Give this four bean veggie chili recipe (that is also a vegan chili recipe) a try for your next tailgate party – it’s the best veggie chili recipe you’ll ever try!

It’s Super Bowl week and I’m not ashamed to admit that I’m completely excited. For one, we’re hosting the festivities this weekend and I always love throwing a party. For two, I really enjoy yelling at my television on occasion. (Uh, yup. That’s true. I’m a terrible sports fan. Ha!) For three, this awesome four bean veggie chili recipe is happening and it is the best chili recipe for a game day party!

This year we decided to put a twist on the traditional Super Bowl party and we’re hosting ours as a chili cook off. We invited guests to each bring a pot of chili at a buy-in of $10 a pot. Everyone in attendance will get a vote and the fan favorite chili will take the entire pot! This one is a four bean veggie chili recipe that is not only a vegetarian chili, but actually a vegan chili recipe, too! (Just skip the sour cream and cheese on top, of course.)

To Make This Easy Homemade Veggie Chili, You Will Need:

Beans, beans, beans are the name of the veggie chili game! In this recipe I use four varieties:

• Black beans
• Garbanzo beans
• Great northern beans
• Kidney beans
• Fire roasted diced tomatoes
• Diced bell pepper
• Red onion
• Chili powder
• Ground cumin
• Cayenne
• Smoked paprika
• Red wine (Seriously! Just a splash brings all these flavors to life!)

This is our go-to chili. The meat eaters in the family love it just as much as I do and we’ve served it up at more than one party to universal approval. Most people don’t even miss the meat, plus you can’t go wrong with a big pot of beans, veggies and tomatoes when it comes to serving up a dish that is both hearty and healthy.

How to Make Veggie Chili:

1. Drain and rinse beans very well until all the packing liquid is completely rinsed off.
2. Place beans in the crock of a large slow cooker.
3. Dice the bell peppers, add to the crock.
4. Add all other ingredients, then mix well and cook on high heat for two hours.
5. Reduce to low heat and allow to simmer for another hour.
6. Serve warm and and top to your liking!

The Best Chili Toppings

I have never met a bowl of chili that I didn’t firmly believe should be topped with all the things. Actually, I’m a bit of a toppings fan in general! (Don’t miss my waxing poetic about my favorite soup toppings!)

• Sour cream
• Scallions
• Cilantro
• Diced tomatoes
• Shredded cheese
• Jalapeño slices
• Sliced red onion
• Pico de gallo
• Fresh lime juice
• Avocado
• Vegan cheese crumbles
• Pickled red onions
• Tortilla chips
• Corn
• Thinly sliced radishes
• Hot sauce
• Corn chips
• Salsa
• Steamed broccoli

Is This A Spicy Chili Recipe?

We generally like our veggie chili about a medium on the heat scale, but when fine tuning this recipe to share with you I intentionally scaled it back here for those who aren’t into overly spicy things. This ratio of seasoning will give you a nicely flavored chili that falls decidedly on the mild end of the heat index. I’d suggest starting here and then increasing the spiciness to your tasting if you like things with more of a kick.

Recipe Variations

In order to make this chili spicier, I suggest increasing the amount of chili powder, cayenne and paprika if you want to take things up a notch or a few. With chili remember that the flavor really builds over time so add a bit, check the flavor 10 or 15 minutes later, then add more as necessary to suit your personal palate and heat preference.

Tips for Making Veggie Chili

1. Use all four varieties of beans if you can – it really adds to the flavor and texture of the dish
2. Drain and rinse all the beans really well! Different brands having a different sodium content, so it works best to rinse off all the liquid so you can season and build flavor to your own taste
3. I like using bell peppers of different colors to add more flavor and visual interest, but it’s not strictly necessary
4. To make this veggie chili recipe quicker, add the beans and fire roasted tomatoes to a large crock on the stove, then in a skillet soften the bell pepper and onions before adding to the beans. Then add the seasoning and allow everything to simmer for 15 minutes, check the seasoning and serve!

Looking for another great chili recipe? Looking for a chili recipe with meat? Try my friend Julie’s easy homemade chili recipe that you can make in  just 10 minutes!

Four Bean Veggie Chili

Yield: 12

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 3 hours

Total Time: 3 hours 20 minutes

This delicious vegetarian chili recipe is a perennial crowd pleaser, even among the meat lover crowd and perfect for a game day chili cook off!

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Ingredients

• (1) 15 oz can black beans
• (1) 15 oz can garbanzo beans
• (1) 15 oz can great northern beans
• (1) 15 oz can kidney beans
• (4) 15 oz cans fire roasted diced tomatoes
• 1 medium red bell pepper
• 1 medium yellow bell pepper
• 1 medium orange bell pepper
• 1 medium green bell pepper
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 cup diced red onion
• 1/3 cup dry red wine

Instructions

1. Drain and rinse beans very well until all the packing liquid is completely rinsed off.
2. Place beans in the crock of a large slow cooker.
3. Dice the bell peppers, add to the crock.
4. Add all other ingredients, then mix well and cook on high heat for two hours.
5. Reduce to low heat and allow to simmer for another hour.
6. Serve warm and and top to your liking with sliced avocado, fresh chopped cilantro, cheese, sour cream and/or diced scallions or white onion.
7. Remember to skip the sour cream and cheese if you'll be serving this to your favorite vegan friend!

[Recipe + art direction by Cyd Converse | Photos by Alice G. Patterson.]