This vegan chili recipe has won 1st place at a chili cook-off competition competing against non-vegan recipes!
Bursting with gorgeous spices, the double-bean action makes for a scrumptious heartiness, the rich simmered tomatoes, and that chewy, totally addictive tofu will make this chili super meaty. That's why this is The Best Vegan Chili Ever!!!
It has been nose-nipping, fingertips feel like they're falling off, wonder why I don't own snow pants, scarf wrapped high enough to meet my hat so that I just have a wee slit to see through, kinda cold this week. That and I seem to have one of those never-ending colds that don't want to go away, no matter how much I ignore it. (I admit there are better cold remedies).
So between the two colds, all I wanted was something insanely delicious, hearty, satisfying, a big ol' pot of warm me up from the inside. And then it happened, I made The Best Vegan Chili Ever!!!
See what I mean? Don't you just want to bite that spoon!?
No really, this is serious stuff, friends. This isn't the first pot of vegan chili that I've ever made. I've cooked up many of those three-bean type chili recipes in the past, which are good, but they never feel particularly special to me. They were missing that oomph.
The secret to the best vegan chili:
Tofu. Yes, tofu. Trust me on this. The secret is that the tofu is seasoned and then dried out in the oven. Then when you stir it into the sauce, it gets this gorgeously chewy, amazing, can't-stop-eating texture.
Just with all chili recipes, this vegan chili was delicious freshly made, but it was even better the next day. The tofu stays perfectly chewy and the flavours deepen and get even more flavourful.
To make the best vegan chili ever: Add the olive oil to a large pot and heat over medium-high heat. Add in the onion and garlic and sauté until the onion is translucent and just begins to brown. Add the tomatoes, beans, water, and all of the spices. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer and continue to simmer for 1 hour. If the chili gets too thick, just splash in more water to reach desired consistency.
In the meantime, prepare the tofu crumbles for the vegan chili. Mix nutritional yeast, soy sauce, and olive oil together in a large bowl. Open and drain the tofu (no need to press it), then break off chunks and crumble with your fingers into the bowl. Do this with all of the tofu until you have a large bowl of crumbles. Stir the tofu crumbles well making sure all of the tofu is evenly coated in the nutritional yeast mix.
Spread the tofu mixture evenly over the pan. Bake for about 45 mins, stopping to stir the tofu every now and then. Keep a close eye on it towards the end so that it doesn't burn. Make sure you use extra-firm tofu (and not firm or medium tofu), as extra-firm will have the greatest yield and best texture. My go-to is Sunrise Extra-Firm Tofu.
You want the tofu to be nice and browned. The smaller crumbles will be darker than the larger crumbles, and that's ok because it will provide a variety of textures. Mmmmmm tofu crumbles. I can't help but eat a few right from the pan, but I seriously have to control myself as I may eat them all!
When the chili and tofu are both prepared, stir in the tofu crumbles and continue to cook the chili for another 5 minutes. This will allow the tofu to absorb the sauce and get gloriously chewy.
Serve hot with a dollop of vegan sour cream and a sprinkle of chives if desired. And don't forget a piece of the Easiest (and most delicious) Vegan Cornbread. The best vegan chili ever!!! I'm so excited, I need to make another pot ASAP.
Common Questions:
- How long does this chili last in the fridge? If kept in an air-tight container, chili can last up to 5 days in the fridge.
- Can I freeze chili? Yes, you can. As long as the chili is kept in air-tight containers, chili will last up to 2 months in the freezer.
Bon appetegan!
Sam Turnbull.
The Best Vegan Chili Ever!!!
Ingredients
For the Chili:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 yellow onion,, diced
- 4 cloves garlic,, minced
- 2 28 oz can diced tomatoes
- 1 19 oz can black beans (2 cups), , drained and rinsed
- 1 19 oz can kidney beans (2 cups), drained and rinsed
- 1 cup water, (plus more if needed)
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ - ½ teaspoon cayenne powder
For the Tofu:
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 350g block extra-firm tofu
Instructions
- For the Chili: Add the olive oil to a large pot and heat over medium-high heat. Add in the onion and garlic and sauté until the onion is translucent and just begins to brown. Add in the tomatoes, beans, water, and all of the spices. Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer and continue to simmer for 1 hour. If the chili gets too thick, just splash in more water to reach desired consistency.
- For the Tofu: In the meantime, preheat your oven to 350F (180C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, or lightly grease the pan.
- Mix nutritional yeast, soy sauce, and olive oil together in a large bowl. Open and drain the tofu (no need to press it), then break off chunks and crumble with your fingers into the bowl. Do this with all of the tofu until you have a large bowl of crumbles. Stir the tofu crumbles well making sure all of the tofu is evenly coated in the nutritional yeast mix.
- Spread the tofu mixture evenly over the pan. Bake for about 45 mins, stopping to stir the tofu every now and then. Keep a close eye on it towards the end so that it doesn't burn. You want the tofu to be nice and browned. The smaller crumbles will be darker than the larger crumbles, and that's ok because it will provide a variety of texture.
- When the chili and tofu are both prepared, stir in the tofu crumbles and continue to cook the for another 5 minutes. This will allow the tofu to absorb the sauce and get gloriously chewy. Serve hot with a dollop of vegan sour cream and a sprinkle of chives if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
More vegan recipes you might enjoy...
Tracie says
I’m so excited to try this. Have you ever added TVP to the recipe for extra protein? I’m wondering how much extra liquid to add if I do. Thanks. I really am so thankful for your recipes. ❤️
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
A few other readers have simply added the TVP to the mixture with great success. You could also rehydrate the TVP and then add it, for example 2 cups of boiling water to 1 cup of TVP and let it sit for 5-10 minutes and then drain the water before adding it to your chili.
Lori Belanger says
I love the chili!! The best and my favourite thing to eat right now
What what is a serving size in cups?
Joyce Gutierrez says
This chili was sooo good! I blended one can of the tomatoes as my hubby doesn’t like a lot of chunky tomatoes. I added a can of diced green chilis and made your cornbread too. Will have chili fries tonight and probably freeze some. Thank you for another great recipe!
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
Yummy! Chili and cornbread and chili fries too! So delicious!
Mattie says
I got the recipe about a month ago but I was moving at the time. Today I made it exactly as written.
it's fabulous. I can see why it won awards! I just wrote it all down because it's a keeper!
Thank you so much! I just started eating vegan about six months ago. it's like a whole new world, and my body has been thanking me every day.
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
Amazing! We love to hear from people that are feeling great eating vegan. Congratulations!
Bianca says
Do you see where it shows 8 servings? Just change the number there!
The + and - symbols around the number are for that.
To double change it to 16, to triple change it to 24, etc.
Hope that helps!
Lana says
How can this recipe be multiplied 3 or 4 times? I want to make a big batch and freeze most of it. Has anyone tried? Do I simply multiply all ingredients equally?
I'm a busy organic family farmer & I make nearly everything from scratch. I freeze soups, chilis, sauces, etc. to use during my busiest harvest times. This recipe sounds GREAT!
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
Yes! You will need a huge pot as the original recipe makes a big batch. But you can change the Servings to 24 or 32 and it will adjust the quantities for you. Enjoy!
Suz says
Delicious. I can "taste" why it won the cookoff. The addition of the tofu is the secret for that chew and the spice mix is perfect (although my home smelled like smoked paprika for days, ha). I ended up having a late breakfast/early lunch of chili the next day because I couldn't resist!
This recipe is a keeper.
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
Wonderful!!
Will says
This is seriously the best vegan chili recipe. It's not only tasty but very easy to make. I've tried other more complicated chili recipes before, but sometimes leaving things simple is the way to go. Plus the baked tofu crumbles are to die for.
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
You are so right!
Tess says
Thank you so much for this recipe. It was delicious. Delighted that I have left overs in the freezer.
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
It's always so nice to have a few leftovers tucked away! 🙂
Mark says
Just made this for the Superbowl - its incredible. Serving with sour cream, green onions, shredded cheese and crumbled nacho chips. Brilliant!
Chelsea says
I am also making this for the super bowl! This is literally the only chili I make now for a few years. I do put in less (half) chili powder and omit cayenne pepper for my kiddos.
Christine T says
This recipe is TDF…hands down a winner for vegan and non-vegans in my home. Definitely making it for Sunday’s Rihanna Concert…erm, I mean, for the Super Bowl tomorrow.
Laurie says
Everything you said about this chili is true. It is my new go to. Omnivore hubby loved it too.
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
Fantastic!
Alex says
Love this recipe! So easy and so delicious. I've made it 5 or 6 times now and it never disappoints. For extra flavour I serve it in on a bed of arugula and top it with some cashew parmesan.
Teresa says
Such a great chili recipe! So yummy! Thank you Sam!
Jon-Michael says
I made this chili for my family and they loved it! I'm definitely making it more often.
Could you please tell me how much 1 batch of chili is by volume? Like, if I wanted to make 1 batch (8 servings) of this chili and store it, what is the smallest container I should buy that will fit all of it? 1 quart, 1 gallon, etc...?