Name: Hearty Vegetarian Chili
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 large onion; 2 medium bell pepper; 1 medium jalapeño pepper; 3 cloves garlic; 2 tbsp chili powder; 1 tbsp ground cumin; 1 tsp dried oregano; 1 tsp paprika; 800 g diced tomato; 240 ml tomato sauce; 240 ml vegetable broth; 400 g kidney bean; 400 g black bean; 400 g pinto bean; 200 g corn kernel; 120 g diced green chile; 1 tsp salt; 0.5 tsp black pepper

UntrainedChef

Tips from the kitchen

Drain and rinse all three cans of beans before they go in. The canning liquid is starchy and a little salty, and it muddies the chili. You want the broth and tomatoes doing the work, not bean slime.
Toast the chili powder, cumin, oregano, and paprika in the oil for that 30 seconds before any liquid hits the pot. It wakes them up. Skip it and the spices taste flat and dusty.
Leave the seeds in the jalapeño if you like real heat, scrape them out if you don't. The green chiles add background warmth, but the jalapeño is where the actual kick lives, so adjust it to your crowd.
Don't rush the simmer. Twenty minutes is the minimum to let the tomato sauce thicken and the flavors come together. Stir now and then so the beans on the bottom don't catch.
The 5 minute rest at the end matters more than it sounds. The chili tightens up and the spices settle in. Serve it straight off the boil and it tastes thinner.

Ways to vary it

Want it smokier? Swap the paprika for smoked paprika, or stir in a chopped chipotle in adobo when you add the tomatoes.
For a thicker, heartier bowl you can mash a ladle of the beans against the side of the pot near the end. It pulls everything together without changing the ingredients.
A handful of chopped sweet potato or a diced zucchini thrown in with the peppers works if you want more vegetables in there. Totally optional.

Storage & leftovers

Keeps in the fridge for 4 to 5 days in a sealed container, and honestly it tastes better the next day once the spices have settled. It freezes well too, up to 3 months. Reheat gently on the stove with a splash of broth or water, since it thickens as it sits.

What to serve with it

Cornbread is the classic pairing, or a bowl of rice if you want to stretch it further. Set out shredded cheese, sour cream, and chopped cilantro so everyone can load up their own bowl.

By Untrained ChefPublished 7 February 2026 · Updated 11 July 2026

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