The Best Vegan Chili

Ingredients

• 454 gpinto beans
• 3dried ancho chillies
• 3dried New Anaheim peppers
• 3dried shiitake mushrooms
• 30 mltomato purée
• 10 mldried oregano
• 45 mlreduced-salt soy sauce
• 15 mlground cumin
• 2.5 mlsmoked paprika
• 1.25 mlcayenne pepper (optional)
• 1–2jalapeño peppers, stalks removed and roughly chopped
• 5 clovesgarlic, minced
• 30 mlolive oil
• 2 largewhite onions, minced
• 2.5 mlsalt
• 794 gtin crushed tomatoes with their juice
• about 120 gbulgur wheat
• about 4 gfresh coriander, minced

Instructions

1. 1

   Soak the beans

   Pick through the beans and put them in a large container. Cover with 3.8 litres of water and leave at room temperature for about 8 hours. Drain and rinse.

2. 2

   Soak the chillies

   Put the dried chillies and shiitake mushrooms in a glass jar and cover with 475 ml boiling water. Leave for 15 minutes, until the chillies have softened. Drain, reserving the soaking liquid, and remove the chilli stalks.

3. 3

   Blend the sauce

   Put the soaked chillies and mushrooms in a blender with the tomato purée, oregano, soy sauce, jalapeños, cumin, paprika, cayenne, garlic and 240 ml of the reserved soaking liquid. Blend until smooth, then set aside.

4. 4

   Brown the onions

   Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over a medium heat. Add the onions and salt and cook, stirring often, until the onions are browned and reduced, about 10 minutes.

5. 5

   Simmer the beans

   Stir in the chilli sauce and cook for about 1 minute, until fragrant. Add the soaked beans and 1.7 litres of water, then bring to the boil. Turn the heat down to medium-low, cover and cook for 1 hour.

6. 6

   Add bulgur

   Stir in the bulgur and tomatoes with their juice. Cover and cook until the beans are very tender, about 1–1½ hours.

7. 7

   Finish with coriander

   Stir in the coriander just before serving.

What is vegan chilli?

Chilli is a familiar American-style bean stew, often made with meat, tomatoes and spices. This version builds its savoury depth from dried chillies, shiitake mushrooms and soy sauce instead.

Pinto beans make the base hearty, while bulgur adds a chewy texture as it cooks in the tomato-rich pot. The result is a thick, filling chilli without meat.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 220 calories, 10g protein, 39g carbs, 5g fat.

The pinto beans and bulgur provide most of the carbohydrates, with beans also contributing protein. Olive oil supplies most of the fat, while the tomatoes, chillies and onions add flavour and bulk. Serve with a green salad or vegetables for a balanced plate.

Build the chilli flavour

Dried chillies: soaking softens them and makes them easy to blend into a smooth sauce. Keeping some of their soaking liquid in the blend carries their flavour into the pot.

Savoury additions: shiitake mushrooms, tomato purée and soy sauce lend the sauce its deep, savoury character. Cumin, oregano and smoked paprika round out the spice mix.

Get the beans tender

Long soak: the recipe calls for about 8 hours at room temperature, followed by draining and rinsing. Start this well ahead of cooking.

Gentle simmer: cook the soaked beans covered for an hour before adding the bulgur and tomatoes. Continue until the beans are very tender; the method gives a further 1–1½ hours for this stage.

Cook the onions well

Browned onions: take about 10 minutes to cook them with the salt, stirring often. Their browned, reduced texture gives the chilli a fuller base.

Fragrant sauce: once blended into the pan, the chilli mixture needs only about a minute before the beans and water go in. Stir so it heats evenly without catching.

Judge the finished texture

Tender beans: check that the beans are soft all the way through before serving. If they still have a firm centre, keep cooking until tender.

Thickened pot: bulgur absorbs liquid as it cooks, helping the chilli become substantial. Stir it in well so it is distributed through the beans and tomatoes.

Plan the cooking time

The stated total time is 20 minutes, but the method includes an 8-hour bean soak and roughly 2–2½ hours of simmering. Treat this as a make-ahead recipe rather than a quick weeknight dish.

The soak and simmer times are mostly hands-off, but the beans need to be started in advance. Check the pot as it cooks and make sure it remains at a gentle simmer.

What to serve with it

A bowl of chilli can be served on its own, or alongside rice, bread or a baked potato for a more substantial meal. Add fresh toppings at the table if you like, while keeping the coriander stirred into the pot as directed.

For contrast, serve with a crisp green salad or sliced vegetables. Choose toppings according to taste, as they are not included in the recipe ingredients.

Recipe notes & tips

• Soak the beans for the full 8 hours before starting the cooking steps.
• Reserve the chilli soaking liquid before draining the chillies and mushrooms.
• Remove the chilli stalks before blending the sauce.
• Stir the onions regularly as they brown so they cook evenly.
• Keep the covered pot at a gentle simmer rather than a vigorous boil.
• Add the coriander just before serving to retain its fresh flavour.

Variations

• Adjust the heat: leave out the optional cayenne for a milder pot.
• Choose the jalapeño amount: use one pepper for less heat or two for more.
• Change the beans: use another dried bean variety, allowing for its own soaking and cooking needs.
• Serve with rice: spoon the chilli over cooked rice for a more substantial meal.
• Add fresh toppings: finish bowls with sliced jalapeño or extra coriander.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Skipping the soak: the method relies on soaked dried beans, so start them about 8 hours ahead.
• Discarding the soaking liquid: reserve it before draining the chillies and use 240 ml in the blender.
• Adding tomatoes too early: follow the method and add them with the bulgur after the beans have simmered for an hour.
• Stopping before the beans are tender: continue cooking until they are very soft, even if they need longer.
• Boiling too hard: reduce the heat after bringing the beans to the boil and simmer covered.
• Expecting dinner in 20 minutes: the listed time does not account for the long soak and simmer in the method.

How to store

Cool leftovers promptly and refrigerate in a covered container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in a saucepan until piping hot, adding a splash of water if the chilli has thickened; it can also be frozen in portions.

Frequently asked questions