Rich, creamy and bursting with flavor! This vegan white bean chili is made with hearty beans, Tex-Mex spices, and lime. Beer is optional! It's a delicious, easy and comforting meal that you'll want to make again and again.
White bean chili is one of my favorite types of chili. But in a way it's not really chili at all!
Most of us associate the flavor of chili powder with chili...but there's no actual chili powder in white chili! We're using a different blend of spices including cumin, oregano and ancho chile powder (which doesn't count because it's different from regular chili powder).
Also, there's no tomato! So you'll probably find the texture of my vegan white chili closer to that of white bean soup or pinto bean soup than tomato-based chili.
So if you're here looking for a classic chili powder chili recipe that happens to be made with white beans, try using them in my vegan chili or vegetarian slow cooker chili. If you're here because you know and love white chili or just want to try something new and delicious, read on and I'll tell you how it's made!
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Ingredients You'll Need
- Olive oil. You're welcome to swap this out with another high-heat oil, such as vegetable oil, corn oil, or canola oil, if you'd like.
- Onion.
- Carrot.
- Celery.
- Garlic.
- Spices. You'll need ground cumin, ancho chile powder, and dried oregano, all of which should be available in the spice aisle of your supermarket.
- Vegetable broth.
- Beer. I like a medium to light ale best for this recipe. Make sure to run your brand and variety of beer through Barnivore before you buy, to ensure that it's vegan.
- Coconut milk. We're using full-fat coconut milk to replace the heavy cream you'd normally find in non-vegan white bean chili. Feel free to use another unsweetened non-dairy milk if you're not a fan of coconut or just prefer a lower-fat option.
- Cannellini beans. Cannellini beans are just one variety of white bean. You're welcome to substitute another type of white bean if you'd like. Navy beans, great northern beans, and butter beans will all work!
- Canned green chile peppers. You can find these in the international aisle of most supermarkets.
- Lime juice. Be sure to use freshly squeezed lime juice for the best possible flavor.
- Frozen corn.
- Fresh cilantro. Leave this out if you're not a fan of it.
- Toppings. I like to top my white bean chili with sliced avocado, tortilla strips, and fresh cilantro. Other great options include salsa verde, vegan sour cream or cashew cream, and shredded vegan cheese.
How It's Made
Below is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!
Heat the olive oil in a large pot, then add diced onion, carrots, and celery. Sweat the vegetables for about five minutes, just until they begin to soften.
Stir in minced garlic, along with your spices. Cook the mixture for about a minute, stirring constantly to prevent anything from burning.
Now, stir in the broth, beer (if you're using it), coconut milk, beans, and green chiles. Raise the heat until the liquid boils, then lower the heat and let the mixture simmer until it thickens a bit and the vegetables are tender.
Stir in the corn (thaw it first!), lime juice, and chopped fresh cilantro. Take the pot off of heat and season the chili with some salt and pepper to taste.
Tip: Feel free to let the chili simmer for longer — up to an hour! As it continues to cook, the flavors will meld and the beans will become extra soft. The liquid will reduce as well, so add some water if it becomes too dry.
Your vegan white bean chili is finished and ready to enjoy!
Ladle it into bowls, pile on the toppings, and dig in!
Tip: To make tortilla strips like those shown in the photos, simply slice corn tortillas, spritz them lightly with oil and sprinkle them with salt. Bake them at 400°F for about 8 minutes, until they're crispy. Crushed tortilla chips make a great shortcut option!
Variations
- For creamy vegan white bean chili, blend a portion of your chili when it's done cooking. You can use an immersion blender, or carefully transfer some of it to a blender or food processor for blending.
- To add protein, make a vegan white bean "chicken" chili by adding pan-fried seitan or Butler soy curls.
Leftovers & Storage
Leftover vegan white bean chili will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for about four days, or in the freezer for up to three months.
More Vegan Chili Recipes
Like this recipe? If so, please stop back and leave me a review and rating below if you try it! Also be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter for more recipes like this one!
📖 Recipe
Vegan White Bean Chili
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 medium carrots, diced
- 2 medium celery stalks, diced
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 ½ tablespoons ground cumin
- 1 ½ teaspoons ancho chile powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 1 cup beer, ale or a similar variety (Note 1)
- 1 cup full-fat coconut milk
- 4 (15.5 ounce/439 gram) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (Note 2)
- 1 (4 ounce/113 gram) can diced green chilies
- 1 cup frozen corn, thawed
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Toppings of choice, such as sliced avocado, fresh cilantro and tortilla strips or chips
Instructions
- Coat the bottom of large pot with the oil and place it over medium heat.
- Once the oil is hot, add the onion, carrots, and celery. Sweat the vegetables for about 5 minuets, stirring often, until they start to soften.
- Stir in the garlic, cumin, ancho chile powder, and oregano. Cook the mixture for about 1 minute, stirring constantly, until the garlic and spices become very fragrant.
- Stir in the broth, beer, coconut milk, beans and green chilies. Raise the heat and bring the liquid to a boil, then lower the heat and let the mixture simmer for about 20 minutes, until thickened slightly and the vegetables are tender (Note 3). Add hot water to the pot if the chili becomes too thick at any point.
- Stir in the corn, lime juice and cilantro, then remove the pot from heat.
- Season the chili with salt and pepper to taste.
- Ladle into bowls and serve.
Notes
- Substitute another cup of broth if you prefer to cook without beer.
- Feel free to substitute with another variety of white beans (or combination of varieties), such as navy beans, great Northern beans, or butter beans.
- You can simmer the chili for up to an hour if you'd like to mellow the flavors and further soften the beans. You'll probably need to add water, as it will continue to reduce as it cooks.
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I have a question. I see soy curls mentioned in the comments, but I do not see any mention of them in the recipe. How much would I use, and when would I add them?
When I've included soy curls I used 3 cups, soaked in about 2 cups of broth, then pan-fried in a bit of oil for about five minutes, until they start to brown. They make a nice addition. Enjoy!
This is a wonderful soup recipe. I use broth instead of oil so that it's whole food, plant based, no oil. It's delicious!
What if I don't have ale?
Can't stress enough how much of a home run this recipe is. I've made it on several occasions now and it's been universally loved. I have used soy curls for other recipes, but in a pinch I use chik'n strips easily found in the frozen foods section.
The steps never said what to do with the can of green chiles!
Just fixed that! Sorry!
I've made this a couple times and I LOVE it! I've been vegan a couple years and had honestly never used soy curls. I am now officially obsessed and I can't wait to use them in other recipes. I do leave out the onions in this recipe because I am an onion hater, lol! Onion powder works great though! Making again tonight!
I cannot get soy curls where I live do you have another recipe without them thank you for all your recipes it has helped me cook for my daughter since she became vegetarian but they are also enjoyed by my other children too thanks
Hi Rhonda! You can simply leave the soy curls out, or substitute with seitan. Either version should be delicious! I'm so glad you and your family are enjoying the recipes. :)
Want to make this but would like to know if ancho chile powder is at all smoky? I am so averse to smoked anything I can't go near a barbecue or even eat smoked almonds (been vegan too long I guess!) and if it is even the slightest bit smoky what would you recommend to replace it with? Many thanks.
It is a little bit smoky, and I believe the peppers are actually smoked as part of producing the spice. If you're sensitive to smoky flavors you might not like it. You should be fine to just leave it out, or even add a bit of hot sauce or a pinch of cayenne instead. I hope you enjoy the chili!