Three Bean Vegetarian Chili is a delicious and easy slow cooker chili that’s full of vegetables, canned beans, and lots of flavor. Don’t miss this easy chili recipe that takes just minutes to put together!

Three bean vegetarian chili in the slow cooker with sour cream, cheese, green onions, and avocado.

If you are looking for a satisfying chili that’s simple to make, this Three Bean Vegetarian Chili is it. Filled with veggies, beans, tomatoes, and corn, this is a recipe that you can feel good about making.

Looking for another delicious and satisfying vegetarian main course? Check out my Easy Eggplant Parmesan – simple and so tasty! And, if you’re craving vegetarian comfort food, don’t miss this Mushroom Pea Risotto recipe. For another delicious dinner, be sure to try this Tofu Eggplant Curry

You’ll Love Slow Cooker Three Bean Vegetarian Chili

There is nothing more comforting than a bowl full of chili made easy in the slow cooker. This three bean chili takes just 5 minutes to put together and is so satisfying and delicious! 

Three Bean Vegetarian Chili comes together quick and is full of veggies, beans, and delicious spicy flavors. Plus, it’s a great meal prep food too. 

You can whip up a batch of this bean chili recipe and keep in the fridge for a quick meal throughout the week. And, it’s so delicious, you’ll forget that this is vegan chili recipe! 

White bowl filled with three bean vegetarian chili topped with sour cream, cheese, green onions, avocado and lime.

This recipe can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for up to a week. Or, you can freeze this healthy meal in an airtight container for up to a month. 

Protein packed and good for you, this vegetarian chili recipe is a comforting dish that you’ll want to make year round. Plus, it tastes even better the next day! 

You’ll love that you can top this dish with a variety of dairy options such as sour cream, greek yogurt, or shredded cheese. It’s also delicious with chopped onions, tortilla chips, avocado slices, or a sprinkle of nutritional yeast.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Ingredients for recipe including onions, carrots, canned tomatoes, corn, and seasonings.
  • Beans: here, I use a combination of three cans of beans: cannellini beans, red kidney beans, and black beans. I like the contrasting color and texture of the beans. You can substitute other types of beans such as pinto beans, navy beans, garbanzo beans, or white beans. 
  • Diced Tomatoes: canned diced tomatoes add the perfect flavor and texture to this three bean vegetarian chili. You could use whole diced tomatoes, fire-roasted tomatoes, or tomato sauce if you’d like. 
  • Onion: you’ll need half of a medium yellow onion. 
  • Carrot: peel and dice one large carrot. 
  • Bell Pepper: I like to add bell peppers to amp up the flavors and textures of this dish. Either an orange, yellow, or red bell pepper works great. 
  • Garlic: use three cloves garlic to get extra delicious flavor to you chili. Garlic powder can be substituted. 
  • Spices: here I use a combo of chili powder, paprika, cumin, and cayenne. If you have a blend of spices you like, or if you have a package of chili seasoning, feel free to use that instead.
  • Vegetable Broth: this recipe calls for vegetable broth just to keep it vegetarian. However, you could use chicken broth, or just water instead.
  • Corn: I love to add corn to my chili, just like I do in my Turkey Chili recipe. It adds a nice sweet bite and great texture to the dish. If you don’t have it, you can always just omit it. Frozen corn works great!
  • Lime: a squeeze of fresh lime at the end of cooking will add great depth of flavor to the chili. 
  • Add Ins: once your three bean vegetarian chili is ready, top it with shredded cheese, diced avocado, sour cream, or chopped green onion. 

How to Make Three Bean Chili in the Slow Cooker

This Three Bean Vegetarian Chili is a simple and comforting meal to make in the slow cooker! It’s easy to put together ahead of time and have a delicious meal ready when you are. 

Process shots showing how to make recipe including pouring everything into the slow cooker and platting the food.

Step 1: prep ingredients

Start by dicing the veggies. You’ll need a carrot, half an onion, garlic, and a red bell pepper. Also, you’ll need to rinse and drain all of the canned beans. Add the veggies and the rest of the ingredients (except for the corn) to the slow cooker Crock Pot. 

Step 2:  set the slow cooker

Once all of the ingredients are in the slow cooker, you can stir it all together and set it. This chili will take 3-4 hours on high or 6-7 hours on medium to cook. 

Step 3: add in the corn

Once the chili is done cooking, stir in the corn and lime juice. Stir just until the corn is warmed through. 

If you want a thicker chili, you can blend about a cup of the beans and add it back to the chili. Note that the chili will thicken the longer it sits. 

Step 4: add on toppings

This chili is excellent served with your favorite chili toppings like a dollop of sour cream, shredded cheese, diced avocado, and green onions. Or, use tortilla chips to add some delicious crunch.

White bowl filled with three bean vegetarian chili topped with green onion, avocado, cheese, and a lime wedge.

Recipe Tips and FAQs

  • You can use whatever veggies you have on hand such as butternut squash, summer squash, celery, or mushrooms.
  • Add more or less cayenne pepper depending on how spicy you like your chili. Or omit it altogether. You could also add chipotle peppers in adobo sauce or red pepper flakes for more heat. 
  • Transform this three bean vegetarian chili into a soup by pureeing half of the chili mixture before adding the corn.
  • Leftover chili can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. You can also freeze for up to two months. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What beans are in three bean vegetarian chili?

Three bean chili is great with any combination of beans. The most popular are kidney, cannelllini, pinto, or black beans. You can use whatever three bean combination you like.

What are good chili toppings?

Chili is great served with a dollop of sour cream or greek yogurt, some shredded cheddar cheese, diced onions, tortilla chips, avocado slices, or sliced jalapeños.

How can I thicken my chili?

I thicken chili without adding anything extra, just blend a cup or two of the chili in a blender and pour back into the chili. You could also use an immersion blender or potato masher to blend part of the chili directly in the pot.

Three Bean Vegetarian Chili in a bowl with a lime wedge and slow cooker filled with chili next to it.

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Three Bean Vegetarian Chili in the Slow Cooker.

Slow Cooker Three Bean Vegetarian Chili

Three Bean Chili is an easy slow cooker vegetarian chili that's full of vegetables, canned beans, and lots of flavor!
5 from 5 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours
Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 225kcal

Equipment

  • 6-7 quart slow cooker (standard sized)

Ingredients

  • 2 15 ounce cans diced tomatoes
  • 2 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 15 ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 15 ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup diced onion about half a large onion
  • 1 large carrot, peeled and diced
  • 1 bell pepper, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 2 teaspoons paprika (smoked or regular paprika)
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (more or less depending on how spicy you want it)
  • 2 cups corn kernels (fresh, frozen, or canned works)
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • Toppings such as sour cream, green onion, diced avocado and shredded cheese (optional)

Instructions

  • In a slow cooker, add in all of the ingredients except for the corn, lime juice, and toppings. Stir together.
  • Set the slow cooker on high to cook for 3-4 hours, or on low to cook for 6-7 hours.
  • After the chili is done cooking, stir in the corn, and lime juice. Cook for another few minutes to heat the corn. Serve and top with any desired toppings. 

Notes

  • You can use whatever veggies you have on hand such as butternut squash, summer squash, celery, or mushrooms.
  • Add more or less cayenne pepper depending on how spicy you like your chili. Or omit it altogether.
  • For a thicker chili, remove about 1 ½ cups of the chili and puree in a blender. Add back to the slow cooker. (Alternatively you could use an immersion blender to break up some of the beans in the pot.)
  • Use whatever canned beans you like. Pinto or or garbanzo beans work great. 
  • Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week, or freeze for up to a month. 

Nutrition

Calories: 225kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Sodium: 984mg | Potassium: 928mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 2608IU | Vitamin C: 38mg | Calcium: 126mg | Iron: 5mg
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Recipe Rating




8 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Talk about timing! My vegetarian sister is coming over for dinner this weekend and I needed something delicious and simple to make – excited to make this 😉

  2. 5 stars
    This is my son’s absolute favorite chili recipe! Such a great comfort and delicious recipe. Definitely making this throughout fall!

  3. 5 stars
    I was looking for vegetarian chili, and I found your recipe. So I made it for our lunch today. It was amazingly delicious. From now on, it will be a meatless alternative on our family menu. Thanks!