Homemade Vegan Chili Recipe [Easy and Gluten-Friendly]

Looking for an easy homemade vegan chili recipe? Look no further!

When I moved to Cincinnati, I was told over and over again that I had to try Cinci chili. Since I grew up eating a lot of my mom’s homemade chili, I was intrigued. This was pre-plant based eating for me, so I decided to see what all the hype was about.

If you’ve never had Cincinnati chili, it’s a meat sauce made with Mediterranean spices and served over spaghetti noodles and topped with about a pound of cheese. Let’s just say that I tried it, I thoroughly did not enjoy it, and now: I have unalterably gone back to (my own version of) Texas-style chili. 

As I’m sure you know, Texas-style chili is all about the meat and the sauce. My mom’s recipe is literally a pound of ground meat, 2 cans of spaghetti sauce, and lots of chili powder. As I learned more about plant-based eating, I began adding more vegetables to my chili — and oh my goodness, it’s delightful!

Adding more vegetables means you add more texture, more flavor, and more depth to the dish. If it’s your goal to eat more vegetables in 2021, this vegan chili recipe is a delicious (and salad-free) way to make that happen!

Tips for making my homemade vegan chili recipe

• Sweet potatoes: I enjoy the savory-sweet combo sweet potatoes add to this chili. I wouldn’t advise adding more sweet potatoes, but if you do not like sweet potatoes, you can add less. The first time I made this sweet potato chili I added 4 cups instead of 6, and it was still delicious. 
• Poblano and green bell peppers add a slightly bitter-sweet combination. If you know you like poblano peppers, feel free to add two instead of one!
• Speaking of spice: Jalapenos forever! I added jalapenos AND crushed red pepper flakes (because hello, I love spice). If you have a lower tolerance for spicy foods, I recommend adding the jalapeno and halving the red pepper flakes at first. Then, taste and adjust to your liking. 

• Mushrooms, walnuts, and lentils: These are your primary sources of protein/”meat” in this vegan chili. I didn’t want any of these ingredients to be overpowering, so I added a little of each. This gives you a wide variety of protein sources and a pretty solid ‘meaty’ texture. I know many people don’t like mushrooms, but by the time you get all these ingredients in this chili, you don’t even notice them. 
• Whole wheat flour: This is not a typical ingredient found in chili, but I needed to add enough liquid to make sure the sweet potatoes were cooked thoroughly. To keep the chili from getting too soupy, I added flour. If you practice a gluten-free lifestyle, no fear! You can absolutely use any gluten-free flour.
• Beans: I don’t love a bean-heavy chili, but do think beans have a place! So I added other sources of protein (mushrooms, lentils, and walnuts) and limited the beans. If you aren’t a bean person, you could absolutely leave out the beans altogether, and this dish would still have plenty of protein. And if you like different beans other than black/kidney in your chili, feel free to substitute those instead!  
• Seasonings: I am a HUGE advocate for adjusting seasonings to your personal flavor profile. I recommend starting with the measurements in the recipe, then adding more to your taste buds’ preference. More garlic powder will make it garlicky (obviously), crushed red pepper flakes give more spice/heat, paprika and cumin add smokiness, and chili powder adds depth of flavor. 

Let’s talk toppings! 

I usually eat my chili with some combination of the following: 

• Cilantro
• Lime juice
• Avocado
• Tortilla chips
• Fritos
• Brown Rice
• Salsa

I know rice seems like a weird thing to eat with chili, but my family eats it this way and I absolutely love it. The rice adds a different texture, which makes the dish a tad more complex than it would be otherwise.

This vegan chili recipe is the perfect comfort food for a cold winter day. We’ve still got at least two more months of cold, cloudy weather here in Ohio, so I’ll be making this often! 

If you make this recipe, please rate/comment on this post and tag us on Instagram @plumsavory. We look forward to hearing your thoughts! 

Cheers, 
Elana

Homemade Vegan Chili [Easy and Gluten-Friendly]

This easy homeade vegan chili will make even the coldest winter night cozy!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 8 bowls

Ingredients

  

• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 poblano pepper diced
• 1 large yellow onion diced
• 1 jalapeno diced
• 1 green bell pepper diced
• 4 cloves of garlic minced
• 6 small sweet potatoes ~6 cups, chopped
• 8 ounces portobello mushrooms chopped
• 1 cup walnuts chopped
• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup chili powder
• 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 3 cups water or vegetable broth
• 28 ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup red lentils uncooked, rinsed
• 1 can black beans drained and rinsed
• 1 can kidney beans drained and rinsed

For Serving (Optional):

• Avocado slices
• Cilantro
• Brown Rice
• Tortilla Chips

Instructions

 

• Heat oil (2 Tblsp) in a large pot over medium heat until shimmering.
• Once hot, sauté poblano pepper (1), yellow onion (1), jalapeno (1), green bell pepper (1), and garlic (4) for 10-15 minutes, until onions are slightly translucent.
• Add sweet potatoes (~6 c), mushrooms (8oz), walnuts (1c), seasonings (4Tblsp chili powder, 2tsp red pepper flakes, 2tsp cumin, 1tsp salt, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp paprika), and flour (1/4c). Sauté for another 5 minutes.
• Add liquid (3c), tomatoes (28oz), and red lentils (1/2c).
• Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to medium-low heat and simmer for 30-40 minutes, until lentils are cooked and sweet potatoes are fork-tender.
• Add black beans (1 can) and kidney beans (1 can) and cook for additional 3-5 minutes, until beans are warm.
• Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
• Serve warm with avocado, brown rice, cilantro, and/or chips.
• Keeps in refrigerator for 4-5 days in a sealed container. Keeps in freezer for ~1 month in a freezer-friendly container.

Keyword comfort food, easy, fall foods, gluten-friendly, vegan, vegetarian