This zesty white bean chili is one of my favorite game day recipes! Creamy, hearty, and easy to make, it's also a perfect dinner for busy weeknights.
Meet my favorite white bean chili recipe! A plant-based spin on white chicken chili, this creamy vegan recipe is a perfect meal for busy weeknights and game day alike.
It’s easy to make with basic ingredients (and minimal chopping!), and the flavor is oh-so-good. Spices like cumin and coriander add earthy depth, and canned green chiles and fresh lime juice make it zesty and bright.
Load up your bowl with toppings like avocado, jalapeños, and cilantro for a hearty, healthy, and delicious meal!
Why You’ll Love This White Bean Chili Recipe
- It’s super creamy without any cream. Blending some of the beans gives it a rich, velvety texture—no dairy required!
- It’s easy to make with pantry ingredients like canned beans, spices, and vegetable broth.
- It tastes even better the next day. Make it ahead for game day, or meal prep it for lunches or an easy dinner. Your future self will thank you!
White Bean Chili Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this white bean chili:
- White beans, of course! Cannellini beans, Great Northern beans, or navy beans work great. You’ll leave some whole and puree the rest to give the chili its creamy texture.
- Extra-virgin olive oil – For richness.
- Onion and garlic – For savory depth of flavor.
- Poblano pepper – It adds a little heat.
- Vegetable broth – Use store-bought, or make homemade vegetable stock.
- Diced green chiles – They add zesty, tangy flavor to this simple chili.
- Ground cumin, coriander, and dried oregano – For earthy, aromatic flavor. If you like your chili to have a smoky flavor, feel free to add a pinch of smoked paprika or chili powder too.
- Fresh lime juice – It gives the chili a nice bright finish.
- And salt and pepper – To make all the flavors pop!
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
How to Make White Bean Chili
This white bean chili recipe is super easy to make!
First, blend half the beans with 3/4 cup broth. Set the puree aside for now. You’ll add it to the chili later on to create its thick and creamy texture.
Meanwhile, sauté the onion and poblano. Stir in the green chiles, garlic, and spices. Then, add the remaining beans and broth and simmer for 10 minutes.
Next, stir in the bean puree. Simmer for another 20 minutes.
After the chili simmers, remove it from the heat and stir in the lime juice. Season to taste with more salt, pepper, and lime as desired. That’s it!
Serving Suggestions
When you’re ready to serve, ladle the chili into bowls and top it with fresh garnishes for color and crunch. Here are a few of my favorites:
- Fresh cilantro
- Sliced chiles like jalapeños or serranos
- Avocado slices or diced avocado
- Sliced green onions
- A dollop of Greek yogurt, sour cream, or vegan sour cream
- Shredded cheddar or cotija cheese
- Crushed tortilla chips
Round out the meal with homemade cornbread or jalapeño cornbread. Enjoy!
How to Store
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. They also freeze well for up to 3 months!
Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop. If the chili has thickened in the fridge, add water as needed to thin it to your desired consistency.
More Favorite Soup and Chili Recipes
If you love this white bean chili, try one of these hearty soup or chili recipes next:
- Easy Vegetarian Chili
- Black Bean Chili
- Black Bean Soup
- Creamy Potato Soup
- Or any of these 35 Best Soup Recipes!
White Bean Chili
Ingredients
- 4½ cups cooked white beans*, 3 (15-ounce cans), drained and rinsed, divided
- 3 cups vegetable broth, divided
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1 poblano pepper, stemmed, seeded, and diced
- 1¼ teaspoons sea salt
- 1 (4-ounce) can diced green chiles
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1½ teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, plus wedges for serving
- Freshly ground black pepper
For topping
- Fresh cilantro
- Sliced jalapeño or serrano peppers
- Diced avocado
- Sliced green onions
Instructions
- In a blender, place one can of the drained white beans and 1 cup of the broth and blend until smooth. Set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, poblano, salt, and several grinds of pepper, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until softened. Stir in the green chiles, garlic, cumin, oregano, and coriander, and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the remaining 2 cups broth and 2 cans drained white beans. Simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add the bean puree, stir, and simmer, uncovered, for 25 to 35 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened. Remove from the heat, let sit for 10 minutes to continue to thicken, then stir in the lime juice. Season to taste and serve with desired toppings and lime wedges for squeezing.
My husband and I loved this. It was very tasty!
Delicious! My husband and I really like it. Has a great flavor. It’s perfect thanks for sharing!
So glad you loved it, Amber!
Taste was great, but too soupy. Would add 1-2 more cans of beans. Let simmer over an hour and did not thicken.
Thickend after sitting! Delightful
tastes great, but something is off about the bean amount. this was so thin! i wonder if it’s the difference between cooked from dry vs canned beans. 3 cans does not seem like enough. could’ve easily done 5x. flavor is phenomenal though
Hi Dan, did you let it simmer for the whole duration? It looks thin going in, but it thickens as it cooks. If it didn’t reach your desired texture, you could cook it a little longer.
yup! simmered for the whole duration. no account of simmering would’ve thickened it up enough. it ended up only being 4 servings as is. it was still great, but I’ll just ramp up the amount of beans next time
My family really enjoyed the fresh flavor of this white bean chili recipe. It was more liquidy than our typical chili, but the flavor was excellent. My family of four with a tween and a teen really enjoyed it, especially with corn bread.