This hearty vegetarian three bean chili is packed with protein from three varieties of beans: pinto, black, and kidney beans. Chipotle peppers give spice and smoky flavor to the chili. Serve it with rice to make it a more filling meal!
Thank you to USA Pulses and Pulses Canada for sponsoring this post!
Although I’m not vegetarian, I tend to cook vegetarian meals most weeknights. It’s simply less fussy to prepare in general. I don’t have to worry about handling raw meat or checking to see if my piece of chicken is fully cooked. Plus, my vegetarian meals tend to be lighter and more fresh, which is my preferred style of cooking. Believe it or not, even my meat-loving husband embraces vegetarian meals!
Pulses are a primary staple around our house. It is so easy to throw a can of beans into my meals to give it an extra boost of plant-based protein and fiber. I usually have about 6 cans of beans tucked away in my pantry for quick dinners, such as grain and bean salads or soups.
This chipotle vegetarian three bean chili is a one-pot wonder. The preparation is simple: sauté a few aromatic vegetables, throw all the ingredients into the pot, boil and then simmer. That’s all! It is a low-maintenance dish that you’ll want to make on weeknights.
COOKING NOTES FOR THE VEGETARIAN THREE BEAN CHILI
- Serve with rice: To make this a more filling meal, serve the chili with bread or rice.
- A note about the chili powder: The chipotle peppers give the soup a considerable amount of spice. Make sure that you use a chili powder that is not too spicy, if at all.
- A thicker chili: Some people might prefer thick chilis. If you are one of those people, use less broth (about 2 to 2 1/2 cups).
LOOKING FOR MORE SOUPS + STEWS?
- Slow Cooker Corn and Potato Chowder with Roasted Chickpeas
- Chickpea Minestrone Soup
- Creamy, Gingery Carrot and Sweet Potato Soup
- Vegan Mulligatawny
Looking for more ways to add plant-based protein into your weekly meals? Sign up for the Half-Cup Habit for recipes and ideas on how to add a 1/2-cup serving of pulses to your meals 3 times a week!
PrintChipotle Vegetarian Three Bean Chili
This chili is quite spicy. For a milder chili, use one chipotle pepper instead of two. If you want more smoky flavor, use smoked paprika instead of regular sweet paprika.
If you prefer a thicker chili, use 2 or 2 1/2 cups of broth instead of 3.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes (10 minutes inactive)
- Yield: Serves 4 to 6 1x
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 rib of celery, sliced
- 1 teaspoon salt, divided
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 2 chipotle peppers (in adobo sauce), roughly chopped
- 1 14-ounce can of crushed tomatoes
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 1 15.5-ounce can of pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 15.5-ounce can of black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 15.5-ounce can of kidney beans, drained and rinsed
Toppings
- sour cream
- chopped red onions
- chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions and sauté them for about 4 minutes. Add the celery, garlic and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Sauté for another 3 minutes.
- Add the chili powder, cumin, paprika, chipotle peppers and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Stir to combine the ingredients. Add the crushed tomatoes and broth, cover the pot and bring it to a boil.
- Remove the cover, add the beans, and reduce the heat to medium. Let the soup simmer for 10 minutes, uncovered.
- Turn off the heat and let the soup sit for another 10 minutes so that the beans absorb more liquid.
- Serve the chili in bowls with a dollop of sour cream and some chopped onions and cilantro.
- Refrigerate any leftovers. The chili tastes even better the next day!
Notes
NUTRITION INFORMATION: Amount for 1/6 of recipe: Calories: 270, Total Fat 6g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 0mg, Sodium: 1373.4mg, Total Carbohydrate: 43.3g, Dietary Fiber: 14.2g, Sugar: 7g, Protein 13.5g
Disclosure: This post has been sponsored by USA Pulses & Pulse Canada. Check out their website for more easy ways to use pulses in your cooking!
Christina Ri says
Just made this tonight, but added some ground turkey, and used a whole 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes since that was what I had on hand. Came out delicious!
★★★★★
Lisa Lin says
Thanks for trying the recipe, Christina!! I’m so glad you liked it!
Cleo says
This was delicious. Thanks!
★★★★
Lorraine says
I kept reading the word “Pulses” as in “you have a heartbeat” and thought that’s weird. But thanks to your blog I learned there’s a second meaning. GAH why is English so un-regular and infuriating? (rhetorical question)
Sherwood says
I love meat, but I’m eager to try out vegetarian options for the sake of health and cost. I had some chipotle peppers in adobo in the fridge that needed to be used up, so I landed on this. I was worried I’d miss the meat here, but man oh man was my concern misplaced! This is so satisfying served over rice that I’m planning on making it again! (Even though that’s going to make me break into another can of chipotles in adobo. lol) I must note how shockingly difficult it was to find a 14 oz. can of crushed tomatoes…
★★★★★
Lisa Lin says
Thanks for the feedback, Sherwood! If you couldn’t find crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes work, too. I will keep this in mind in the future though!
Sherwood says
Good to know. I’m not yet familiar enough with the crazy amount of different types of canned tomatoes to feel comfortable with substitutes. I’ll keep that in mind!
Cindy Accardi says
A favourite!
★★★★★
Ben says
This has become my go-to chili recipe. Love the flavor from the adobo chipotle peppers / sauce. I add quite a bit more of everything spicy and double the broth.
★★★★
Lisa Lin says
That is awesome! Thanks, Ben!