The Best No-Bean Vegan Chili

This hearty no-bean vegan chili recipe is packed with vegetables, spices, and tempeh. It’s gluten-free and high in protein and fibre. Healthy, easy to make, and SO comforting!

IMPORTANT EDIT: This recipe does not contain the typical beans used in most chili recipes (e.g. kidney beans or black beans) which some people may find difficult to digest. It IS made with crumbled tempeh, which is a fermented soybean product. Tempeh is low FODMAP and typically much easier to digest than beans, but it is not appropriate if you have a soybean allergy. If you’re allergic to soy and eat meat, you can swap the tempeh with ground beef or turkey.

Looking for a warm, hearty, and nourishing recipe to enjoy? You’ve come to the right place! This no-bean vegan chili is the ultimate cold weather meal.

Traditionally, chili is made with ground beef. This recipe is made with crumbled tempeh, which is just as high in protein but suitable for those who follow a vegan or vegetarian diet.

In addition to tempeh, this recipe packs in 6 different kinds of vegetables, making it rich in fibre, vitamins, and minerals.

Chili is also traditionally made with beans, but I wanted to share a no-bean version for those of you who don’t tolerate or digest beans well. I fall into this category, so I guess I wanted a chili recipe that I too could enjoy hah!

While this recipe has a longer cooking time (most of it is hands-off though!), it’s really easy to make. Chili also happens to make great leftovers, so this recipe is perfect for batch cooking or meal prep.

I hope you love it as much as I do!

Why No Beans?

This chili is made without beans NOT because beans aren’t good for you. They’re super healthy and if you enjoy and digest them well, then please feel free to include them!

That said, for some people (myself included) beans are difficult to digest.

Why? Beans are high in a type of carbohydrate (fibre) called oligosaccharides. Humans have trouble digesting oligosaccharides because we don’t have the enzymes to break it down.

What does this mean? Because we don’t digest them, those fibres will travel to our large intestine, where they are broken down by bacterial fermentation. A result of that fermentation? The production of gas.

For some people – primarily those with IBS or other digestive concerns – this gas production can be very uncomfortable or even painful.

Again – if you tolerate or enjoy beans, feel free to include them in this recipe. I never want to discourage anyone from eating them. Rather, I wanted to share an option for people who don’t tolerate beans well, as most chili recipes contain large amounts of them.

Vegan Chili Recipe Ingredients

This no-bean vegan chili recipe is packed with veggies, spices, and protein. Here’s what you need to make it:

• tempeh
• carrots
• celery
• bell peppers
• mushrooms
• canned tomatoes (crushed or diced)
• canned corn (or fresh)
• tomato paste
• chili powder
• smoked paprika
• cumin
• oregano
• veggie broth
• nutritional yeast
• garlic + optional onion
• olive oil

Recipe Variations

This recipe is packed with different kinds of veggies, but feel free to swap out a couple as desired. Don’t feel like celery or carrots? That’s ok! Just increase the servings of the other vegetables.

Don’t want to use tempeh? You could try this with crumbled tofu, a vegan meat crumble, or ground meat if you aren’t vegan/vegetarian.

I didn’t include onion + beans because I can’t digest them. If you tolerate these ingredients – feel free to add them in!

How To Make Vegan Chili Without Beans

Making this vegan chili is super easy! Don’t be put off by the cooking time – most of it is just letting all the ingredients simmer in a pot 🙂

You want to start this recipe by prepping all your ingredients – crumbling the tempeh with your hands (so that it looks like the picture above), chopping all the vegetables into small pieces, and getting all your spices ready to go.

Then, heat up a LARGE pot on the stove and add the olive oil, garlic, spices, and crumbled tempeh to the pot and cook for about 5 mins.

NOTE: This recipe is large in volume and makes about 6 servings. I used a pot that holds 12 cups (3L) of ingredients. If you don’t have a big enough pot, I would recommend cutting the recipe in half!

Then, add in all the chopped veggies, along with the canned tomatoes, canned corn, veggie broth, and tomato paste. Stir everything together well, adding salt + pepper to taste.

Bring the liquids to a boil before lowering the heat to a simmer. Allow the chili to simmer (uncovered) for 60 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in nutritional yeast, and allow the chili to rest for 5-10 mins before serving.

What To Serve With Chili

There are so many different things you can serve with this chili recipe! Some ideas:

• a starch, like quinoa, farro, rice, toasted bread, cornbread, or tortilla chips
• shredded cheddar cheese or vegan alternative
• a scoop of greek yogurt or vegan alternative
• toppings, like avocado chunks, limes (to squeeze in), cilantro or parsley

Storage & Reheating Notes

Chili should be refrigerated or frozen within 2 hours of cooking.

Cooked chili will stay fresh for 3-4 days in the fridge, if stored in an airtight container.

If you’d like to freeze a batch of this chili, it will keep for up to 6 months in the freezer when properly stored. Again, a freezer-safe airtight container or heavy-duty bag will work best.

Cooked chili that has been frozen and then thawed in the fridge will last for an additional 3-4 days in the refrigerator.

Tempeh Nutrition Facts

One of my favourite sources of plant-based protein, this fermented soy product has a denser and “meatier” taste to tofu.

A 100 gram serving packs 19 grams of complete protein, 9 grams of carbohydrates and 11 grams of fat (mostly unsaturated).

Tempeh is also a great source of micronutrients like iron, calcium, vitamin B6, phosphorus, and magnesium, too.

More Healthy, Comforting Recipes

• Vegetarian Lasagna Soup
• Vegan Vegetable Stew
• Creamy Vegan Miso Mushroom Soup
• Roasted Butternut Squash & Pear Soup (Vegan)
• Coconut Curry Tofu With Vegetables (Vegan)

Did you give this No-Bean Vegan Chili Recipe a try? Let me know by leaving a comment and recipe rating below!

If you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram or Pinterest – seeing your creations always makes my day. You can also subscribe to my email list to never miss a new recipe or nutrition education post!

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