Hearty Vegetarian Chili
A loaded meatless chili built from five kinds of beans, corn, and spiced tomatoes, simmered low and slow for a deeply flavorful, family-favorite pot.
- 1 (15.5 oz) can dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 (15.5 oz) can light red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 (15.5 oz) can chili beans
- 1 (15.25 oz) can whole kernel corn, drained
- 1 (15 oz) can garbanzo beans, drained
- 1 (14.5 oz) can petite cut diced tomatoes with green chiles
- 1 (10 oz) can diced tomatoes with habaneros
- 1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
- 1/4 cup diced onion
- 1/4 cup diced green pepper
- 3 tablespoons chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
- 15 ounces water (use the empty tomato sauce can)
- Combine all of the ingredients in a 6-quart stockpot or larger. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and let simmer for 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally. That long, slow simmer is what melds all the beans and tomatoes into a genuinely deep, unified chili flavor rather than tasting like separate canned ingredients.
Chef's Note: This chili leans on a mix of five different beans and legumes for its texture — the variety in size and bite is what keeps a meatless chili from feeling one-note, since there's no meat providing that contrast. Using both diced tomatoes with green chiles and diced tomatoes with habaneros lets you dial the heat up or down simply by choosing milder or spicier canned varieties at the store.
Don't rush the simmer time here — a full 2 to 3 hours on low heat gives the chili powder and Worcestershire sauce time to fully meld with the beans and tomatoes, building real depth that a quick 30-minute version can't match. This chili also freezes beautifully, so it's worth making a full batch even for a smaller household.
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