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Meatless Taco Chili (Dairy Free, Vegan)

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Taco Chili – an easy, high protein, high fiber, full of flavor, meatless dish! Perfect for a weeknight meal, entertaining, or game day! Load it up with your favorite toppings and dig in!

Meatless Taco Chili in a blue bowl topped with dairy free sour cream, cilantro, and lim wedges. Colorful dish cloth under the bowl. Corn chips and lime wedges around the bowl.

Tacos – yum! Chili – yum! Taco Chili – double yum!!

Tacos and chili have a lot of the same spices and ingredients in common, so this was a natural combination. (Remember when I combined tacos and burgers in my awesome Taco Burger recipe?) I see a lot of taco soup recipes out there, but this dish is thick and hearty and definitely more of a chili than a soup.

Easy to customize the toppings to each individual taste and I even give you a gluten free option as well. With the BIG GAME coming up this weekend, this is a recipe you need to put on your menu!

Two bowls Meatless Taco Chili surrounded by corn chips.

Feed a Crowd

Chili is the perfect dish to feed a crowd. Make a big pot, set out all the toppings, and let everyone customize it to their liking. The big football game is this weekend and how delicious does a chili bar sound? And so easy too!

You can make this in advance, store in the fridge for a day or two, and then simply reheat when you’re ready to serve. You could even reheat this Taco Chili in a crockpot to keep it warm all day. This recipe easily serves 6-8 already, but feel free to double it up if you need more. Any leftovers will freeze beautifully.

Meatless Taco Chili in a blue bowl with toppings of lime wedges, sour cream, avocado, and cilantro.

High Protein, High Fiber

Not only is this Taco Chili an easy, fun dish for any occasion, but it’s super nutritious too! Full of healthy plant protein, hearty fiber, and lots of vitamins and minerals. Let’s take a look at what’s mingling in this bowl:

Two kinds of beans – black beans and kidney beans (pinto beans would work too)

Whole grain bulgur – mimicking the look and texture of ground meat, just like in my Meatless Stuffed Pepper Soup. Use quinoa for a gluten free option.

Lots of veggies – bell pepper, onion, tomatoes, and corn – the perfect combo for vegetarian tacos or chili…or in this case, both! Throw in a jalapeño if you like a little heat.

Fragrant and flavorful spices – chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, oregano, smoked paprika

Spoonful of vegetarian taco chili being lifted out of a bowl.

All The Toppings

The toppings are what take this Taco Chili from delicious to “I want seconds!” I like wedges of lime to squeeze right over the top, chunks of avocado, lots of chopped cilantro, fresh diced tomatoes for a nice contrast from the canned, a big dollop of Creamy Cumin Ranch Dressing (try it, I promise you won’t regret it!), and of course, CHIPS! Corn chips or tortilla chips…or throw caution to the wind and use both! Use them to dip or simply crush them up and sprinkle on top. How would you top your vegan chili?

A wooden handles metal spoon in a Bowl of Meatless Taco Chili topped with crushed tortilla chips.

Meatless Taco Chili

I hope you love this Taco Chili as much as we do. Please give it a try and then come back to leave me a comment below with your feedback and star rating. You can also find me on social media. Be sure to tag @veggie_inspired and #veggieinspired so I’m sure to see it! Enjoy!

5 from 1 vote
Meatless Taco Chili
Print
Meatless Taco Chili (Dairy Free)
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Total Time
40 mins
 
Taco Chili - an easy, high protein, high fiber, full of flavor, meatless dish! Perfect for a weeknight meal, entertaining, or game day! Load it up with your favorite toppings and dig in!
Course: Chili, Entree, Soup
Cuisine: dairy free, egg free, oil free, refined sugar free, soy free, vegan
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 226 kcal
Author: Jenn S.
Ingredients
Garnishes
Instructions
  1. In a large soup pot, sauté the onion and red bell pepper over medium heat in 1/4 cup vegetable broth for 5-6 minutes until softened.
  2. Add the chili powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, cumin, oregano, bulgur and Bragg's liquid aminos. Stir well and sauté for 1 minute to infuse the bulgur and veggies with the spices.
  3. Add the remaining vegetable broth, black beans, kidney beans, diced tomatoes, and tomato sauce. Mix well. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn down the heat to medium low and simmer for 15 minutes until the bulgur is cooked through.
  4. Add the corn kernels and cook another 5 minutes to heat through.
  5. Serve hot with your choice of garnishes. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes

Bragg Liquid Aminos (or soy sauce) might seem like an odd addition to a tex-mex dish, but it gives depth of flavor and the end dish it won't taste like soy sauce - promise!

Nutrition Facts
Meatless Taco Chili (Dairy Free)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 226 Calories from Fat 18
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 2g 3%
Sodium 1263mg 53%
Potassium 868mg 25%
Total Carbohydrates 41g 14%
Dietary Fiber 12g 48%
Sugars 10g
Protein 10g 20%
Vitamin A 38%
Vitamin C 67%
Calcium 9%
Iron 17%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.


More Vegan Chili Recipes to Love:

Chickpea White Chili

Chickpea White Chili

Spicy Beanless Garden Chili

Spicy Beanless Garden Chili

Slow Cooker Black Bean Butternut Squash Chili

Black Bean Butternut Squash Chili

Meatless Taco Chili - vegan | dairy free | oil free | game day | vegetarian | high protein | high fiber | easy | recipe

Comments

  2. Melissa says

    In my Dutch oven as I type!! I can’t wait to try! Thank you for posting! Would’ve never have thought to add bulgur!

    Reply

  3. Shannon says

    This looks too good to be true, so incredibly excited to try this! Would this also work with either brown rice or farro? If I used one of those instead of the bulgar, would you suggest cooking separately and adding when the rice/farro is finished cooking? Thanks for all that you do! Just discovered your site and I can’t wait to give everything a try!

    Reply

    • Jenn S. says

      Hi, Shannon. I’m so glad you found me and I hope you find lots of recipes to love. For this chili, I think rice or farro would work just fine. The bulgur has kind of a ground meat like look to it, so you won’t have that, but taste-wise either one would be delicious. If you are using quick cook rice, you could add it straight to the pot. But, I think if you plant to use whole grain rice or farro (cook times could vary based on your variety of farro), it would be best to add it to the chili already cooked. Let me know how it turns out!

      Reply

  4. The Vegan 8 says

    Chili is definitely in my top 5 foods to eat! There is nothing more comforting! This looks sooo good! Especially with all of those amazing toppings! I pretty much live on Mexican chili over here! Avocado is my favorite thing to add onto chili!

    Reply

    • Jenn S. says

      I agree! Avocado on chili is almost a must! And chips too. And pretty much everything else. LOL! It’s all about the toppings! 🙂 Thanks, Brandi!

      Reply

  5. Mel says

    Chili is one of my favourite meals and I am loving all of those taco style toppings! it looks so good! Mine would be piled high ;O)

    Reply

    • Jenn S. says

      We definitely need cozy around here. Today it was 5 degrees with the windchill. Brrrrr! I’m coming for your pool when it’s done! 🙂

      Reply

    • Jenn S. says

      My family is beginning to think this ranch is the only condiment I know how to make. LOL! It just goes so well with everything! 🙂 Thanks, Becky!

      Reply

    • Jenn S. says

      You do! It’s so good…I seriously put it on everything (and even lick it from the spoon!). The cumin and smoked paprika are very subtle, so it goes with everything, but definitely brings out the taco flavors when paired with those dishes! Let me know if you try it!

      Reply

  15. Emily Kyle says

    Meat or no meat, this chili looks absolute amazing! Its two of my favorite flavors together in one dish, can’t wait to try this version the next time I make chili!

    Reply

  17. Sarah says

    I love a hearty veggie chili and than using the leftovers in a million ways to have meals for the week! This looks so delicious and flavorful!

    Reply

    • Jenn S. says

      Yes! You are so right – chili leftovers can be transformed into lots of things! Enchiladas, tacos, burritos, nachos, quesadillas, chili mac, etc! Thanks, Sarah!

      Reply

    • Jenn S. says

      Yes, super hearty! And the bulgur does resemble the texture of ground meat, so perfect for everyone! Thanks, Taylor!

      Reply

  19. Lindsay Cotter says

    This meatless taco chili needs to be in my life! Looks so hearty and delicious! Just what I need to warm up with on a cold night like tonight! Thanks for including the gluten free options!

    Reply

    • Jenn S. says

      Oh yes, for sure! Tortilla chips are an addiction of mine – they MUST be present in our house at all times! 🙂

      Reply

    • Jenn S. says

      Exactly! It’s so hearty and will definitely fill anyone up. Plus with all the toppings, they probably won’t even notice. 🙂 Thanks, Amanda!

      Reply

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My name is Jenn. This is my blog where I share delicious plant based recipes for the whole family. I love to cook; I can read cookbooks like novels; and I enjoy experimenting in the kitchen by making standard American favorites healthier.

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