Main Course

Easy Vegetable Chili (VIDEO)

This vegetable chili is so good you won’t even miss the meat. Seriously, I am a meat lover and with this chili, I don’t eat the meat. It is so so good. Easy to put together, filling, and deliciously irresistible. In honor of “Veganuary”, give this chili a try.

Easy Vegetable Chili Video

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Ingredients for Easy Vegetable Chili

Bell Peppers – Use two different ones like red and green to make it look prettier.

Onion and Garlic – aromatics needed for the recipe.

Red lentils – this is probably THE ingredient that makes this taste so good!

Olive Oil – any kind.

Tomato Paste – I made my own this time around, which was great. Use any you have on hand.

Broth – use vegetable broth to make this vegan. I usually use homemade chicken broth as that is what I have on hand.

Diced Tomatoes – I like to use organic diced and canned tomatoes when possible. I’ve also made my own. You can also use fresh tomatoes instead. Just dice them and proceed with cooking. The chili might have a bit more juice in it because of these, but the taste will still be good.

Chili – can also be omitted if you don’t have on hand. I like to use a spicy one.

Red Kidney beans – canned

Corn – canned. Note, this should be a small can of corn, not the big 15oz. ones. Unless you really like a lot of corn:)

Salt, Pepper, Sugar – staple seasonings needed for this dish.

Parsley – for garnish

Easy Vegetable Chili served with rice and tortilla chips

Easy Vegetable Chili Recipe

Chop the onions, bell pepper finely and mince the garlic.

Using a heavy bottomed pot or dutch oven (I have one like this), heat up the olive oil and sauté the onions and the bell pepper for 2-3 minutes.

Add the minced garlic and the red lentils and sauté for another 2-3 more minutes.

Then add the tomato paste, chili, and seasonings. Mix well and add the chopped canned tomatoes and broth. Mix. Cover and simmer on medium-low heat for 15-20 minutes or until the lentils are cooked through.

Add the kidney beans and canned corn and just heat them through. Add chopped parsley. Mix well together and serve.

Chili Toppings – What to serve with Vegetable Chili

This chili is so good, we love eating it as is. Just pour into a bowl and serve. We also love adding these toppings:

  • Sour cream – I love a dollop of sour cream served with the chili. It really takes it to the next level. Omit for vegan version.
  • Tortilla chips – use for dipping into the chili or serve on the side.
  • Rice – We generally love Basmati Rice, but any rice is fine. See my post on cooking rice, for cooking instructions.
  • Fresh baked, buttery, baguette with herbs.
  • Avocado – sliced or cubed, gives the chili creaminess without adding dairy.
Easy Vegetable Chili served in a bowl with rice.

How to store and re-heat Vegetable Chili

Store this easy vegetable chili in the fridge once it has cooled off. It is very easy to re-heat it the next day either on medium-low heat on the stove top. You can also use the microwave, if that’s your thing.

Additional Recipes

If you’re looking for chili with a meat option or other hearty recipes, here are some options:

Looking for more vegan recipes? I really like this post from Love and Lemons featuring 85 vegan recipes. Some of those look really-really good!

Lastly, if you make this Easy Vegetable Chili, make sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating here! I’d love to hear back from you and will do my best to answer and respond to every comment. And of course, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram if you make this recipe. I’d love to see the photos of the recipes you have made!

Easy Vegetable Chili

Easy Vegetarian chili recipe with a vegan option. It's absolutely delicious, especially served over rice and with a dollop of sour cream.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, German
Keyword: Chili, Chili sin Carne, Chili without Meat, Vegan Chili
Servings: 6

Ingredients

  • 1-2 tbsp Olive oil
  • 2 Onions
  • 2 Garlic cloves
  • 1 Red bell pepper
  • 1 Green bell pepper
  • ½ cup Red lentils (100g)
  • 1 Tbsp Tomato paste
  • ¼ cup Chili
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • tsp Pepper
  • Pinch of Sugar
  • 1 ⅓ cup Broth (300ml) (any kind, use vegetable broth for vegan chili)
  • 1 can Chopped tomatoes, canned (400g)
  • 1 can Kidney beans (g)
  • 1 can corn (small)
  • Parsley for Garnish (optional)
  • Sour cream for serving (omit for vegan chili)

Instructions

  • Finely chop the onions and the bell peppers. Mince the garlic.
  • Heat up the olive oil in a heavy bottomed pot or dutch oven and sauté the onions and bell pepper for 2-3 minutes. Add garlic and red lentils and sauté for a couple more minutes.
  • Add tomato paste, chili, and seasonings. Mix well.
  • Add canned tomatoes and broth. Cover and cook on medium-low heat for 15-20 minutes or until the lentils are soft.
  • Add the kidney beans and corn and let them heat through.
  • Garnish with parsley (optional) and serve with rice, sour cream (optional) and baguette.      

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