This Vegan Pumpkin Chili is hearty and delicious! With onion, celery, garlic, bell peppers, and jalapeño pepper, this thick chili is full of fiber and protein from plenty of beans and vegetables. It's easy to make with canned beans. Double or triple the recipe to feed a crowd!
This easy vegan chili recipe is a great option for meatless Mondays; it is a satisfying pot of chili that even meat-eaters will love!
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This one-pot easy Vegan Pumpkin Chili recipe is a great option for feeding a crowd! It's hearty, delicious, and easy to make with canned beans. Plus, it's packed full of fiber and protein from plenty of beans and vegetables.
You may be wondering, how does this vegetarian chili taste? It tastes mildly like pumpkin, and it's not overly spicy. Even my non-pumpkin-loving husband enjoyed this hearty vegan pumpkin chili. I really like pumpkin; it's not his favorite, yet he was reaching for seconds!
If you love fall vegan chili recipes as much as I do, try my Vegan Butternut Squash Chili. You might also enjoy this Butternut Squash Curry Soup and Pumpkin Veggie Stew.
Try this hearty Vegan Meatloaf Recipe with lentils and walnuts for another cozy and filling meal that is perfect over the holidays!
Ingredients
Here's what you need to make this savory pumpkin recipe; you can find these pantry staples at the grocery store:
- Onion - I used yellow onion in this recipe.
- Bell peppers - I used both red and green; feel free to try yellow or orange.
- Beans - I used canned black beans and kidney beans. Drain and rinse canned beans or cook them from scratch if you prefer, unless you happen to have some in the freezer. I love beans made from scratch, but it's handy to have cans in the pantry for convenience.
- Jalapeño - I love to add this for heat and flavor. If you love heat, leave the seeds in.
- Vegetable broth - Use a prepared broth you like, or make your own veggie broth. The broth makes a huge difference; it should taste great on its own. Taste the broth by itself and adjust the salt if needed, or use a low-salt broth if you prefer.
- Avocado oil - You can use grapeseed oil or extra-virgin olive oil.
- Pumpkin purée - The main ingredient! This is not canned pumpkin pie filling. Make sure you have a creamy pumpkin puree, whether it's canned or freshly cooked. If it's too thick, add a small amount of water to thin it.
A complete ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
It's a keeper. The pumpkin makes this chili so creamy; I can't wait to eat it tonight with avocados and some homemade flour tortillas baked in the oven and broken into wedges.
- Brigitte
Substitutions
If you don't have celery, or you don't have both red and green bell peppers, that's fine. Use what you have!
- Jalapeño pepper - you can try a serrano pepper instead or roasted Hatch chile.
- Canned pumpkin - You can roast sugar pumpkin yourself, or try sweet potatoes or butternut squash instead - either cooked and puréed or roasted
- Black beans and kidney beans - you can try pinto beans and other types of beans that hold their shape. White beans may work, but they may not hold their shape.
Variations
Add extra vegetables to this hearty chili, whatever you have on hand; add frozen corn or peas.
- Spicy - Add more chili powder, adobo sauce, or add two chipotle peppers in adobo from a can, and dice them. You can add 3 to 4 ounces of frozen roasted Hatch chiles if you have them, or add hot sauce.
- Vegetables - Add extra vegetables to this hearty chili even more filling, whatever you have on hand; add frozen corn or peas, extra chopped celery, another chopped bell pepper.
- Deluxe - Top with chopped avocado and serve with my skillet cornbread!
- Less spice - Skip the jalapeño pepper and reduce the chili powder to 1 teaspoon.
- Oil-free: Use water or vegetable broth to sauté the vegetables. Add more broth as needed while the vegetables are cooking to avoid sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Red lentils: For even more protein, add half a cup of red lentils while the chili is simmering; they cook for approximately twenty-five minutes. They have a creamy texture when cooked, similar to a puree. You may need to add water to the chili if it thickens.
How to Make This Vegan Pumpkin Chili
It's easy to make this meatless chili recipe with a creamy texture, even if it is your first time! First, prep the vegetables and assemble all of your ingredients, so they're ready.
- Step 1: Preheat a large stockpot on medium heat for a few minutes, add avocado oil, and heat until it is shimmering.
- Step 2: Place the chopped onion, bell peppers, celery, garlic, jalapeño pepper, and sea salt in a Dutch oven and sauté for several minutes. Stir frequently for several minutes until the onions turn golden. Reduce heat to medium-low if needed to prevent burning.
- Step 3: Stir in the chili powder, chipotle powder, cumin, and smoked paprika and constantly stir for a minute.
- Step 4: Add the pumpkin purée; continue to stir for another minute or so until everything is combined. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Simmer the large pot on medium to medium-low heat for approximately 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Step 5: Serve. Garnish with green onions and other toppings of your choice. See more options below.
Taste as you go, and add the remaining salt if desired. Add freshly ground black pepper if you wish.
How To Serve This Vegan Pumpkin Chili
Here are some of my favorite toppings for this vegetarian pumpkin chili recipe:
- Top the chili with chopped green onion, avocado, and freshly ground black pepper.
- Serve with Vegan Southwest Skillet Cornbread, cornbread croutons, fresh bread, tortillas, or sourdough.
- Top with tortilla chips and vegan cheddar cheese or vegan sour cream.
Storage
- Refrigerate the chili promptly within two hours of cooking. Let it cool on the counter first, then place it in airtight glass containers.
- Properly stored, this chili will last for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator.
- The chili will thicken up after being refrigerated. Add some water to thin it out a little before reheating it.
Can This Vegan Chili Be Frozen?
- Freeze it in a covered airtight container or freezer-safe container such as heavy-duty ziplock bags for up to 4 to 6 months.
- Cooked vegan pumpkin chili thawed in the fridge can be kept in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days before cooking. If it is thawed in the microwave or in cold water, it should be eaten immediately.
Recipe FAQs
Here are slow-cooker instructions: Put the ingredients in a 5 quart or larger slow cooker on low for six to eight hours.
I do not own one; however, let me know if you try it!
This vegan pumpkin chili is a tomato-based stew with onion, garlic, celery, bell pepper, jalapeño, spices, pumpkin, black beans, and kidney beans. It's moderately spiced and has a creamy texture.
It's very good for you! Vegan chili is a great source of protein, fiber, and antioxidants. You can enjoy leftovers during the week for a healthy lunch or dinner.
More Vegan Fall Recipes
If you try this recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it goes in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
Recipe
Hearty and Easy One Pot Vegan Pumpkin Chili Recipe
EQUIPMENT
- Dutch oven or soup pot
- wooden spoon
- can opener
INGREDIENTS
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 large yellow onion chopped, 300 g
- 1 medium red bell pepper seeded and chopped
- 1 medium green bell pepper seeded and chopped
- ½ cup celery chopped, add more if desired
- 3 cloves garlic diced
- 1 jalapeño pepper diced, keep seeds if you like the heat
- 2 teaspoons fine sea salt divided
- 1 ½ tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon chipotle powder
- 1 15-oz can organic 100% pure pumpkin purée
- 1 28-oz can crushed fire-roasted tomatoes
- 2 ½ cups vegetable broth
- 1 15-oz can black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 15-oz can kidney beans drained and rinsed
- 3 green onions chopped for garnish optional
- 1 avocado chopped, optional
- Freshly ground black pepper optional
INSTRUCTIONS
- After 3 minutes of preheating a Dutch oven or large stockpot on medium heat, add the avocado oil and heat until it is shimmering. Place chopped yellow onion, red and green bell peppers, celery, garlic, jalapeño pepper, and 1 teaspoon sea salt in the pot and sauté for several minutes, stirring frequently. Keep stirring occasionally for approximately 5 to 7 minutes, until the onions start turning golden. Reduce heat to medium-low if needed to prevent burning.1 tablespoon avocado oil, 1 large yellow onion , 1 medium red bell pepper , 1 medium green bell pepper, ½ cup celery, 3 cloves garlic , 1 jalapeño pepper , 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
- Stir in chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, and chipotle powder, constantly stirring for one minute.1 ½ tablespoon chili powder, 2 teaspoons ground cumin, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon chipotle powder
- Add pumpkin and continue to stir for another minute until everything is mixed together. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, vegetable broth, black beans, and kidney beans. Keep cooking on medium until the chili is simmering, for approximately 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally; reduce heat if needed. Taste and add remaining salt if desired.1 15-oz can organic 100% pure pumpkin purée, 1 28-oz can crushed fire-roasted tomatoes, 2 ½ cups vegetable broth, 1 15-oz can black beans , 1 15-oz can kidney beans
- Garnish with green onions, avocado, and freshly ground black pepper if desired. Serve and enjoy!3 green onions chopped for garnish, 1 avocado, Freshly ground black pepper
NOTES
- Top the chili with chopped green onion, avocado, and freshly ground black pepper.
- Serve with Vegan Southwest Skillet Cornbread, cornbread croutons, fresh bread, or sourdough.
- Top with tortilla chips and vegan cheddar cheese, or vegan sour cream.
NUTRITION
Resplendent Kitchen offers nutritional information for recipes contained on this site as a courtesy. Although resplendentkitchen.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information from online calculators, these figures are estimates.
Brigitte says
This is an excellent recipe; I roasted my grown pumpkin and then mashed it; it was so good already, which made a huge difference in the taste. I added three celery stalks, 1 1/2 cups of frozen corn, and one more can of red Kidney beans. I could have used more vegetables and skipped the extra can of beans, but the flavor would not have been the same to add extra vegetables, especially when they weren’t sautéed and seasoned from the beginning. I skipped the 1/2 tsp of chipotle pepper; instead I used one pepper the chipotle in adobo sauce minus the seeds. I could have used two, but my husband doesn’t like too spicy. If you want a chili that is not too thick, this is perfect; I enjoy a hearty chili, meaning more vegetables, but the recipe is easy to adjust and yummy. It’s a keeper. The pumpkin makes this chili so creamy; I can’t wait to eat it tonight with avocados and some homemade flour tortillas baked in the oven and broken into wedges.
Emily Miller says
Thank you for your review, Brigitte! We're so glad you enjoyed our vegan pumpkin chili recipe and made some delicious adjustments to fit your personal preferences. Adding roasted pumpkin sounds like a fantastic idea for added flavor and creaminess. Happy cooking!
Jellie says
So comforting. I love all the spices you have in there!
Emily says
Thank you for your review, Jellie! It sounds like you're a fan of spicy dishes 🙂
Anaiah says
This vegan pumpkin chili was perfection! Hearty, filling, and sooo delicious. Thank you for another great recipe!
Emily says
Hi Anaiah, thank you for your review and rating! I'm so glad that you enjoyed this recipe. This vegan pumpkin chili is one of our favorites!
Andrea says
love a good chili recipe! so delicious!
Emily says
Thank you so much, Andrea, for taking the time to review this recipe! I'm so glad you enjoy it!
Kayla says
I am so in love with this vegan pumpkin chili! It is so hearty and warming!
Emily says
Thank you for your review, Kayla! I'm so glad you enjoy it!
Jacqui says
I never thought about adding pumpkin to my chili, but that sounds so delightful! I am excited to try out this recipe.
Emily says
I hope you enjoy it, Jacqui! Let me know how it goes!
Nancy says
Thanks for the delicious and easy to make recipe!!
Emily says
Thank you, Nancy, I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Sara says
This was such a unique and unexpected twist to a classic recipe! Easily, a new favorite recipe; my whole family loved it!
Emily says
Thank you so much for the kind feedback, Sarah! I'm glad to hear that my recipe has become one of your family's favorites!
Caroline says
I love the sound of all the flavors in this, and especially with the smooth pumpkin in there too. Perfect for a cold day.
Emily says
Thank you so much, Caroline, it's perfect for chilly weather!
Tavo says
Delicious chili version! Fully recommend it! We had it today and it was a hit!
Emily says
Thank you for your review, Tavo, I'm so glad to hear that you enjoyed this chili recipe!
Chenée says
This chili is so filling and delicious! I can't wait to make it again!
Emily says
Chenée, thank you for taking the time to share your experience with my chili recipe! I'm glad that you enjoyed it!
Dionne says
This chili needs to be on my holiday table this year. It looks absolutely amazing!
Emily says
Thank you so much, Dionne! I hope you give it a try!
Brian says
This is Mr Resplendent Kitchen, and I wanted to post a big thumbs up for this recipe. And yes, it pairs great with the referenced cornbread!
Emily says
Thank you, Brian, I am so glad you enjoyed it!