don’t have the energy even to order take-out, a frozen brick of vegan chili will be lurking in the back of your freezer, waiting to save the day. Like I mentioned above, it also is excellent for making on the weekend for meals all week. Leftovers keep well in the fridge for 4-5 days. 

    a pot of homemade vegetarian chili made with bell pepper, sweet potato, onion, beans and enchilada sauce
    a bowl of homemade vegetarian chili made with bell pepper, sweet potato, onion and beans topped with avocado and green onions

    Tips For Homemade Chili Success

    • This is best with a variety of beans. But if you only have black beans and pinto beans (or some combo therein) that’ll work too. I’ve added chickpeas, white beans and cooked lentils before. The recipe is very flexible.
    • Swap diced butternut squash, regular potatoes, or even carrots in for the sweet potatoes. You may want to adjust the cooking time, just taste as you go to be sure everything is tender.
    • Serve it with lots of toppings! Add sour cream and shredded cheese, and big chunks of avocado are great. I also like to serve hot sauces on the side, so the grown ups can make their chili spicy! 
    a bowl of homemade vegetarian chili made with bell pepper, sweet potato, onion and beans topped with avocado and green onions

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    a bowl of homemade vegetarian chili made with bell pepper, sweet potato, onion and beans topped with avocado and green onions

    Vegetarian Chili Recipe

    Updated January 14, 2026

    By Holly Erickson

    • Serves:  10
    • Prep Time:  15 min
    • Cook Time:  1 hr 15 min
    • Calories:  228

    Description

    This Vegetarian Chili is a colorful, hearty vegan chili recipe made with sweet potatoes, bell peppers, beans, and enchilada sauce—all simmered in one pot for an easy weeknight dinner.

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      Ingredients

      • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
      • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
      • 1 green bell pepper, diced
      • 1 red bell pepper, diced
      • 1 ¼ pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1-inch pieces (about 4 cups)
      • 4 garlic cloves, finely diced (about 1 tablespoon)
      • 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
      • 1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
      • 1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
      • 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
      • 1 (20-ounce) can red enchilada sauce
      • ¼ cup chili powder
      • 2 teaspoons cumin
      • 2 dried bay leaves
      • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
      • ½ teaspoon onion powder
      • 2 teaspoons kosher salt

      For Serving (optional)

      • Shredded cheddar cheese
      • Sour cream
      • Diced avocado
      • Minced cilantro
      • Chopped green onions

      Method

      1. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or stock pot over medium-high heat. Once the oil is glistening, add the onion, bell peppers, and sweet potatoes and cook, stirring, until the onion begins to soften, 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes more.

        onions, peppers and garlic being cooked in olive oil in a large pot to make vegetarian chili, a cozy and simple meal

      2. Stir in the black beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, chili powder, cumin, bay leaves, garlic powder, onion powder and salt until combined. Add enough water to cover the beans, about 1 to 2 cups.

        onion, pepper, sweet potatoes, beans, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, chili powder, cumin, bay leaves and salt in a large pot

      3. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 1 hour, or until the potatoes are tender and the chili has thickened. 

        vegetarian chili in a pot with peppers, onion, sweet potatoes, beans, spices and enchilada sauce. great weeknight dinner.

      4. Divide among bowls and serve topped with cheddar cheese, sour cream, avocado, cilantro and green onions, if using. 

        a bowl of homemade vegetarian chili made with bell pepper, sweet potato, onion and beans topped with avocado and green onions
      Related Recipes

      Nutrition Info

      • Per Serving
      • Amount
      • Calories 228
      • Protein 10 g
      • Carbohydrates 38 g
      • Total Fat 5 g
      • Dietary Fiber 11 g
      • Cholesterol 0 mg
      • Sodium 830 mg
      • Total Sugars 8 g

      Vegetarian Chili

      Questions & Reviews

      Rated 5 stars by 16 readers

      or
      • Jess

        What if I did 1 teaspoon of all the spices?

        Hi Jess, we haven't tested it that way so couldn't speak to the flavor it would produce. We like the flavor profile of the recipe as listed.

      • Laura

        What could I substitute the sweet potatos for?

        You could use regular potatoes instead.

      • Donna

        I'm vegetarian and started became a vegetarian since Sunday 26th March 2023. I would like some vegetarian recipes

        Check out our post titled 60 Best Vegetarian Meals. https://themodernproper.com/60-best-vegetarian-meals

      • rachel

        Did anyone else find this crazy spicy? 1/3 cup of chili powder was waaay too much for us!

        Sorry to hear that, we don't find it too spicy but of course feel free to cut back!

      • Colin

        I’m thinking of making this but am wondering if you think it would be good with a chili Arbol added? Was thinking I could toast a dried one and then rehydrate and put it in with the bell peppers.

        Hi Colin, don't see why that wouldn't taste good. Let us know how it goes!

      • Brandon

        If I used 28 oz of enchilada instead of the 20 oz, should I just let it simmer longer? Or not worry about it

        It shouldn't need to simmer longer. It will probably come out a bit thinner than expected though.

      • Joshua

        Can we make this in a croc pot or ahead of time?

        Sure can!

      • Kathleen

        The picture looks like yams, not sweet potatoes. Please clarify for me.

        You can use yams or sweet potatoes!

      • Lorraine

        Can I change out enchilada sauce for something else?

        The enchilada sauce is so heavily seasoned that it gives the chili a lot of its flavor, so we wouldn't recommend swapping in anything else. Sorry about that!

      • Marsha

        How large is a serving of this excellent chili?

        Probably 1 1/2-2 cups!

      • Becky

        5-star rating

        Excellent! We recently decided to add more vegetarian recipes into our diet and this recipe has become a staple for us. I love that it I flexible, depending on what you have on hand, yet turns out great each tome. The sweet potatoes allow for texture and flavor where we don't miss the meat at all.

        Thanks Becky, so glad you love it!

      • Denise

        5-star rating

        This was delicious! Besides chili, I used it as a filler for bean burritos along with cheese, cabbage and avocado. Yum.

        Thanks, so glad you loved it! Sounds delicious in a burrito, nice work.

      • Kelly

        5-star rating

        You don't need meat to have a fantastic chili. This recipe was full of flavor!

        I don't love sweet potato, so I subbed in butternut squash. It's only the two of us... so I omitted one can of beans (kidney specifically) and only added a 16 oz can of the enchilada sauce. Butternut squash takes less time to soften, so I only had it simmer for 30 minutes. It was really good!

        Thanks Kelly, so happy you loved it!

      • Linda

        5-star rating

        This is quite spicy and delicious! I added a can of stewed tomatoes and a drained can of corn. My plan is to eat this for lunches and freeze portions for later. I highly recommend this meatless chili.

        Thanks Linda, we are so happy you love this recipe!

      • Katie

        5-star rating

        Fantastic recipe. This recipe won a chili contest compared to other meat chilis! The way I make it it's definitely a labor of love, but I prep the sweet potatoes, onions/peppers, and beans the day before so the day of I can throw everything in the crock pot.

        A few recommendations:
        - If you have the time, try roasting the sweet potatoes and getting those caramelized edges. I also sautéed the onions and peppers in a pan before I added.

        - I used dried beans for this - a great extra step if you have the time. I cooked the dried beans the day before (though I know there are some chili recipes where you can use dried beans).

        - The crock pot worked great for this dish - slow cooked it for 8 hours and was nice to set it and forget it.

        - Added a little bit of nutritional yeast for that depth of cheesy flavor, and the juice of a lime at the end. I'm curious if there are any other secret ingredients, like red wine/beer/bourbon, coffee, or chocolate would enhance the flavor even more (though I didn't try these).

        So excited to hear it won a contest! Thanks Katie, glad you loved it!

      • Marianne

        5-star rating

        Amazing! We’ve been trying to add more vegetarian/vegan meals each week. Made this tonight and it was fantastic! Hands down one of the best chili recipes I’ve made.

        I used homemade enchilada sauce and replaced the water with some vegetable broth I had in the fridge. Cannot wait to have this for lunch tomorrow!

        Thanks Marianne, so happy to hear you loved it!

      • Marisa

        5-star rating

        Recipe is delicious! The amount of chili powder makes the flavors pop! Have made a few times and is always a hit. Super easy to make, definitely recommend trying! Thank you for sharing

        Thanks Marisa! We are so glad you enjoyed it!

      • Benjamin

        5-star rating

        Made this yesterday and can honestly say it was one of the tastiest vegetarian meals I've made! I added some fresh chillies and used dried black beans instead of canned. The sweet potatoes were an inspirational addition as they gave more depth to the overall flavour and contrasted very well with the spice of the chili. So happy I made double portions so I've got plenty of leftover.

        Thanks Benjamin, we are so glad to hear you loved it!

      • Howdy

        5-star rating

        I consider myself a chili expert and aficionado (and I’ve won local awards for several recipes). I typically use 3-5 different meats in the chili I make, but last week, I bought steak at my butcher and cooked it to perfection, but the meat was old and my mental state / shock has turned me into a temporary vegetarian, which led me to this recipe. Talk about bad things happening for a good reason/outcome! I love this as much as my all-meat chili and my wife loves the sweet potatoes! We’re going pseudo-vegetarian, not vegan, so instead of water, we used beef broth - not sure what impact that makes… Also, if you’d like a bit more spice, just add some red pepper flakes to the pot or Tabasco to your serving (cayenne would distort the flavor profile), but it’s not necessary. Also, when/if my wife and I add meat back to our diets, we’ll definitely keep this recipe, but subtract one sweet potato and add a pound of ground turkey sausage to give it the meat aspect but keep it healthy. Bravo and kudos to the recipe’s creator!

        Thank you so much! We are so happy we could please a chili aficionado, thanks so much for trying it!

      • jude

        5-star rating

        divine velvety texture. the best chili i've ever made and tasted. the chunks of sweet potato held together, gave it so much form and added beautifully to the fullness factor. i tossed in some corn near the end. thank you so much!

        Thank you Jude! We are so happy that you loved it so much!

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