White Bean Chili
This vegan white bean chili with corn and potatoes is packed with flavour and easy to make in under 45 minutes for a healthy weeknight meal.
Why You’ll Love this Chili
- dietary features: vegan, plant-based, gluten-free, can be oil-free
- quick and easy to make in under 45 minutes
- hearty and delicious for a vegetarian chili
- great for meal prep as flavours improve with time
- freezes well for batch cooking
Ingredients & Substitutions
- olive oil – use vegetable stock for an oil-free option
- potato – any variety works here but I suggest something like Yukon Gold
- stock – any store-bought or homemade vegetable broth works, I usually use bouillon powder such as Better Than Bouillon
- white kidney (cannellini) beans – canned works great, just drain and rinsed well, you can also use white beans you cooked from scratch
- corn – fresh, frozen or canned all work, if using canned, drain and rinse before use
See recipe card below for complete list of ingredients with amounts.
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1. In a large pot over medium heat, saute the onion, garlic and jalapeno in the olive oil (or broth for oil-free) for about 5 minutes until softened and fragrant.
Step 2. Add all of the spices and sauté another few minutes.
Step 3. Add the potatoes and vegetable broth and bring to simmer. Cook for about 10 minutes until the potatoes are close to fork tender.
Step 4. Add the beans and simmer lightly for another 15-20 minutes.
Step 5. Use a potato masher or immersion blender and mash or pulse 3-4 times to create texture and thicken the chili.
Step 6. Fold in the corn and cilantro and remove from heat.
Step 7. Finish with fresh lime juice, lime zest and fresh cracked black pepper.
Serve hot topped with finely chopped green onions, avocado and whatever else you enjoy with chili.
Chili Toppings
- dairy-free sour cream
- dairy-free cheese
- salsa or salsa verde
- lime juice and zest
- black pepper
- jalapenos
- tortilla chips
- corn bread
Slow Cooker Instructions
- For the best flavour, sauté onions, garlic and jalapeño in oil or broth stovetop until fragrant and softened, about 5 minutes. Add all the spices and cook another 2-3 minutes.
- Transfer to the crock pot and add everything else except for the corn, cilantro and lime.
- Cook over low heat for 3-4 hours or high for 2-3 hours.
- Stir in the corn, cilantro and lime. Season if needed and enjoy.
FAQs
White beans include white beans great northern beans, navy beans, lima beans and cannellini beans. They’re all quite similar in taste, texture and nutrition, however, this recipe is best with cannellini beans, otherwise known as white kidney beans.
This one is! Most chili recipes make a healthy meal that’s high in protein and fibre, low in fat and relatively low in calories. It really depends what toppings you add!
Related Recipes
- White Bean Kale Soup
- Slow Cooker Red Lentil Chili
- Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili
- Vegan Instant Pot Quinoa Chili
- Vegan 3 Bean Chili
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White Bean Chili
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 6
- Category: Main Dish
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This vegan white bean chili is easy to make, low in fat, high in protein and so full of flavour, everyone will be asking for seconds! Hearty, healthy and delicious, it’s sure to be a new favourite. It’s great for meal prep too!
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil (15 g, sub vegetable broth as an oil-free option)
- 1 medium onion diced (2 cups, 250 g)
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and diced (2 tbsp, 25 g)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced (1 tbsp, 10 g)
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp chilli powder
- 1/2 tsp thyme
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp chilli flakes (optional)
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 medium potato, peeled and diced (3 heaping cups, 525 g)
- 4 cups vegetable broth (1000 ml)
- 3 x 540 mL can white kidney beans, drained and rinsed (about 7.5 cups)
- 2 cups frozen corn (225 g)
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro (20 g)
- zest and juice from 1 lime (approx. 1/8 cup lime juice and 1 tbsp zest)
- fresh cracked black pepper, for topping
- finely chopped green onion, for topping
Instructions
- In a large pot over medium heat, sauté onions, garlic and jalapeño in the olive oil until translucent and fragrant, about 5 minutes.
- Add all of the spices and sauté for an additional 2-3 minutes.
- Add the potatoes and broth and bring to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes until the potatoes are fork tender.
- Add beans and continue to simmer lightly for 15-20 minutes.
- With a potato masher or immersion blender, pulse or mash potatoes and beans 3 or 4 times to create some texture.
- Fold in corn and cilantro and turn off the heat.
- Finish chilli with fresh lime juice, lime zest and fresh cracked black pepper. Serve hot with finely chopped green onions and avocado.
Notes
If you don’t have a zester, use a peeler to remove some peel then finely chop.
Storing: Let cool then store in airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat stovetop or in the microwave until heated to your preference.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6th of recipe
- Calories: 324
- Fat: 3 g
- Carbohydrates: 58 g
- Protein: 17 g
Keywords: vegan white bean chili, vegan white chili, white bean chili recipe
excellent chili! love the spices, addition of potatoes & corn. Served it for a dinner of 10 people and got rave reviews, Thanks!
★★★★★
This was so delicious and easy to make. It was my first recipe from you and now I can’t wait to try more. Cold Soba Noodles Salad is on tap for tomorrow! What are your favorites?
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Glad you liked it! I love the cold noodle salad, and all the other noodle dishes too! The black bean soup, white bean chili are favourites, tortilla soup, shepherd’s pie, teriyaki chickpea bowl, peanut tofu bowl, chickpea loaf, haha…everything really, I wouldn’t share them if they weren’t! Let me know what else you try.
Love this recipe for the hearty flavor and easy to find staple ingredients. Very economical too. Adding this to the fall, winter rotation!
★★★★★
Perfect! Glad you enjoy it and thanks for letting me know.
Completely delicious! Will go in regular rotation. Thank you! I’m wondering if this soup freezes well. I am hesitant to try because of the potatoes.
★★★★★
Hi Samia! Yes, you can freeze it. Just make sure it’s completely cooled. You can let it cool at room temperature or in the fridge. Once cold, use heavy duty freezer bags or a freezer-safe container. Thaw it in the fridge then reheat on the stovetop or microwave. Thanks!
Love this white bean chili! Have made it several times now. Wonderful for weekly nutritious lunch meal prep. TY!!!
★★★★★
Thanks for trying it and the review! Glad you love it!
This is delicious, all my favorite flavors in a chili!
★★★★★
This is a go to for us!!! Delicious!! Easy to make lots of options for picky eaters if someone wants to change it up slightly. Everything I’ve made off your site has been BOSS!! Thank you!!
★★★★★
That’s awesome, Kori! So glad! Thank you so much for the kind review, I appreciate it!
Made this! It was great, the lime at the end really gave it a nice little zing. I made this with a can of white beans, garbanzo beans, and left over lentils that were already prepared. Turned out great with the substitution. I served it with some cornbread muffins! Thank you for the recipe.
★★★★★
Thanks, Bridget! So glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for the review!
Loved this recipe!! I’m not a huge fan of jalapeños so I subbed in a Poblano instead…. Delish!! Thanks!
★★★★★
You’re welcome! I’m so glad you liked it!
Another wonderful recipe from Deryn! Easy and really tasty! Not easy finding jalapeños in Singapore, so I swapped it with a green pepper. Used about 1/4 tsp for crushed red peppers for heat instead of chili powder. Used 2 cans of beans (coz that’s all I had!) and reduced the stock to 3 cups. Really flavorful, great one pot meal!
★★★★★
Thanks, Faye! So glad you liked it! Thanks for the feedback on the amounts.
We loved this soup! I used three different types of beans instead of all white (black, white, and garbanzo). I also added extra smoked paprika and a little liquid smoke. The cilantro and lime were KEY to my enjoyment. Really delicious soup, and lots of tangy, smokey, enticing flavors. Thank you!
★★★★★
Really great! So delicious and easy. Thanks for the recipe!
★★★★★
My first white bean chili – YUM! And my girls liked it too! Winner!
★★★★★
Perfect! So glad it was enjoyed by all. Thanks!
Love, love, loved it. Will definitely be making this one again! Thank you!
★★★★★
I’m so happy you loved it, Lily! Thanks for the review!
This is a big win in our house! My kids are huge fans of traditional chili, so I was nervous to call this one “chili” for fear of setting the bar too high. I needn’t have worried, though! This one delivers! My only caution is to watch just how much lime zest and juice you add. My hubby found that to be a little strong (maybe my lime was too big?), even though I liked it.
Thanks for all your recipes, Deryn! You always have such a great mix; it makes me just want to have your website do all my meal planning and just cook for that! 🤩
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Haha, love it! I often use my own site for doing all my meal planning! Thanks so much for the review and feedback on the lime. Glad everyone enjoyed it!
We love this soup! It has been added to my dinner rotation!
★★★★★
So good. Wife and I really enjoyed this one. Thanks Deryn!
★★★★★
Excellent! Healthy comfort in a bowl! Easy peasy too! Thank you, Deryn, for ALL of your amazing recipes!
★★★★★
I love this soup! Hearty, comforting and just the right meal for a cold night! Thank you Deryn xx
★★★★★
So glad, Alex! Thanks for trying it and the kind review!