I love a soup or chili with a little kick! But, not too much, LOL. This Creamy Vegan White Bean Chili really hits that sweet spot of spicy and not too hot.
Going to a summer BBQ or 4th of July party and not sure what to bring that’s “secretly” plant based and that everyone will like? Try bringing this vegan White Bean Chili, but don’t tell them all the benefits of it being oil free, gluten free, or whole food plant based. Keep that secret to yourself and then just “smile and nod” when people compliment you on your chili. 🙂
Do you like it hot? Or not to much?
The spice in this white bean chili recipe is totally adjustable. I think it’s perfect as is for my tastes, duh, but you might like it not spicy at all or even hotter…. hey whatever floats your boat!
You can completely omit the 1/2 of jalapeno or put the whole thing in there! If you really don’t like spice at all leave out the jalapeno AND the diced green chilis. You might even look for a mild salsa verde.
What kind of white beans to use
Use any white beans you’ve got! I actually had planned on using 2 cans of cannellini beans like the recipe calls for, but I only had 1 in my pantry so I went with 1 can of cannellini and 1 can of northern white beans. You can also use chickpeas! Mix and match like I did on accident or just do one kind.
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Gluten free to create the creamy chili
There are 3 choices for the thickener to make it have a creamy-like texture rather than a soup. Arrowroot powder is the best choice because it has the most nutrients and is the least processed. It can be found in most grocery stores in the spice aisle.
If you can’t find it or want to use tapioca flour (same as tapioca starch) that works, too. Corn starch can be used, but it has a stronger thickening power, so cut the amount used in half.
Dump dinner recipe, but don’t forget to stir it often!
I love soups & chilis, because they are pretty much dump recipes that you really can’t screw up. Besides sauteing the onion, garlic, and jalapeno for a few minutes, the rest of the recipe is mostly a dump, bring to a boil, cover & simmer.
HOWEVER, this recipe does require frequent stirring because the arrowroot powder can cause the chili to stick to the bottom if you ignore it. So give it a stir about every five-ish minutes.
So many White Bean Chili topping ideas!
- fresh cilantro
- squeeze of lime
- avocados
- guacamole
- baked tortilla chips
- cashew cream sauce
- sliced jalapenos
- green onions
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Other great whole food plant based soup recipes you might like!
- Simple Summer Corn Chowder
- Slow Cooker Jackfruit Tortilla Soup
- Spicy Thai Carrot Coconut Soup
- 3 Bean Vegan Chili
- Thai Red Curry w/ Tofu & Vegetables
- Vegan Autumn Squash Soup
- Slow Cooker Curry Red Lentil Soup
If you try this recipe, please comment below and let me know how it turned out for you!
Creamy Vegan White Bean Chili
Ingredients
- 1 small sweet onion diced
- 1/2 jalapeno pepper seeds removed & chopped
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 lb Yukon gold potatoes chopped into 1/2 inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons arrowroot powder or Tapioca flour/starch
- 4 cups vegetable broth low sodium
- 3.5 cups canned cannellini beans, drained low sodium
- 1 cup frozen corn kernels
- 12 ounces salsa verde low sodium
- 4 ounces diced green chilis, drained
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro chopped
Instructions
- Add onion, garlic, & jalapeno to a large stockpot and water saute on medium heat for 5 minutes.
- Add the rest of the ingredients, except cilantro, and stir to combine well.
- Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring often, until potatoes are tender.
- Top with fresh cilantro before serving. Also great to serve with lime wedges, avocado, or baked tortilla chips!
Notes
Nutrition
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This looks really good. I have a question. Is the something I can substitute for the salsa verde? I cannot eat tomitillas thanks
Thanks! Hmmmm…. you might try adding more mild green chilis & jalapenos. Or maybe just try a red salsa? It would change the color but would probably taste good!