Vegan White Bean Chili recipe made with black garlic? Say what? This high protein black garlic chili recipe is loaded with earthy flavors from nutritious cannellini beans, seasonal spices, fresh vegetables, black garlic and a creamy vegan sour cream base. It makes for a great meal prep or a main dish at your next family get together. Dairy-free, meatless and ready in 30 minutes or less.
Raise your hand if you've always been a chili lover. Mine is raised for sure. When I was a young lass, I had a favorite chili recipe I created and made every year. It's been a long time since I made it, but the thing I remember most about the chili was it's flavor: sweet, smoky, hearty and delicious. And that's because I used a couple secret ingredients not used in traditional chili recipes. We'll be using those exact secret ingredients for this recipe. If you're looking for a chili recipe that's unique, flavorful, filling and delicious, this is a must-make, like yesterday!
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🧾 Ingredients for Vegan White Bean Chili
- Fresh Herbs - I used fresh thyme in this recipe, but you can use your favorites, such as fresh basil, sage, rosemary or leave them out completely.
- Celery - finely chopped fresh celery is best
- Green Chilies - I love adding a small can of green chili peppers to the mix. It intensifies the smoky flavor and tastes so good, too.
- Olive Oil - for an oil-free version, omit olive oil and substitute with veggie broth.
- Brown Sugar - this is a secret ingredient most people don't know about and adds a hint of sweetness to this creamy chili. I use organic. You can also use coconut sugar.
- Vegan Chicken Broth Seasoning - I add this for a savory flavor boost but it can be omitted.
- Sweet Corn - fresh or frozen corn work best here, but you can use canned if you have nothing else.
- Black Garlic and Maple Syrup - this is another secret ingredient combination that you'll mix together to make a delicious slurry to add to the chili.
- Onion - use whatever you have on hand. I opted for a yellow onion but you can certainly use a white or red onion, as well. Finely sliced shallots will even work.
- Garlic - I use both traditional white garlic and black garlic in this recipe. You can substitute with garlic powder if out of fresh.
- Dairy-Free Sour Cream - this is what gives this vegan white bean chili its nice, light creamy texture. You can also use the top white part of full fat coconut milk.
- Lemon Juice - whether fresh or bottled, a fresh citrus squeeze adds a little pizazz to the recipe. You can also use fresh lime juice.
- Spices - you can go crazy with spices or keep it simple like I did with ground cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder and coriander. There's also cayenne pepper and red pepper flakes if you need more heat.
- Cannellini Beans - I use cannellini beans for this vegan white chili, however, you can also use great northern beans, navy beans, butter beans or whatever white beans you can find.
- Red Bell Pepper - optional but adds a nice pop of color. You can also use orange, yellow or green bell pepper.
- Vegetable Broth (not pictured) - you can use your own vegetable stock or buy from your local grocery store.
- Toppings - choose from a variety of your favorite toppings, including tortilla strips, jalapeno peppers, fresh cilantro, raw sweet onion, avocado slices, shreds of vegan cheese and a dab of vegan sour cream and/or vegan cream cheese.
Exact ingredient measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
🔪 How to Make Easy Vegan White Bean Chili
Before you begin, make the black garlic slurry by smashing 1-2 black garlic bulbs in 1-2 tablespoons of maple syrup in a small bowl with a fork. Next, to a food processor, add one can of cannellini beans with the liquid and pulse until creamy. Set these aside.
Step 1: heat olive oil in a large stockpot on medium-high heat for one minute. Add fresh garlic (white) and onion, stir and sauté until onions are tender.
Step 2: add corn, celery, spices and green chilis to the pot.
Step 3: give it a good stir to incorporate all the ingredients. Add a little vegetable broth if it's too thick. Simmer for a couple of minutes on low heat stirring constantly to avoid burning.
Step 4: add the rest of the vegetable broth, stir and increase heat to bring to a boil.
Step 5: reduce heat. Add black garlic and maple syrup slurry and the can of pureed white beans. Stir, then add the rest of the white beans. Simmer for 10-15 until everything is heated through.
Step 6: remove from heat. Add vegan sour cream and stir until well-incorporated. Ladle into bowls and top with your favorite toppings and some crusty bread. Enjoy!
👨🏻🍳 Helpful Chili Making Tips
- Stir frequently so the vegan white bean chili doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot and burn.
- For best flavor, use fresh organic ingredients whenever possible.
- This recipe makes a huge pot, enough for a crowd. Cut the recipe in half to make fewer servings.
- To make your black garlic chili thicker, prior to adding the dairy free sour cream, make a roux by adding a little bit of water to 2 heaping tablespoons of corn starch. Stir until creamy. Increase heat to high and once brought to a boil, pour in roux while stirring constantly for 1 minute. Remove from heat and cover. The chili will thicken as it cools off, with the best results seen the next day.
- For more awesome soup recipes, check out these 28 Vegan Soup Recipes for fall.
👪 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- freezes well
- budget-friendly
- great for meal prep
- makes enough for a crowd
- high in protein, fiber and nutrition
💭 Frequently Asked Questions
What is Black Garlic?
According to Forks Over Knives, "black garlic is a type of garlic that's been cured and aged until it turns sweet, tender, chewy and black". It has an extremely unique flavor that you won't find anywhere else. You can add it to soup, pizza, pasta, even hummus. It has some amazing health benefits and is high in antioxidants purportedly boosting your immune system and lowering bad cholesterol, amongst other good stuff. You can buy black garlic at specialty stores or on Amazon, which is where I bought mine, here.
Can I Make This In a Slow Cooker or Instant Pot?
Yes, you certainly can. For the slow cooker, you can add everything raw to the pot at once, stir and let it cook at least 4 hours. Stir every so often until it's done. I like to make my Wild Rice Mushroom Soup in the slow cooker too.
Similar to what I did with my Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup, you simply place the Instant Pot on the "sauté setting". Toss all ingredients (except vegan sour cream) in the pot, stirring well until everything is incorporated and heated through. Cover and place on "pressure cooker" setting. Once complete, release the pressure until steam subsides. Prior to serving, add the vegan sour cream, stir and ladle into bowls.
🌡️ Storage and Freezing
After cooling to room temperature, store vegan white bean chili in an airtight container in your refrigerator for up to 5 days.
To freeze, place in an airtight container for up to 3 months. When you're ready to eat, defrost in your refrigerator overnight and reheat the next day.
🥗 What to Serve With This Vegan White Bean Chili
- Swirled Vegan Garlic Bread
- Vegan Focaccia
- Vegan Buttermilk Biscuit Recipe
- Crispy Baked Accordion Potatoes
- Air Fryer Smashed Potatoes with Garlic Aioli
- Try one of these 23 Vegan Salad Recipes
🥘 More Amazing Soup Recipes
Have you tried this? Why not leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card right below and/or a review in the comment section further down the page? I always appreciate your feedback. You can also follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter, and sign up for my newsletter!
📖 Recipe
Vegan White Bean Chili Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup onion finely chopped
- 1.5 cups celery chopped
- 12 oz frozen corn
- 7 oz green chilies
- 62 oz white beans or 4 cans
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1-2 tablespoon maple syrup mixed with black garlic
- 1-2 bulbs black garlic mixed with maple syrup to make a slurry
- 1 tablespoon vegetable broth powder or 1 cube of vegan bouillon
- 32 oz vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice optional but acts as a preservative
- 8 oz vegan sour cream
- 2 teaspoon cumin
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 2 tablespoon thyme coarsely chopped
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional, use as a topping or add to the chili during cooking for some heat
Instructions
- Before you begin, make the black garlic slurry by smashing 1-2 black garlic bulbs in 1-2 tablespoons of maple syrup in a small bowl with a fork. To a food processor, add one can of cannellini beans with the liquid and pulse until creamy. Set these aside.
- Heat olive oil in a large stockpot on medium-high heat for one minute. Add fresh garlic (white) and onion, stir and sauté until onions are tender.
- Add corn, celery, spices and green chilis to the pot.
- Give it a good stir to incorporate all the ingredients. Simmer for a couple of minutes on low heat stirring constantly to avoid burning.
- Add the rest of the vegetable broth, stir and increase heat to bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat. Add black garlic and maple syrup slurry and the can of pureed white beans. Stir, then add the rest of the white beans. Simmer for 10-15 until everything is heated through.
- Remove from heat. Add vegan sour cream and stir until well-incorporated. Ladle into bowls and top with your favorite toppings and some crusty bread. Enjoy!
Notes
- Nutrition information is an estimate.
- Stir frequently so the vegan white bean chili doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot and burn.
- For the best flavor, use fresh organic ingredients whenever possible.
- This recipe makes a huge pot, enough for a crowd. Cut the recipe in half to make fewer servings.
- To make your black garlic chili thicker, prior to adding the sour cream, make a roux by adding a little bit of water to 2 heaping tablespoons of corn starch. Stir until creamy. Increase heat to high and once brought to a boil, pour in roux while stirring constantly for 1 minute. Remove from heat and cover. The chili will thicken as it cools off, with the best results seen the next day.
Criss says
I made this vegan white bean chili with black garlic, and it’s incredible! The black garlic adds such a deep, rich flavor, and the whole dish is super hearty. It’s going to be a regular in my meal rotation!
Deborah says
Good to hear, thank you Criss.
Jacqueline. says
I love meatless chili made with beans and this is one of the best versions I have tried. So tasty!
Deborah says
Thank you Jacqueline, happy to hear that.
Swathi says
White bean chili looks delicious and comfort meal. I enjoyed with some sourdough bread.
Deborah says
I wish I’d been there to taste your bread! Thanks Swathi.
Nicole Kendrick says
This is SUCH a delicious recipe. I'm a huge bean fan, so I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Deborah says
Happy to hear that, thank you Nicole.
Liz says
Delicious!!! Who knew black garlic was such a fabulous secret ingredient???? I do now!
Deborah says
I know huh? I love it. Thanks Liz.
Criss says
This Black Garlic White Bean Chili is amazing! The black garlic adds such a deep, rich flavor. I’ll be making this on repeat!
Deborah says
So happy u loved it. Black garlic is a game changer. Stay turned for more recipes using it. Thanks for you comment Criss.
Swathi says
Vegan white Bean chili was really delicious we don't miss the taste. So perfect.
Deborah says
Thanks Swathi.
DK says
By far one of my favorite chili recipes! Love how the spices just adds their own kick on my tastebuds! It's so easy to make too!
Deborah says
Thanks so much, DK.
Krystle says
So hearty and filling with just the right amount of heat. Going to be making this on repeat
Deborah says
Happy to hear. Thank u Krystle.
Nicole Kendrick says
This is one of the best chili recipes of any kind I have ever made! It has so much flavor in every bite. Really good stuff!
Deborah says
That's exactly what my man said when he sampled it, like twice already! Thank you Nicole.