Three Bean Chili
on Feb 07, 2022, Updated Feb 04, 2025
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With black beans, pinto beans and kidney beans, this easy three bean chili is seasoned with a mix of dried spices you probably already have in your kitchen plus jalapeños and garlic. Besides beans, it also has red bell peppers. It’s a great make-ahead recipe for lunch, a weeknight dinner or for game day. Depending how you top your chili and what you serve on the side, you can make this vegetarian chili recipe vegan and gluten-free.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This hearty veggie chili is for anyone who is a fan of beans. Call it indecision or my love of legumes, but I get really excited about chili that not only packs in lots of beans, but also has different varieties all in the same soup pot. When I make chili, I want it to be a filling, standalone meal that’s loaded with wholesome ingredients with protein and fiber.
Chili always satisfies cravings for soup-based meals on cold days using mostly pantry ingredients. It’s the kind of thing you can whip up at a moment’s notice without much planning. You can even make it in ahead of time before you plan to serve it. Just reheat the chili on the stove. That extra time gives the flavors more of a chance to develop.
This chili is healthy comfort food with tons of personality. Cumin, paprika, chili powder, oregano and garlic powder plus minced jalapeños and garlic season the chili with just the right level of heat without being too spicy.
The Best Beans For Chili
Some people say dried beans are better than canned. While I wouldn’t disagree, the convenience of canned beans can’t be beat, especially if that’s going to be the difference between you cooking a recipe or not. There is nothing wrong taking advantage of this.
Black, pinto and kidney beans are my picks for this chili. First, appearance does count. I like the look of the different colors. Second, and definitely most important, are taste and texture. With their red color and mild flavor, kidney beans are probably the most common bean found in chili. Black beans are smooth and almost creamy when they are cooked, and pinto beans have an earthy flavor.
Ingredients & Substitutions
For this bean chili recipe you will need:
- Beans: The recipe calls for 3 cans of beans. I recommend this trio, but you can swap out kidney beans for cannellini beans instead. And if you reach into your pantry and have only one or two kinds, go ahead and still make the chili. Just remember that you need three 15-ounce cans.
- Onions: You can use a white, red or yellow onion.
- Bell peppers give the chili some crispness variety besides just beans and tomatoes. I prefer red, orange or yellow peppers.
- Jalapenos add fresh spicy heat to go with the chili powder.
- Garlic is an important, but secondary aromatic ingredient. Both the minced jalapenos and minced garlic are added to the sautéed onions at the same time.
- Spices: I season the chili with a combination of dried spices including cumin, paprika, chili powder, oregano, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
- Tomatoes: A can of crushed fire-roasted tomatoes are my first choice for chili no matter the rest of the ingredients.
- Vegetable broth: Use low-sodium vegetable broth. Then you can control the amount of salt.
- Olive oil is for sauteing the onions and aromatics.
Toppings for Chili
At its base, this is a vegan chili recipe. What takes it from vegan to vegetarian is how you top it, like if you add dairy versions of cheese, sour cream or yogurt. If you are serving a crowd, you can put the toppings in individual bowls to take a DIY approach. Here are some of my favorite toppings:
- Shredded cheese (cheddar cheese or a Mexican cheese blend)
- Sliced jalapeños
- Tortilla chips
- Cilantro
- Finely chopped red onions
- Avocados (sliced or diced)
- Sour cream or Greek yogurt
How To Make Three-Bean Chili
1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Sauté the onions. Cook them for about 5 minutes until they turn soft and translucent.
2. Add the jalapenos, garlic, cumin, paprika, chili powder, oregano, garlic powder, salt and pepper. The onions will become very fragrant in a minute or so.
3. Sauté the diced bell peppers for a few minutes.
4. Pour in the tomatoes and vegetable broth along with the beans. Bring the chili to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until it thickens slightly, about 20-25 minutes. Serve the chili. Ladle it into bowls and garnish with your desired toppings.
What To Serve With Chili
Buttermilk cornbread or crusty bread are the most obvious choices because they are good for dunking. You can also keep it super simple by going with tortilla chips or warmed flour or corn tortillas.
You can go all in on beans with sheet pan nachos or sweet potato black bean quesadillas.And if you want a salad for something cool, try this quinoa black bean salad or this mango avocado salad.
Leftovers & Freezing
You can keep the chili in an airtight in the container in the refrigerator up to 4 days. If you want to store it longer, the chili can be frozen up to 1 month. I recommend putting it in the freezer in individual portions, so it is easier to thaw and you don’t have to eat a big saved batch all at once. Reheat it on the stove over low to medium heat or in the microwave.
Recipe Tips
- Cook the chili in a large soup pot or dutch oven. Since you are cooking with hot liquids and lots of beans, you don’t want to have a saucepan filled to the top. It needs a couple inches clear to bubble and simmer.
- If you like a thicker chili, just simmer it longer. This is where you can cook it to your desired consistency. If it is too thick, then you can add more water or veggie broth back in.
- Taste the chili to see if you need to adjust the seasonings. You might want to add a little more salt and pepper to activate all the flavors.
More Chili and Soup Recipes
Black Bean Chili
Pumpkin Chili
Sweet Potato Chili
Chile Verde with White Beans and Corn
Vegan Poblano White Bean Chili
Slow Cooker Lentil Tortilla Soup
One Pot Quinoa Chili
White Bean Sweet Potato Tomato Kale Soup
Three-Bean Chili
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, roughly chopped
- 1 jalapeno, minced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 red bell peppers, diced
- 15 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 15 ounce can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
- 15 ounce can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 28 ounce can crushed fire-roasted tomatoes
- 4 cups low sodium vegetable broth
- For serving: thinly sliced scallions crumbled tortilla chips, shredded Mexican blend cheese, yogurt or sour cream, chopped cilantro, sliced jalapenos
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté for 5 minutes until they start to soften. Stir in the jalapenos, garlic, cumin, paprika, chili powder, salt and pepper and continue cooking for 1-2 minutes to let the ingredients turn fragrant.
- Add the bell peppers, sautéing for a few minutes.
- Stir in the beans, tomatoes and vegetable broth. Bring the chili to a boil and reduce the heat. Let it simmer for 20-25 minutes over medium to low heat until the chili has thickened slightly.
- Divide the soup into bowls and garnish with desired toppings.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Excellent!!!!
I really liked this chili. I am not the best cook, but this was easy to follow and make. I love all the beans. I will definitely make again.
I just made it this 3 chili bean recipe. I put a small can of tomato sauce too. This was so delicious . Thank you so much
Easy and amazing! Even my meat lover husband loved it!