This cozy Vegan Creamy White Chili is flavorful and satisfying thanks to lime juice, vegan cream cheese, and the perfect balance of spices.
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This may be a spicy take (no pun intended), but a lot of white chili recipes are pretty boring. They lack flavor and interest and overall tend to leave me unsatisfied. That is absolutely not the case with this Vegan Creamy White Chili, which absolutely bursts with flavor and creaminess. You won’t miss the meat for a second!
Why Does This Vegan Creamy White Chili Work?
- The Spices: We are not skimping on the spices in this recipe. Every spice is carefully chosen to maximize and balance flavor without making it overpowering. Cumin, chili powder, oregano, and cayenne pepper all work together to create something beautiful.
- Vegan Cream Cheese: The key to a truly creamy vegan white chili! I considered using cashew cream for this recipe, but found that the cream cheese lent more depth of creaminess and tang. It truly makes this recipe luxurious. Violife and Trader Joe’s are my favorite vegan cream cheese options.
- Lime Juice: Freshly squeezed if possible. You will add the lime juice as the final step once you take the chili off the stove. This truly helps to bring the entire dish together; don’t skip!
Other Key Ingredients
Yellow Onion and Garlic: All self-respecting chili begins with aromatics.
Bell Pepper: Any color works!
Corn: I use the fire-roasted frozen corn from Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods.
Green Chiles: A classic ingredient for any white chili. They provide a sweet, smoky, very slightly spicy boost.
Beans: I used a combination of white and pinto beans because variety is the spice of life. You can use all white beans if you prefer.
I hope you’re obsessed with this Vegan Creamy White Chili and it becomes a regular part of your dinner rotation! If you try it out, be sure to leave a rating, review, question, or concern. This helps enormously with Google rankings and also makes my day. You can also come hang with me on Pinterest, Instagram, and TikTok.
More Vegan Soups & Stews
- Three Bean Walnut Pumpkin Chili
- Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Fried Sage Gremolata
- Vegan Cheesy Roasted Cauliflower Soup
- Easy Vegan Creamy Tomato Soup (No Coconut Milk!)
- South Indian-Inspired Potato Soup with Crispy Lentils
Vegan Creamy White Chili
Equipment
- Dutch oven or large pot
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion (about 1 cup) diced
- 5 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- 1 bell pepper (any color works) de-seeded and diced
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 2 4-oz cans green chiles
- 2 15-oz cans white beans (such as cannelini, great northern, or navy beans) drained and rinsed
- 1 15-oz can pinto beans drained and rinsed
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- freshly ground black pepper
- 3 cups low sodium vegetable broth
- 4 oz vegan cream cheese (usually about half of a container) brought to room temperature
- juice of 1 lime
Topping Ideas
- tortilla chips
- shredded vegan cheddar cheese
- vegan sour cream
- diced avocado
- chopped cilantro
- lime wedges
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Add diced onion and bell pepper and sauté for 5-8 minutes, or until softened and translucent. Add minced garlic and sauté an additional 30 seconds-1 minute. Add green chiles, corn, white and pinto beans, and all spices and allow to mingle for about 3 minutes.
- Add vegetable broth and bring to a gentle boil (I usually increase the heat a bit to medium high at this stage but that’s not necessary with every stove). Reduce to a simmer (I usually lower the heat to medium-low) and cover with a lid for 30-40 minutes. Check on the chili occasionally to ensure it's not boiling too vigorously and maintains that gentle simmer.
- Remove the lid and simmer the chili 5 more minutes, or until the chili has thickened. Fold in vegan cream cheese and stir continuously until fully melted and distributed.
- Remove the chili from the heat and stir in lime juice. Serve with tortilla chips, shredded cheddar cheese, cilantro, etc. The world is your oyster!
Notes
Photography by Hope Agresti
