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!
Get the Recipe: No-Bean Vegan Chili
Ingredients
- 2 packs tempeh (approx. 400g or 14 oz)
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small onion, diced (optional)
- 2 Tbsp chili powder
- 1 Tbsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp cumin
- 2 tsp oregano
- 1.5 cups carrots, chopped (about 3 large)
- 1.5 cups celery, chopped (about 3 large)
- 2 med-large bell peppers, chopped
- 2 cups cremini mushrooms, quartered
- 1 can corn (approx. 398 ml or 14 fl oz)
- 1 large can crushed or diced tomatoes (approx. 796 ml or 26.9 fl oz)
- 1 + 1/4 cup vegetable broth
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1/3 cup nutritional yeast
- Salt + pepper, to taste
- For serving (optional): avocado, limes, yogurt, sour cream, bread, grains, tortilla chips, shredded cheese, etc.
Instructions
- Start this recipe by prepping all your ingredients – crumble the tempeh into small pieces with your hands, chop all the vegetables, and get all your spices ready to go.
- Heat up a LARGE pot on the stove and add the olive oil, garlic, onion, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, and oregano. Stir for 1-2 minutes before adding crumbled tempeh to the pot. Stir and cook for 5 mins.
- Next, add in all the chopped veggies, along with the canned tomatoes, corn, vegetable 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, stirring occasionally.
- When 60 minutes are up, turn off the heat, stir in nutritional yeast, and allow the chili to rest for 5-10 mins before serving. Add toppings as desired!
Notes
- Feel free to swap veggies as desired. Don’t feel like one of those listed here? 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!
- 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
Nutrition
As a dietitian, I create recipes with whole food ingredients that provide the nutrients needed for optimal health. My nutrition philosophy does not focus on numbers; however, I understand that this information can be helpful.
Do note that the nutrition info provided is an estimate and I cannot guarantee correctness of the displayed values. These numbers will differ depending on brands used, recipe modifications, and amount eaten. If you require specific nutrition information due to medical reasons, please consult with your dietitian or physician.
Did you make this recipe?
Let me know by leaving a recipe rating below, or by tagging @walderwellness on Instagram. I love seeing your beautiful creations!
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17 Comments on “The Best No-Bean Vegan Chili”
Best chili ever! It was super easy to make and delicious. I used ground beef instead of tempeh and it worked great. Definitely will make again.
Hi Annika! Yay I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this one!! Thanks for sharing that you used ground beef in place of tempeh – I’m sure that will be helpful for others who want to do the same 🙂
Absolutely LOVED this recipe. It’s super easy to make and the flavor is incredible! The tempeh gives this dish such a good texture. It’s the perfect meal to have on a cold winter day. This will be my new go-to chili dish forever!
Hi Frankie! Yay I’m so so happy to hear that you enjoyed this one!! Honoured to be your go-to chili recipe <3. I'm so glad the tempeh worked out for you. Thank you so much for sharing your experience!!
Such a delicious, nutritious, and comforting fall/winter recipe. The only thing I modified was using the whole carton of vegetable broth instead of 1 + 1/4 cup.
Also, I had never tried tempeh before, but was so surprised how much protein and fiber were packed in there! The texture resembled beef and it was quite yummy.
Great way to eat a variety of vegetables! 🙂
Hi Tori! Yay I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed the chili and so glad it introduced you to tempeh as well! It’s such an easy source of protein if you’re vegetarian (or even if you’re not!) Thanks so much for sharing your experience!!
Really enjoyed this recipe. I added more vegetables than stated, but they all render down so much it made a delicious stew. I also adjusted the spices because my husband doesn’t like chilli or cumin, so I just added more paprika and smoked paprika and oregano and some onion and garlic powder. I will totally make this again as all of us loved it. 🙂
Hi Winona! I’m so happy to hear you and your husband enjoyed this one!! Thanks so much for sharing that you adjusted some ingredients to meet your needs – I love how customizable this recipe is :). Thank you again and wishing you a lovely start to the new year!!
This looks great! Can I make this in a crockpot?
Thank you so much, Hat! I’ve never cooked with a crockpot personally and am not too familiar with them. That said – I feel like it would as it is meant to sit and cook for quite a while :). I’d love to know if it works!
Hi do you know the calories per serving at all? Thank you
Hi Belinda! Unfortunately I don’t count calories and don’t have a nutrition breakdown for this. I hope you can understand! I go more in-depth on my reasoning for not including any numbers on my FAQ page if interested 🙂
ok thank you Carrie
Had packet of tempeh sitting in my fridge waiting on inspiration. Loved the vegan stew so decided to give this a go. Yum 👍 Another great batch cooking recipe. Love it thanks
Hi Liz! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave another review! I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed this recipe also!! Agreed that those are two of my favourites for cold weather batch cooking :). I look forward to seeing what you try next! Hope you have a great week!
SO good!! It was super easy to make and turned out so beautiful and flavorful. This takes chili to the next level. I will be making this again for sure. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Hi Ella! Thank you so much for the kind review!! It’s so appreciated. I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed this one and that you found it easy to make! Reading this makes my day 🙂