This healthy (and super easy) Chili Sin Carne is the best vegan and vegetarian chili! It’s extra hearty using three different beans—making it the perfect comfort food and great for meal prep! Bonus: it only needs 30 minutes to cook!
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Why this recipe works
Chili is one of those dishes that gets better with time as the flavors infuse and develop even more in the dish. This makes it perfect for meal prep! We make a big batch and portion it out into containers to have meals prepared all week long. Bonus: it also freezes and reheats well!
We make some form of meatless chili sin carne weekly. It’s the perfect hearty meal that gets even better as the week goes on and requires minimal prep time.
What is Chili Sin Carne?
It literally translates to “chili without meat.” Chili is typically a spicy stew made with meat, hot peppers or chili powder, tomatoes and often beans. When it’s with meat it’s called Chili Con Carne. You may also see is spelled Chilli Sin Carne or Chile Sin Carne (pronounced ‘chill-eh seen car-nay’).
To make Chili Sin Carne, we remove the meat and replace it with either more beans or a something with a meaty-like texture.
Here are some ideas to use instead of meat:
- Beans
- Lentils
- Mushrooms
- Tofu
- Tempeh
- Plant-based ground meat substitute
Is Chili Sin Carne Healthy?
This vegan bean chili is a great source of protein and fiber, is low in fat and cholesterol-free. One serving boasts 32 grams of protein and 31 grams of fiber!
Our meat-free chili is also full of essential vitamins and minerals. That’s the benefit of adding beans because they are a powerhouse of nourishment. So not only is Chili Sin Carne incredibly healthy, it’s also very filling and satisfying with an abundance of beans! Meat eaters love this chili too!
Ingredient notes
One of the many benefits of making this easy bean chili is that it only requires basic produce and pantry staples. Reference the recipe card at the bottom for exact measurements.
- Variety of beans—the “meat” of the dish! Really any beans or lentils work. Mix and match your favorites or use all the same bean!
- Vegetables—In this version we used carrots, bell pepper and celery but you can add any vegetable you want for added texture and flavor.
- Chili powder—what puts the ‘chili’ in chili sin carne. You can use any chili powder or ground cayenne pepper. Don’t like it spicy? Use paprika instead.
Most items needed are canned and boxed so if you have a stocked pantry, you probably already have most of the ingredients!
How to make
This hearty vegetarian chili only takes 45 minutes start-to-finish and most of that time is just letting it simmer and do it’s thing! Exact times and temperatures are available in the recipe card at the bottom.
1. First, chop your vegetables. I used a food processor to speed up the process but any good sharp knife and cutting board will do.
2. In a large saucepan or stockpot over medium heat, add onion, garlic, celery, and carrots, and sauté until soft and translucent, add a little water as needed to keep from sticking to the pan; about 5 minutes.
3. Add the bell pepper, diced tomatoes, tomato paste and spices, sauté for couple minutes to allow the seasonings to meld. Add the broth and beans. Stir well to combine.
4. Increase heat to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and let the mixture simmer until it has thickened and liquid has reduced; about 25-30 minutes. Simmer for up to an hour for deeper flavor, stirring occasionally and adding more water if needed.
The longer you let it simmer the better, as the flavors will meld together. It also gets better with time which makes it perfect for meal prep!
Divide into bowls and add desired toppings.
Serving Suggestions
Top with:
- fresh chopped cilantro
- lime juice
- avocado or guacamole
- plain dairy-free yogurt or sour cream
- vegan nacho cheese
Or serve over a baked potato! We love this quick-cooking sweet potato hack to have a baked sweet potato in 5 minutes! And if you have a lot of leftovers, you can make easy chili burritos.
Flavor Variations
Like it spicy? Add more chili powder and diced jalapeño.
Like it sweeter? Add 1-2 tablespoons of maple syrup.
Secret ingredients to up your chili game:
- Cinnamon (just a dash will do)
- Cocoa powder or unsweetened dark chocolate
- Sriracha or hot sauce
- Vinegar
- Smoked paprika or liquid smoke
- Tofu ground “beef”
FAQ’s and Expert Tips
Yes! Chili freezes really well. Make sure it has cooled to room temperature, then store in an airtight freezer-safe bag or container. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat on the stove or in the microwave.
With an abundance of vegetables and beans, this meat-free chili is also full of essential vitamins and minerals! Chili can absolutely be healthy! Just keep in mind what you top it with—lots of cheese and sour cream can diminish those healthy benefits.
Simmering on low for longer helps evaporate more liquid, making the flavors in the dish more concentrated. It also allows the flavors more time to infuse into the vegetables and beans.
If you want, you can simmer for 1-2 hours, watching carefully to make sure it doesn’t dry out—but I find the dish still incredibly flavorful with less time!
The beauty of this chili recipe is that it’s very versatile and forgiving. Don’t have all the veggies? Add whatever sounds good to you. Missing some beans? Add more of what you have or opt for other beans like white beans or chickpeas.
Feel free to customize to your liking and make it your own! Let us know down in comments what variations you like.
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The Best Chili Sin Carne
Method
- Stovetop
Ingredients
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 4 large garlic cloves minced
- 2 stalks celery diced
- 2 medium carrots peeled and chopped
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- 2 15 oz cans diced tomatoes
- 6 oz low-sodium tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 tablespoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2-1 teaspoon salt to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 2 15 oz cans red kidney beans drained and rinsed
- 2 15 oz cans black beans drained and rinsed
- 2 15 oz cans pinto beans drained and rinsed
Instructions
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, add onion, garlic, celery, and carrots, and sauté until soft and translucent, adding more water as necessary to keep from sticking to the pan; about 5 minutes.
- Add the bell pepper, diced tomatoes, tomato paste and spices. Sauté for couple minutes to allow the seasonings to meld.
- Add the broth and beans. Stir well to combine. Increase heat to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and let the mixture simmer until it has thickened and liquid has reduced, about 15-20 minutes. Simmer for up to an hour for deeper flavor, stirring occasionally and adding more water if needed. Taste and adjust seasonings to preference.
- Top with desired toppings. See notes for suggestions.
Video
Notes
- fresh chopped cilantro
- lime juice
- avocado
- plain dairy-free yogurt or sour cream
- vegan nacho cheese
Nutrition
This post was updated with additional information and tips on August 24th, 2021.
This is beyond delicious. All of the beans make it so filling, and the spice is just right!
With all those beautiful beans we didn’t miss the meat at all!
That looks fantastic. My family would love this as it has got plenty of beans and requires minimum prep.
That looks so good. I name mine with a mixture of beans too. Right off to look at that nacho sauce.
This is perfect for the cold weather and I love the combination of the different beans too.
Thanks, Amanda! Me too—the more beans, the better 🙂
This looks amazing. Chilli is the ultimate comfort food.
It really is! And thank you! 🙂
I’ve never made vegan chilli before but that needs to change. Pinning your recipe to try later.
I whole-heartedly agree! It’s just as delicious and easier to make in my opinion 🙂 Hope you get a chance to try it! Thanks for pinning!
This chili looks fantastic! I love the variety of beans and the minimal prep. Such a delicious comfort food.
Thanks, Tara! It is one of my favorite comfort food meals 🙂
Chili is perfect on cold and dreary days isn’t it! I have a friend that’s a vegetarian that would love a new recipe to try.
So true! Hope your friend enjoys this recipe 🙂