This flavorful vegan white bean chili is made with hearty beans, poblano peppers, potatoes and a rich, creamy broth. It makes for a super satisfying dinner, perfect for a weeknight or game day. Easy to make and great as leftovers the next day!
Why we love this recipe
This white bean chili is a favorite in our house. Here's why:
- It's a bit more creamy and rich than traditional red chili, making it the perfect cozy dinner for winter.
- It's packed with plant-based protein and fiber. Such a great filling vegan meal for the whole family!
- It's easy to make and tastes just as great the next day as leftovers. It's also freezer friendly!
- It's SO flavorful. Made with poblano peppers and green chiles, it has just the right amount of mild spice.
Plus, this vegan white bean chili is SO good loaded up with all sorts of toppings. We're pretty sure the whole family will go back for seconds!
Ingredients
Most of the key ingredients you'll need for this vegan white bean chili are easy-to-find pantry items:
- Canned white beans
- Vegetable broth
- Green chiles
- Poblano peppers
- Yellow potatoes
- Spices and herbs (cumin, coriander, oregano, salt and fresh cilantro)
Ingredient Notes
- Green chiles are typically found in the international aisle of your grocery store. They often come in a small 4 oz can. Look for mild, diced green chiles, which you can add directly to your chili without any prep work.
- Can't find poblano peppers? Sub with an equal amount of Anaheim chili peppers. Alternatively, halve the amount in the recipe and use jalapeño.
- This recipe calls for a cup nondairy milk to make a creamy, thicker broth. We used full fat oat milk, which has a wonderful creamy consistency. You can also use cashew or almond milk, or a nondairy cream alternative. Be sure to look for an unflavored/unsweetened nondairy milk!
- Make gluten free by using gluten free all purpose flour.
How to make this vegan white bean chili
- Heat oil in a large stock pot or dutch oven over medium heat.
- Add green onion, poblano and garlic and sauté for 6-7 minutes. Add the celery and cook for additional 5 minutes, until tender.
- Add the potatoes, oregano, salt, cumin and coriander and stir well. Continuing cooking for 5 minutes, then add in the flour and stir well to coat the vegetables.
- Add in vegetable broth, milk, green chilies and lime juice.
- Bring to a boil, stir well, then cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Let simmer for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes, stir well and add white beans and cilantro. Cook for 10 more minutes (or longer if preferred). The chili is ready when the potatoes are fork tender.
- Serve plain or with toppings. Enjoy!
Toppings
Some of our favorite toppings for this vegan white bean chili include:
- Avocado (diced or sliced
- Salsa verde
- Vegan sour cream
- Vegan shredded cheese
- Cilantro
- Corn chips (or tortilla strips)
- Hot sauce
Recipe FAQ's and Expert Tips
Yes, this vegan white bean chili can be made in a slow cooker. (It can also be made in an Instant Pot.
To do so, sauté the green onion, garlic, poblano pepper and celery until tender. Then, add flour and stir well. Add in remaining ingredients (except fresh cilantro) and cook on low for 3-4 hours. Add cilantro at the end.
Technically, white beans could refer to four different varities of beans, including cannellini, Great Northern, navy and baby lima beans.
Any of the four will taste good in this chili, but we typically use either Great Northern (which hold up better in soups and stews) or cannellini.
In short, yes. The longer chili simmers, the more intense the flavor. In fact, it often tastes even better the next day after sitting in the fridge overnight!
That being said, if you cook this chili for too long, the beans will start to fall apart and get mushy, so be careful not to overcook.
Yes. Let the chili cool to room temperature, then transfer to a freezer safe container and freeze for up to 6 months.
Defrost in the refrigerator overnight, then heat in a pot over medium-low until warmed through. (Note: you may need to add extra broth.)
Related Recipes
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Vegan White Bean Chili
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This flavorful vegan white bean chili is made with hearty beans, poblano peppers, potatoes and a rich, creamy broth. It makes for a super satisfying dinner, perfect for a weeknight or game day. Easy to make and great as leftovers the next day!
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup green onion, finely diced (~2 bunches)
- ⅓ cup minced poblano pepper (~1 medium-sized poblano)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 ½ cups celery, thinly sliced
- 3 cups yellow potatoes, diced
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 ½-2 teaspoon fine grain kosher salt
- 1 ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- 2 tbsp all purpose flour (gluten free if needed)
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup unflavored oat milk (or other nondairy alternative)
- 1 4 oz can mild green chiles
- 2 14 oz cans white beans, drained and rinsed*
- 2-3 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
- 1 ½-2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
- Toppings: vegan sour cream, vegan shredded cheese, avocado, corn chips, cilantro, etc.
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat.
- Add green onion, poblano and garlic and sauté for 6-7 minutes, stirring frequently. Add celery and cook for additional 5 minutes.
- Add the potatoes, oregano, 1 ½ teaspoon of salt, cumin and coriander and stir well. Continuing cooking for 5 minutes, then add in the flour and stir well to coat the vegetables. Add in vegetable broth, milk, green chilies and lime juice.
- Bring to a boil, stir well, then cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Let simmer for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes, stir well and add white beans and fresh cilantro. Cook for 10 more minutes. Chili is ready when the potatoes are fork tender. Taste and add up to an additional ½ teaspoon of salt if desired.
- Serve plain or topped with vegan sour cream, vegan shredded cheese, avocado, corn chips, cilantro, etc. Enjoy!
Notes
*White beans: we typically use cannellini or Great Northern beans in this recipe.
Freezer instructions: Let the chili cool to room temperature, then transfer to a freezer safe container and freeze for up to 6 months. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight, then heat in a pot over medium-low until warmed through. (Note: you may need to add extra broth.)
This chili can also be made in a slow cooker. To do so, sauté the green onion, garlic, poblano pepper and celery until tender. Then, add flour and stir well. Add in remaining ingredients (except fresh cilantro) and cook on low for 3-4 hours. Add cilantro at the end.
Can't find poblano peppers? Sub with an equal amount of Anaheim chili peppers. Alternatively, halve the amount in the recipe and use jalapeño.
This recipe calls for a cup nondairy milk to make a creamy, thicker broth. We used full fat oat milk, which has a wonderful creamy consistency. You can also use cashew or almond milk, or a nondairy cream alternative. Be sure to look for an unflavored/unsweetened nondairy milk!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Southwestern
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 349
- Sugar: 5.8 g
- Sodium: 616.5 mg
- Fat: 6.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 59.1 g
- Fiber: 16.1 g
- Protein: 15.9 g
Keywords: vegan white bean chili
Stephanie
So delicious. Comes together quickly for a tasty weeknight meal for the family. My 9 year old begrudgingly tried it and loved it!
★★★★★
Tawney
I made this today and it turned out amazing! I cut back a little on the quantity of the green onion, green chili, and spice amounts. Adding red bell pepper for a little color. I will definitely be making this again since it's so versatile and looks like it would freeze well. Chicken or pulled pork could easily be added for those who would like a little meat in their chili.
★★★★
Lexi
So glad you enjoyed, thank you so much for your comment!
Jen
I made this today and it did not disappoint! Great balance of flavors, hearty and healthy, this is a nice alternative to traditional chili. I will be making this again!
★★★★★
Lexi
Thank you, I'm so glad you enjoyed!