Whether I am spending a winter in toasty New Orleans or in frozen New York, I will always crave vegan white chili with my favorite toppings. This one is super customizable and it’s great to have on hand for leftovers throughout the week.
Something happened when I started putting this white chili together last winter.
I didn’t mean to make it vegan, but I realized that I didn’t have cheese. Or sour cream. A recipe that I normally would have topped with PLENTY of cheese and sour cream, therefore, became a vegan white chili.
Table of Contents
Vegan White Chili – How’s It Done?
You’ll start by sauteing your onion in olive oil, salt, and pepper until translucent.
Once those have cooked, you’ll throw in your garlic, jalapeño, and bell pepper with your herbs and spices so that the aromatics can come out. Keep an eye on the garlic because if it burns it can taste bitter!
Then, you’ll add your liquids including vegetable broth, canned green chilies, and some green salsa.
This dish is so creamy and delicious partially because of this next step: you’ll mash one of the cans of cannellini beans and stir those into the pot.
Lastly, once that’s all cooked for a while, you’ll put in the rest of your ingredients– the second can of cannellini beans, corn, cilantro, and lime juice. Now you just have to wait for the corn to defrost and for your chili to be heated all the way through. Serve immediately!
Customize It
There are plenty of ways that you can make this Vegan White Chili recipe your own. I am always a proponent of making swaps and altering a recipe using whatever you happen to have on hand.
Have a red onion? Use that in place of the yellow onion. The color and flavor might be a bit different, but it’ll still be delicious. You will probably just want to use about one half of a red onion as they tend to be much larger than yellow onions.
Quick Tips
- Spice level. Alter this to fit your unique palate. If you don’t like spicy foods, make sure you’re fully removing the white part of the jalapeño along with the seeds.
- Thickness. Some people like their chili thicker than others– feel free to play around with the amount of liquid that this recipe calls for. You can always start with less and see how it looks as it simmers.
- Slow cook it. If you don’t have time to tend to this recipe as it cooks on the stove, go ahead and adapt the recipe for your slow cooker.
Storing, Saving, Reheating
Soups, stews, and chilis are some of my favorite dishes to make ahead and reheat throughout the week.
But have you ever tried freezing them?! I love doing this specifically with a soup or stew because their texture and flavor aren’t compromised when you reheat them.
Plus, there is absolutely nothing like remembering that you have a delicious meal ready for you in your freezer and that you just need to plop it back on the stove. In a few minutes you’ll have dinner on the table.
Reheating from the Fridge
Once it’s cooked, this chili lasts up to 5 days in the fridge. Simply store in tupperware that’s well-sealed, reheat either on the stove or in the microwave, and top with all of your favorites.
Freezing and Reheating
Freezing your chili couldn’t be easier. My favorite way to freeze a stew or chili is to simply pour it into a couple of freezer bags– the reason I use more than one is so that it doesn’t take forever to defrost a few portions.
Alternatively, you can use airtight food storage containers.
Just remember that you’ll want to first let the chili cool for a bit in the fridge before setting it in your freezer. If you put it in too hot, you run the risk of surrounding items in your freezer defrosting.
Label your bags (you’d be surprised how quickly you forget what you put in that bag a couple of weeks from now) with the name of the recipe and the date. It’ll last about 3-4 months and still retain its flavor and texture.
You can defrost your chili in the refrigerator, under cold running water, or in the microwave.
Vegan White Chili
Ingredients
- ~2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- salt and pepper to taste
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 jalapeños, chopped if you don't like spicy, remove seeds and pith
- 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
- ½ tablespoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon each dried oregano, chili powder, ground coriander
- 4 cups reduced sodium vegetable broth
- 1 can mild green chilies
- 6 oz green salsa about 1/2 of a jar
- 2 cans cannellini beans, rinsed
- 1 cup frozen corn kernels
- 1 bunch cilantro, chopped reserve some for garnish
- 1 lime
Optional Garnishes
- avocado
- corn chips
- tortilla chips
- cilantro
- nutritional yeast
- lime wedges
- vegan sour cream/cheese
Instructions
- In a large pot or dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and season with a pinch each of salt and pepper. Sauté until translucent.
- Add garlic, jalapeño, and yellow bell pepper. Season with cumin, oregano, chili powder, coriander, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Sauté, stirring occasionally, for 4-5 minutes.
- Add vegetable broth, green chilies, and green salsa. Mash one can of mashed cannellini beans and stir into pot. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add the second can of beans, corn, cilantro, and lime juice. After the corn has defrosted and the chili is hot, it can be removed from heat.
- Serve immediately with garnishes. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the refrigerator or frozen in freezer bags for up to 4 months.
In need of more recipe inspiration? Head over to my recipe archives.
