Spicy Southwest Vegan Chili

This Spicy Southwest Vegan Chili has rich, complex depth of flavor with the option to make it as fiery hot or even as mild as you’d like! After just a little bit of prep, this chili is easy to make and comes together smoothly. Garnish with cilantro and avocado and finish with a dollop of vegan sour cream. I love to serve this chili over a bed of rice, along with a side of tortilla chips or crusty bread for a stunning, flavorful and hearty bowl of chili!

This chili can be made either in an Instant Pot (which I prefer when using soaked dried beans) or on the stovetop, and I’ll include directions for both methods.

Using dried beans in the Instant Pot

If I plan ahead, I prefer using dried beans instead of canned. The recipe is the same except you’ll want to soak dried beans overnight: 1 cup kidney beans and ½ cup black beans. When ready to cook the following day, use strainer to drain soaking water and rinse beans well. Follow directions for sautéing and adding ingredients, then seal Instant Pot and cook on High Pressure for 30 minutes. Allow a full natural release.

Tips for success

• Prep everything before you begin cooking! The prep takes the most time and once you start cooking, everything comes together quickly. The last thing you want to be doing is frantically trying to open cans or chop ingredients while other veggies are scorching in the pot. Being prepped is key!
  
  
  
• Canned tomato quality counts. You really can taste a difference and it’s worth spending a little more on a quality brand of canned tomato products.
  
  
• Garnishes matter. Garnishes make food look more appealing which does matter since we naturally analyze our food with our eyes before eating. Garnishes also add a little complimenting flavor as well as a different texture to dishes. It’s worth the extra few minutes to chop a few things to garnish the finished meal!
  
  
• For an even heartier chili, serve over a bed of rice. While the chili is cooking, I like to prepare a pot of basmati rice to serve the chili over. For 2 servings I’ll use a ½ cup dried rice and for 4 servings I use 1 cup. If you’ve never tried chili over rice, they go so well together!

Recipe FAQ

Step-by-Step

Day Before

Place 1 cup dried kidney beans and ½ cup dried black beans in a large pot and cover with several inches of water and soak overnight.

If using canned beans, skip this step.

Prep

Chop all veggies and measure out all the spices in a small bowl. Have cans opened and vegetable broth measured out. Once you start cooking this comes together quickly!

Sauté

If using an Instant Pot, press “sauté” or heat large pot on medium heat on the stovetop. Once hot, add 2 tsp avocado oil and the onions, carrots, and celery and cook until softened, stirring frequently. Stir in poblano and garlic and cook another minute or two.

Add spices + everything else

Add all the spices and stir to coat. Then pour in 2½ cups vegetable broth, the beans (either soaked or canned), 1 cup frozen corn, 2 heaping Tbsp chipotle peppers with adobo sauce, 1 Tbsp maple syrup, 2 Tbsp tomato paste, 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes.

Cook Chili

Instant Pot with soaked dried beans: Seal lid and cook on High Pressure for 30 minutes, allowing a full natural release.

Instant Pot with canned beans: Seal lid and cook on High Pressure for 10 minutes, allowing a full natural release. 

Stovetop with canned beans: Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cover with a lid and cook 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Finish + Serve

Once chili has finished cooking, stir in lime juice. Taste chili, adding anything more it may need.

Serve chili with optional toppings: avocado, cilantro, vegan sour cream, sliced red onions with a side of crusty bread/tortilla chips and/or served over a bed of rice. Enjoy!

Other Recipes

• Love chili? Try my Instant Pot 3-Bean Chili!
  
• For a simple, warming soup, my Lentil and Sweet Potato soup is perfect for chilly days.
  
• For a taste of fall, check out my Creamy Pumpkin Spiced Soup. Easy to make with all the delicious aromas of October.

Print Recipe

Spicy Southwest Vegan Chili

This Spicy Southwest Vegan Chili has a rich depth of flavor, a complex variety of pepper flavors, and the option to make it as fiery hot or mild as you’d like! Hearty, delicious, and delightfully nutritious!

Prep Time40 minutes mins

Cook Time1 hour hr

Total Time1 hour hr 40 minutes mins

Course: Soup and Chili

Cuisine: American, southwest, tex-mex

Keyword: Beans, Chili, dinner, spicy, winter

Servings: 6 servings

Author: The Wandering Veggie

Equipment

• 1 stove top or Instant Pot

Ingredients

Prep the day before (if using canned beans, see notes below)

• 1 cup dried kidney beans
• ½ cup black beans
• water to cover beans by several inches

Sauté

• 2 tsp avocado oil
• 1 medium-sized red onion, chopped
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 small carrots, chopped
• 1 large celery stick, sliced
• 1 poblano pepper, chopped
• 6-8 cloves garlic, minced

Spices

• 2 Tbsp chili powder
• 2 Tbsp cumin powder
• 1 Tbsp smoked paprika
• 2 tsp oregano
• 2 tsp rosemary
• 2 tsp thyme

Everything else

• 2 ½ cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 2 Tbsp chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• 1 Tbsp maple syrup
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste
• 28 oz can crushed tomatoes

After Cooking

• juice of 1 lime 2-3 Tbsp

For serving (optional)

• avocado slices
• chopped cilantro
• dollop of vegan sour cream
• thinly sliced red onion
• cooked rice *see notes below

Instructions

• Day Before: Place 1 cup dried kidney beans and ½ cup dried black beans in a large pot and cover with several inches of water and soak overnight.

  If using canned beans, skip this step.
• Prep: Chop all veggies and measure out all the spices in a small bowl. Have cans opened and vegetable broth measured out. Once you start cooking this comes together quickly.
• Sauté: If using an Instant Pot, press "sauté" or heat large pot on medium heat on the stovetop. Once hot, add 2 tsp avocado oil and the onions, carrots, and celery and cook until softened, stirring frequently. Stir in poblano and garlic and cook another minute or two.
• Add spices + everything else: Add all the spices and stir to coat. Then pour in 2½ cups vegetable broth, beans (either soaked or canned), 1 cup frozen corn, 2 heaping Tbsp chipotle peppers with adobo sauce, 1 Tbsp maple syrup, 2 Tbsp tomato paste, 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes.
• Instant Pot with soaked dried beans: Seal lid and cook on High Pressure for 30 minutes, allowing a full natural release.

  Instant Pot with canned beans: Seal lid and cook on High Pressure for 10 minutes, allowing a full natural release.

  Stovetop with canned beans: Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cover with a lid and cook 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Finishing: Once chili has finished cooking, stir in lime juice. Taste, adding anything more it may need.
• Serve chili with optional toppings: avocado, cilantro, vegan sour cream, sliced red onions with a side of crusty bread/tortilla chips and/or served over a bed of rice. Enjoy!

Notes

*If using canned beans, use colander to drain bean water and rinse the beans well. Follow recipe directions for sautéing and adding ingredients. 

*Basmati rice is my favorite to serve chili over! I use ½ cup dried rice for 2 servings and 1 cup for 4 servings.

Did you enjoy this Spicy Southwest Vegan Chili? I’d love to hear about it! Leave me a comment below! 🙂