When it gets cold outside, there is nothing more comforting than hot food to warm your insides. I love chili, although I get sick of the same old tomato-sauce recipes. Instead, I've decided to make a vegan white bean chili recipe. Like a white chicken chili, vegan white bean chili skips the chicken and is filled with delicious vegetables.
WHAT WHITE BEAN IS THE BEST ONE TO USE FOR VEGAN WHITE BEAN CHILI?
Of Great Northern Beans, white beans have a nutty, delicate taste with a firm outer casing. For example, there are 3 different kinds of white beans; navy beans, cannellini beans, and baby lima beans.
Whichever bean you prefer, or have on hand, will work perfectly. Since I had several cans of Great Northern Beans in my pantry, I opted to use them for the vegan white bean chili.
Personally, I like the mild nutty flavor that enhances the other vegetables and spices in the chili. But, the other beans work perfectly well. I love lima beans because of their buttery flavor, which is why I use them in my ‘Buttery’ Butter Bean Mashed Potatoes with Easy ‘No-Chicken’ Gravy.
CHOOSE A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT COLORED TOMATOES ARE BEST IN WHITE CHILI
Although red tomatoes are typically used in red based chili, I decided to use a combination of red, yellow, and orange heirloom tomatoes for color and acidity reasons. Despite all being from the tomato family, orange and yellow tomatoes are less acidic and juicier.
Instead, yellow and orange tomatoes offer a more sweet flavor when compared to red tomatoes. For this reason, I used a combination of all three to get a rich and sweet flavor.
Not only does a combination of different colored tomatoes lend to a better-tasting chili, but it also provides vivid colors in the bowl. I also add celery, carrots, zucchini, red bell peppers, and jalapenos for added nutrient density, as well as beautiful colors.
Instead of using a packaged chili seasoning, I chose various spices and a combination of balsamic vinegar and apple cider vinegar to complement the variety of vegetables and tomatoes.
COOKING OPTIONS
To meet everyone's needs, there are different options for cooking your vegan white bean chili. First and foremost, I love my crockpot because I can throw it all in the pot and walk away.
On the contrary, I can walk away with the crockpot and know exactly when it will be done. I can also put it on warm, and again, walk away. And, I'm all about walking away. We are all too busy to be bothered with food coming out at the right time.
Despite the instant pot's popularity, I struggle with timing. Regardless of my timing, the instant pot is always depressurizing or doesn't behave the way I want. Yes, I am probably a control freak, but to be honest, I like my food to be ready when I want it to be ready.
In that sense, you can use the instant pot and let me know exactly how long it takes to get to the correct temperature, and then let me know how long it takes to depressurize, and I am happy to use the instant pot in my cupboard.
But, today, I opted to cook the vegan white bean chili on the stovetop, another on-demand cooking method I embrace.
Since it is the weekend, and I am food prepping, I have time to let the chili simmer while I prep for the rest of the week.
Furthermore, I made a fresh batch of Vegan Oil-Free Cornbread Recipe to serve as a side dish.
IF YOU LOVE THIS VEGAN WHITE BEAN CHILI, I THINK YOU WILL LIKE THESE RECIPES TOO:
- Skinny AF Loaded Chili Fries
- Crockpot Butternut Squash Pinto Bean Chili
- Skinny Chili ‘Cheese’ Dip
- Crockpot Three-Bean Mega Veggie Chili
- Vegan Coney Chili Sauce….The Real Dea
- Kathy’s Yummy Vegan Chili Mac…Kid Tested; Mother Approved
Vegan White Bean Chili
A twist on a traditional chili recipe, vegan white bean chili is a slightly spicy sweet chili with a ton of vegetables.
Ingredients
VEGAN WHITE BEAN CHILI
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup yellow onion, diced small
- 1 Jalapeno pepper, deveined, diced
- 1 red Serrano chili pepper, deveined and diced
- 1/2 cup diced celery
- 1/2 diced carrots
- 1/2 cup zucchini diced
- 1/2 cup diced red bell peppers
- 2 15.05 ounce cans Great Northern Beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons Soy sauce or Tamari
- 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 3/4 cup organic vegetable broth
- 2 Tablespons chopped fresh basil
- 2 Tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped
- 1 Tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon allspice
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 8 cups fresh yellow, orange and red tomatoes, diced
- 4 cups organic vegetable broth
Instructions
CROCKPOT DIRECTIONS
- Saute garlic, onions, and celery in a small amount of vegetable broth until onions are translucent
- Add jalapeno, carrots, zucchini, and red pepper, and saute for approximately 5 minutes.
- Pour contents into the base of the crockpot.
- Add all remaining ingredients into the crockpot.
- Cook for 4-6 hours on high; or 6-8 hours on low
STOVE TOP DIRECTIONS
- In a large pot, Saute garlic, onions, and celery in a small amount of vegetable broth until onions are translucent.
- Add jalapeno, carrots, zucchini, and red pepper, and saute for approximately 5 minutes.
- Add remaining ingredients.
- Bring to a boil; stir.
- Reduce to simmer.
- Simmer covered for 35 minutes. The acid in the tomatoes need to break down, so it needs to simmer.
SERVE
- I served with OIl-Free Vegan Corn Bread.
- Optional: Vegan Sour Cream
- Shredded vegan cheese
- Cilantro
- Tortilla chips
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Nutrition Information
Yield
12Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 134Total Fat 1gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 0mgSodium 701mgCarbohydrates 29gFiber 7gSugar 12gProtein 6g
Nutrition facts may not be 100% accurate.
Hi! My name is Kathy, I am a retired high school English teacher & vegan enthusiast and blogger. My entire blog is fully plant-based vegan. I truly believe what we eat & how we live determines our health & the preservation of our planet! 🙂
Jeannie Bohince
I made this recipe yesterday, and it turned out well. I added 2 potatoes cut into chunks to get in additional texture. Mine seemed more like soup than chili, but it tasted good and had a lot of vegetables in it.
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Jeannie, I'm glad you liked it! Potatoes are a great addition! I'll have to try that.