A hearty bowl of this easy and tasty Vegan Chili with Avocado Crema will drive away the winter blues. The chili is smoky and rich and flavorful and at just 217 calories per serving you can afford to indulge in this healthy treat. A vegan, soy-free, nut-free and gluten-free recipe.
On days when I crave comfort and health for dinner but don't want to spend too much time or effort cooking, I cook up a pot of my smoky and quick Vegan Chili.
I have a few versions of chili on this blog that I've shared over the years, including this vegan white bean chili, vegan Instant Pot chili and vegan Irish chili. This one is just as delicious. It's also easy to make, and it has a full-bodied flavor that takes away any need for meat or even meat substitutes. I love that most of the ingredients come from cans-- the pinto and black beans and the fire-roasted tomatoes.
The fire-roasted tomatoes, the cumin and the smoked paprika pack a triple hit of smokiness and flavor that take this chili from amazing to divine. Use them all for the best results. And the herbs only make all of this goodness even better.
On top of the chili, for even more great flavor and texture, goes a smooth, silky avocado crema flavored with cilantro, lime and jalapeno. It's a really simple recipe to pull together and it adds to the deliciousness of an already delicious recipe.
Top tips
- To make this recipe come together fast, make sure you have your beans and other ingredients on hand. I use canned pinto and black beans for the quickest turnaround. If you want to cook your own beans from scratch, that's fine too.
- There are three ingredients in this recipe that give it that richness and smokiness I so love: smoked paprika, fire roasted tomatoes and cumin. Use them all for the best flavor.
- I do recommend letting the chili cook for 45 minutes after all the ingredients have been added for the best flavor, but if you are running short on time, you can pull it off the stove in 30 minutes. That said, this chili tastes best when left to stand overnight.
- Use both oregano and thyme (dried is good) for maximum flavor. You can also sub with rosemary or sage. I love adding sage to this sometimes because it adds to the smokiness.
- You don't have to make the avocado crema, but if you can, do. It tastes amazing with this stew and I guarantee you'll be in love.
- What can you eat with this chili? It makes a great meal by itself, but if you want to, serve it with quinoa or with a crusty bread. It's also great to scoop up with tortilla chips or drizzle over French fries, like these guilt-free Air Fryer French Fries.
Ingredients
- Black beans
- Pinto beans
- Vegetable oil (I usually use avocado)
- Leeks
- Garlic
- Carrot
- Green bell pepper (another color bell pepper is fine)
- Frozen corn kernels
- Fire roasted tomatoes
- Cumin
- Paprika
- Oregano
- Thyme
- Vegetable stock (for best flavor)
- Salt
- Ground black pepper
- Avocados
- Jalapeno pepper
- Cilantro
- Lime
Most of these are probably in your pantry. If you try this vegan chili with avocado crema, be sure to come back and let me know!
More vegan stew recipes
- Vegan Jambalaya
- Creamy Lentils Spiced with Ancho
- Vegan Mushroom Stew
- Vegan Gumbo
- Vegan Cassoulet
- Vegan 'Beef' Stew
Vegan Chili with Avocado Crema
Ingredients
- 14 oz dried black beans (drained and rinsed)
- 14 oz dried pinto beans (drained and rinsed)
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 leeks (green and white parts chopped. Can use an onion instead.)
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 large carrot (diced)
- 1 large green bell pepper (diced)
- 1 cup corn kernels
- 14.5 oz fire roasted tomatoes
- 2 teaspoon cumin (powdered)
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 2-3 cups vegetable stock
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste
For avocado crema:
- 2 ripe avocados
- ½ jalapeno pepper (deseeded and minced)
- 1 tablespoon cilantro (chopped)
- Salt to taste
- Juice of 1 lime
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large pot. Add the leeks and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Saute on medium heat until softened, around 3-5 minutes.
- Add the carrots and bell peppers and saute for a couple minutes. Add the fire roasted tomatoes, stir to mix, then add the bell pepper, corn kernels, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano and thyme. Stir to mix, add 2 cups of vegetable stock, and let everything come to a boil.
- Cover and let the chili simmer for 40 minutes or until thick. The carrots should be tender. If it's too thick for your liking, thin it out with some more stock.
- Serve hot with a dollop of avocado crema.
Make the avocado crema:
- Place all of the ingredients in a food processor and process into a very smooth paste.
Christian
I made it with sugar rush peach chillies much hotter and sweeter worked well. Had it on top of corn chips with vegan cheese. Makes a good baked spud topping too.
Vaishali
Sounds totally delicious!!
Mary
Hi Vaishali,
I have been using tempeh in place of meat. It works especially well in soups but I’ve substituted it other traditional recipes with “ground meats” to make my dish vegan. TJ’s organic tempeh is our favorite brand.
Love your recipes and insights.
Thank you!
Bryan Martinez
The added avocado crema looks like an interesting addition! I definitely want to make this recipe now thank you!
Hima
That looks amazing.
Mansi Desai
that looks great vaishali! I gotta try and get my hands on that veggie-protein-sausage:)D
Nithu
Looks hot and spicy. so good. book marked.
Pearlsofeast
I always love ur recipes because they are different.Love that enticing colour of the dish.
Uma
awesome chili vaishali! Looks so colorful.
destinyskitchen
I've never even tried Gimme Lean, but since you endorse it, I might give it a try! Thank you for the recipe. One can never have too many chili recipes!
Cham
I bought many times Veggie protein sausage and really didn't like the taste (or may be the smell) even being a non veg eater! I got to try it again! Adding eggplant is a nice twist Vaishu 🙂
Shreya
Hi, This is a such a great recipe. I can relate to the 'meat-avoider's nostalgic tastebuds' so well..:-) Awesome entry!
notyet100
looks yum,..nice one for the event,..
delhibelle
Chili looks gorgeous V!
I need to find that chipotle chilies in adobo sauce now..
sunshinemom
Vaishu, thank you for this energy infusing vegan entry! So many of the ingredients are actually foreign to me - chipotle chillies, adobo sauce!! I need to update myself:)