There’s nothing like the aroma of a pot of hearty, earthy chili simmering on the stove on a cool autumn day. This vegan cauliflower black bean chili is a healthy and just-as-hearty rendition of traditional chili, made with cauliflower, sweet bell peppers, tomatoes, and protein-packed black beans, seasoned with earthy cumin, cayenne, chili powder.
My family loves a nice, hearty bowl of chili, usually accompanied by freshly sliced avocado, a dollop of Greek yogurt and garnished with fresh parsley. I love making this one-pot meal since it requires little effort to prepare and I can make enough for leftovers, plus ready-to-serve freezer meals for busy weeknights. This recipe is a winner in my home-for me, since I follow a predominantly vegan diet, and for my husband and kids who love chili. This vegan cauliflower black bean chili appeases the family with its earthy flavours, chunky texture, and delicious flavour, and also allows for me to enjoy a meatless meal without having to prepare a separate meal for myself!
Serve this delicious, wholesome vegan chili to the family on meatless Mondays or any day of the week, for that matter! It’s delicious served as is, but adding a dollop of Greek yogurt (for non-vegans), creamy avocado, and parsley adds freshness and another depth of flavour to this one-pot wonder.
If you try this recipe (and love it!) be sure to snap a pic and tag me on Instagram with #bitesforfoodies so I can see your creation!
Great Recipe. Doubled it, used Ancho Chili from Penney’s as the Chili powder, added the juice from one lemon in place of salt. Best vegan chili I’ve ever had.
Thanks Rob! So happy to hear!!
Just made this last night and it was delicious (not just for babies)! I used a large head of cauliflower and minced it in the food processor until it was the consistency of rice. It seemed to be an enormous amount of cauliflower, so I added a second can of black beans and increased the garlic (3 cloves) and cumin powder (2 tsp). We really liked the end product.
So good to hear! Thanks for coming back to comment. You seem to love cumin as much as I do…I usually increase the amount too, but I’m not sure if it’s an ingredient that all people like so I kept it minimal in this recipe! This is one of my favourite go-to meals…Actually, since I started making this I don’t miss regular chili AT ALL!
Loved this it is now a staple
Great! Thanks for the feedback Krystal!
I made this last weekend. It was delicious!
Yay! Glad you loved it! Thanks so much for coming back to comment 😉
This was delicious! I didn’t read the recipe carefully and accidentally chopped the cauliflower in food processor – it looked a little gross but tasted fantastic! Thanks for the recipe!!
Hi Heidi! Glad you loved it! I thought for a second there was a misprint in the recipe. Completely pureed could work too…like a ‘cream of…’ soup, except no cream! I hope you come back to try another recipe.
Now, this looks really good! I am not trying to be a Vegan, but I am trying to bring in more fruits and veggies into my life. The recipe seems easy and the ingredients are simple enough to were I will fill out of place using them.
My daughter told me that I need to be Vegan once a week, after picking up the Vegan Guide from the bins on the streets of NYC. I was also looking for a way to up the veggie factor in chili. Love the cauliflower idea—a veg our whole family loves. I will let you know how it turns out, but sounds great!
I think eating vegan once a week is feasible…and not hard to do at all!I’m excited for you to try this…and I would love some feedback!
Just seeing this now, oops! I wonder if you ended up trying this recipe…and what you thought of it?
It’s one of our new go-to meals. And, I’ve passed
It on to a friend who has to hide veggies for her daughter.
Awesome! Thanks for sharing 😉
This one look so good lisa. And only a 3 minute prep time?!
5 minutes…roughly! Only the time it takes to chop the veggies 😉
this looks so good! I’m giving my son cauliflower for the first time this weekend! can’t wait to get to recipes like this with him!
There are a few other yumy recipes on the Blog that you could try! You should try the cauliflower ‘cream’ sauce! It’s a great condiment for pasta!
Looks like a healthy version of my favorite winter comfort food, thanks for sharing this recipe!
Tracy @ Ascending Butterfly
Thanks, and yes it is!
This looks really tasty! We love chili and this would be healthier than what we make!
I used to love chili (back when I ate meat!) and this one is a gret substitute!
This looks delicious! My husband would love this. He’s been wanting me to work cauliflower more into his food, and this sounds like the perfect recipe to try.
I wish…my husband hates cauliflower! The kids enjoyed this one…I had to bribe him, lol!
oh my this looks soooo good. i am gonna have to tell my mom to make this. i know she would love it also.
This looks both tasty and healthy. It also has a rich flavor with the chili.
Honestly I have never cooked cauliflower before. Not sure why but this chili looks delicious.
It’s delicious…you should even just try roasting the florets in the oven…yum!
Oh Yum! I bet this is just as good as the one with meat in it!
I think so 😉
I never thought about adding cauliflower into my chili. This sounds absolutely delicious!
It definitely has that somewhat hearty texture like meat…or as close as you can get to it!
This Vegan Cauliflower Black Bean Chili looks delicious. I have never had chili with cauliflower in it before so I will have to try making this recipe.
Great! Hope you love it as much as we do!
I am very hungry right now just looking at your beautiful pictures, this black bean chilli looks delicious. I would munch it pretty quickly vegan or not.
Well, thank you! That’s such a compliment!
Your photos are gorgeous. I can’t even eat the food because I want to stare at it all day. lol. I actually saved this recipe and your site. I think it’s a great idea to make so many recipes and document it for other moms and potential moms. Thank you!
Thank you so much 😉
Oh yum! That looks like what I need right now!! I am in love with chilis this time of year and I love cauliflower!
Me too…I always try to make different variations.
I love a good chili. I’ve never thought to add cauliflower. A great way to bulk it up without a lot of calories.
Exactly!
I’ve never had chili with cauliflower in it, but that sounds and looks good. I love cauliflower.
What a delicious looking chili! Of course, I love chili during this time of year. I try to make a batch every week or every other week!
I do as well…it’s so easy to make a huge batch and freeze for weeknight meals.
This really, really looks good! We love chili in our house and I like to try different variations so a veggie option is a great addition. Pinned to my ‘must cook’ board!
Thanks for pinning!
I make a Kickin’ Cauliflower Soup and I make Black Bean Chili, but I’ve never thought to add cauliflower to m black bean chili. I have to make this ASAP. This will be perfect for the weekend.
Ok, cauliflower soup sounds delicious right now…;-)
This dish looks incredible! I’ll have to try it out on my husband since he loves cauliflower so much! 🙂
I’m sure he’ll love it!
This sounds like a super healthy meal. I personally don’t care for califlower though. Thank you for sharing.
It has an intense flavour…I think that either you like it, or you don’t 😉
Chili is such a hearty meal for the winter time. We make several types of chili during the colder weather. This is an interesting twist on traditional chili.
We love chili around here, but we’ve never tried it with cauliflower yet. Never thought of that. Thanks for the recipe.
I’ve made it with quinoa and with sweet potatoes…this way is my favourite!
Ha, my stomach just growl upon seeing that yummy chili. That sounds really delicious.
I do not eat vegan but this sounds like a great chili that I would love to try. Cauliflower is one of my favourite veggies.
I think even non-vegans will enjoy this!
I’m not really a vegan but I would love to try this one out. The favorite ingredient of your recipe is the chili. It spicy up any dishes!
Cauliflower has become the new ‘it’ food isn’t it? 😀 I love them too but never would’ve think they will be great in chili and I love chili so I can’t wait to try your recipe. Off to pin it now
I guess so! I’ve tried making cauliflower pizza crust a few times, which was unsuccessful! This recipe is super easy!
I love Chili. I could eat it everyday in the winter. I will making this healthier version very soon.
Oh yum! I bet this tastes good. It certainly looks good.
great vegan recipe. I love cauliflower too! I have to try this recipe
Hmm I bet this would taste just as hearty as the ‘original’ meat lovers chili. Looks absolutely yummy! I could dive right in.
I think it does…the texture also depends on how roughly you chop the florets.
The cauliflower is a good addition to this recipe. The weather has been cooler here in my country and I think this will just be perfect.
Where are you from? It’s already quite cool here too in Canada!
What a great adaptation! I have never heard of adding Cauliflower!! sounds delicious!
That looks so good. I love chili! I know my husband would love this!
Oh I could use a lovely stew like this to warm me up. Yum yum. Perfect for lunch! Thank you for sharing x Kat I http://www.beautifullytravelled.com
You can make a huge batch since it freezes really well too…
Oh yum, this looks amazing! I’ve done meatless chilis before but never with cauliflower! Thats just brilliant!
That looks delicious. I love chili. I’ve never though of putting cauliflower in it before.
Ooh, I’m always on the lookout for new chili recipes, and this one looks delicious! I can’t wait to try it!
I hope you do 😉
Yum we eat a lot of chili in my house during the winter I will have to try this recipe 🙂
My family loves a good chili. I’m trying to avoid eating meat a lot. i’d like to try this.
It’s a great (healthy) adaptation…you could try it on ‘Meatless Mondays!’
OH Chili sounds like just what the Dr ordered. It sound nice and warm! I have never tried with a head of cauliflower, but I really love it anyway I can get it so I will have to try this.
If you love cauliflower, you’ll love this chili!
I love to eat chilli when I am sick. The spice in it does the trick to my sore throat to make it better. Love that this recipe is meatless as its so much more better to eat.
Really?I would have never thought that the spice would helps soothe a sore throat!
Me and my family are all meat lovers, however, I think I would still give your recipe a try. A nice vegetable meal, cooked like chili will always be welcome in our home.
My family enjoys meat dishes, but it’s nice to offer vegan options sometimes too 😉
Oh wow, this sounds absolutely delicious. What a healthy, hearty winter meal idea this is. I love it.