This cozy one pot White Vegetarian Chili is filled with hominy, beans, and other veggies for a creamy, easy meal that's ready in an hour. It's total comfort food when served with all your favorite fixings!
There's a reason chili and soup recipes are classic comfort foods! Recipes like my Chipotle Sweet Potato Soup With Queso Blanco and Broccoli Cheddar Soup come together quickly and give all the homey feels we crave after busy days.
Plus, since they are vegetarian, these soups also make a light, nutritious, and budget-friendly way to end the day.
Why you'll love this recipe
We can all relate to long, stressful days and the need for a warm and satisfying meal to take the edge off. This Vegetarian White Chili recipe is sure to erase the strains of the day because it is everything comfort food should be.
It's bound to become a family favorite -- especially when served with your favorite chili toppings!
Let me tell you more about why you'll love this meatless white chili:
- Quick and easy: When life gets busy, having an easy, tried and true recipe I can turn to and get dinner on the table in a snap is crucial. This chili recipe is a lifesaver because it's made in one pot and ready in an hour.
- Vegetarian comfort food: It's made with hominy, beans, other veggies, and lots of cozy seasonings, making a soup that will fill your belly and warm your soul. You'll want to have this vegetarian recipe on rotation all fall and winter!
- Meat-Eaters will love it: This chili is packed with flavor and is meant to be loaded with delicious toppings so no one misses the meat or chicken! Carnivores have been known to go for a second bowl!
- Great make ahead meal: Plus, it stays fresh for a full week in the refrigerator and can be frozen for up to three months. I often make a batch to enjoy now and freeze a few portions to enjoy later.
Jump to:
Ingredients
With only a few ingredients, this vegetarian white chili is pretty simple to make. Keep these ingredient tips in mind as you select everything you'll need to get started.
- Oil: You'll need some cooking oil to sauté the vegetables. I like using avocado oil or olive oil.
- Celery
- Yellow onion: You could also use a white onion or sweet onion if you don't have a yellow onion.
- Jalapeno: Heat should be added with the heart. If you are sensitive, reduce or leave out the jalapeno completely.
- Minced garlic: It's best to mince fresh garlic cloves, but you can also use jarred minced garlic.
- Mild green chilis: I like to use mild green chilis so that the soup doesn't become too spicy.
- Spices and salt: To flavor the chili I used a bay leaf, ground cumin, and dried oregano. You'll also need a little salt for flavor enhancement.
- Cornstarch: Used to thicken the chili.
- Lime juice: If possible, use freshly squeezed lime juice for the best flavor.
- Vegetable broth
- Great Northern beans: You could also use navy beans.
- Hominy: Depending on where you live, it can sometimes be difficult to find hominy. Most grocery stores will stock it near canned beans or on the Mexican aisle. You can also order canned hominy online.
- Cream: For a rich, creamy chili, use heavy cream or half and half. To make this recipe vegan, you could also use your favorite unsweetened vegan creamer or vegan milk.
- Toppings: Take your chili to the next level with an assortment of your favorite toppings. I think chopped cilantro, sliced jalapenos, diced avocados, and sliced radishes go really well with this soup. I also recommend eating it with tortilla chips or cornbread, and hot sauce.
See recipe card for quantities.
Step-by-step instructions
Ready to get cooking? Follow this photo tutorial to stay on track and make an amazing meatless chili.
Before you begin adding the main ingredients, heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a 6- or 8-quart Dutch oven or stockpot over medium-high heat.
- Sauté celery and aromatics: When the oil is hot, add ¾ cup diced celery, 1¾ cups chopped onion, 1 chopped jalapeno, and 3 cloves minced garlic to the hot oil. Stir to combine and cook until the onions are translucent (about 5 minutes).
- Start adding seasonings: Add 8 ounces mild green chiles, 1 teaspoon salt, and a bay leaf to the sauteed mixture.
- Finish adding seasonings: Then add 2 teaspoons cumin, 1 teaspoon oregano, 6 tablespoons cornstarch, and 2 tablespoons lime juice to the pot. Stir to combine.
- Pour in broth: Add 6 cups vegetable broth to the pot and stir mixture.
- Bring to boil, then simmer: Cover pot and bring chili to a boil. Then, reduce heat and allow chili to simmer until the celery is tender, about 15 minutes.
- Add beans and hominy: Next, add 2 cans of beans and 1 can of hominy, place the lid back on the pot, and simmer 10 more minutes for full flavor.
- Pour in cream: Stir in 1 cup heavy cream (or unsweetened vegan milk/creamer).
- Serve: Remove the pot from the heat, ladle into bowls, and serve with chili toppings.
How-To Make It
- Sauté veggies and aromatics: Heat oil in a pot and cook chopped onion, jalapeno, celery, and garlic until tender, about 5 minutes.
- Add some seasonings: Add chiles, salt, and bay leaf to the pot.
- Add remaining seasonings: Stir in cumin, oregano, cornstarch, and lime juice.
- Stir in vegetable broth: Pour in vegetable broth, stirring to combine.
- Bring to a boil: Cover pot with a lid and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, about 15 minutes.
- Add beans and hominy: Add the beans and hominy to the soup, simmer 10 more minutes.
- Stir in cream: Pour the cream into the soup and stir to combine.
- Remove from heat: Remove the soup from the heat, ladle into bowls and serve with favorite toppings.
Tara's tips: make it vegan
Turn this vegetarian chili into vegan chili with one simple ingredient swap. Replace the heavy cream/half and half with your favorite unsweetened non-dairy milk or creamer.
Variations
One of the best ways to add some variety to white chili is to serve it with an assortment of delicious chili toppings.
- Extra heat - Amp up the spice by serving it with sliced jalapenos and some hot sauce.
- More veggies and herbs - Sprinkle the top with chopped cilantro, diced avocado, sliced radish, or pico de gallo.
- Don't forget the carbs - Serve with crunchy corn chips or cornbread to round out your meal.
- Go gourmet - Whip up some gourmet chili toppings: cornbread croutons, crispy cheese bits, cilantro cream, corn relish, or spiced roasted pepitas.
Equipment
You'll need either a Dutch oven or stockpot with a lid that can accommodate 6 to 8 quarts. I like this Emile Henry Ceramic Dutch Oven.
If you plan to make the soup ahead of time and freeze some for later, make sure to have some heavy duty freezer bags on hand. I also love Souper Cubes for freezing portions.
Get canned hominy online if you can't find it in your store. If you find a large can, it freezes in individual portions well. Place it in ziptop bags, seal, and freeze up to 3 months.
Storage
Don't let all your hard work go to waste. Keep your white chili with veggies fresh with proper storage.
- Refrigerate: Cool the chili and place it in an airtight container. Then refrigerate for up to a week.
- Freeze: This soup freezes very well. Place the cooled soup into a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Reheat: Leftover vegetarian white chili can be reheated easily. If you are starting with frozen soup, allow it to fully thaw in the refrigerator (overnight is best) or use the thaw function on your microwave. Refrigerated chili can be warmed in the microwave or on the stovetop over medium heat. Stir occasionally for even heating.
FAQ
To get the perfect creamy texture for veggie chili, I used a combination of cornstarch and heavy cream. If you don't want to use cornstarch, your chili will be thinner, but it will still have amazing flavor.
I didn't test making this vegetarian white chili in a crockpot. However, you could definitely use your slow cooker to keep the soup warm or reheat it at a later time.
The difference comes down to the ingredients used in each chili. White vegetarian chili is white in color because it's made with cream and white beans. A regular chili is usually a dark reddish-brown color because it's made from beef, dark colored beans (like pinto beans or black beans), and tomatoes.
Related
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📖 Recipe
White Vegetarian Chili
Ingredients
White Chili
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil (or olive oil)
- ¾ cup diced celery
- 1 medium yellow onion (finely diced, 1¾ cups)
- 1 medium jalapeno (finely diced)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 (4-ounce) cans mild diced green chiles
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 6 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 2 (15-ounce) cans Great Northern beans (drained)
- 1 (15-ounce) can hominy (drained)
- 1 cup heavy cream (half and half, or unsweetened vegan milk/creamer)
Optional Toppings:
- Chopped cilantro
- Sliced jalapenos
- Diced avocado
- Sliced radish
- Tortilla chips
- Hot sauce
Instructions
- Add oil to a 6- or 8-quart Dutch oven or stock pot and heat over medium-high.
- Add onion, jalapeno, celery, and garlic and stir to combine. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add the green chiles, salt, bay leaf, cumin, oregano, cornstarch, and lime juice. Stir to combine. Then add vegetable broth, stir to combine, and cover.
- Bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and simmer until celery is tender, about 15 minutes.
- Add beans and hominy and simmer another 10 minutes to meld the flavors.
- Stir in heavy cream (or unsweetened vegan replacement) and serve with desired toppings.
- Cooled soup can be refrigerated for up to a week, or frozen for up to 3 months.
Notes
Nutrition
Tara Teaspoon
I’ve been in food publishing for over 25 years, creating recipes & food-styling for magazines, books, television, food brands, & advertising. With two cookbooks under my belt and thousands of my recipes at your fingertips, I hope you'll be inspired to spend more time in the kitchen!
Tara Teaspoon says
I worked to get all the most delicious flavors to shine in this soup recipe. I love to add shredded chicken to make it non-vegetarian too! Leave a 5-star rating if you love it too!