Three Bean Vegan Pumpkin Chili with Ground Tofu
This ridiculously easy vegan pumpkin chili is PACKED with warming spices and deliciously comforting flavor- with loads of hearty beans and perfectly seasoned ground tofu, this three bean pumpkin chili is a classic fall comfort dish with a delightful pumpkin spice twist that satisfies all eaters- yes even meat-eaters (my dad is OBSESSED with this one!).
Pair with my 30 minute vegan cornbread and crispy roasted Brussels sprouts for the ultimate fall comfort dinner or holiday side dish star!
20 minutes of work for the ultimate comfort food:
This pumpkin chili is quite literally everything you want and need in a chili- and more. We’re talking ultimate comfort food for that chilly and crisp fall evening and dark, cold winter nights where you just need something satisfying, hearty, and damn delicious – and FAST.
Which is why, like my easy lentil lasagna soup and my hearty vegetable stew, this vegetarian and vegan-friendly pumpkin chili is on repeat all season long.
Here’s what you need to know:
- All pantry-staple ingredients: Take a trip to the canned foods aisle, and that’s what you need. Aside from onion, garlic, and tofu, everything else should be right in your cupboard.
- Quick to make: We’re talking only 20 minutes of actual work, max. No endless hours cleaning and chopping veggies, and you don’t even need to press the tofu.
- Unbelievably flavorful: My meat-loving dad is obsessed with this chili, and for one reason- it satisfies even a meat-lover’s classic chili craving. Everything is so intensely flavorful with a few quick and simple tricks that even the most basic of home cooks can nail each time.
- You’ll have endless leftovers: And not because it’s not good- oh, buddy, it is. But this recipe is simple- a “can” of everything makes quite a bit, so even a BIG serving of this chili the first night will leave you with a few nights leftover. You’ll easily be able to freeze some for reheating later.
Table of contents
Pantry-staple ingredients:
- Tofu: Using firm or extra firm tofu is perfect here. I have a whole guide on how best to cook tofu here in case you’re tofu-curious, but honestly, you don’t even need to press firm or extra firm. It’s so easy in this recipe, you literally just break the tofu into bits to resemble ground beef! The meat-eaters won’t know the difference!
- Beans: I use kidney beans, black beans, and borlotti beans. However, you can use your favorites! Pinto beans are also a popular choice for chili as well.
- Pumpkin spice blend: This is KEY! I know it sounds strange (and possibly sweet!). But trust me, this is different from your favorite PSL (which, yes my vegan pumpkin spice latte is truly worth the hype!). The blend is usually a mix of cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and allspice, but ground cinnamon will also work just fine.
- Pumpkin puree: A lot of people will say that fresh pumpkin is super important, but I haven’t found that to be the case in testing. Sure, it’s super fun to say your pumpkin chili was made straight from the gourd. But flavor and texture wise? I don’t feel like it moves the needle much, if at all, to justify skipping the canned version.
- Crushed tomatoes: We’re all about textures here, so definitely go for crushed over strained tomatoes!
- Vegetable broth: I have a homemade veggie broth that I make a big batch of at the start of soup season for recipes just like this! But store-bought is also great!
Swaps & Variations:
Sweet potato puree: If you wanted to, you can certainly make this a sweet potato chili instead. Simply swap in an equal amount of sweet potato puree (either canned or fresh). You can also just use cinnamon here.
Cocoa powder: I’ve tried this a few times in my standard vegan chili recipe, but adding 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder can really amplify flavor!
Overview: How to make vegan pumpkin chili with tofu:
For the full written instructions and ingredient measurements, see the bottom of this post in the recipe card. You can also hit the “jump to recipe” button at the top of this post! Here, we’ll go over a brief overview of the steps, along with providing visuals for a better understanding of the recipe.
🔑Britt’s Key Tip:
Build up the flavor. You could easily dump all of these ingredients into an instant pot or crockpot, and yes it will still taste good. But real depth of flavor comes from cooking each ingredient in steps- caramelizing the onions and sautéing the garlic, adding in the ground tofu and spices, then the beans, then pumpkin puree, then veggie broth, and so on. This allows the spices to fully bloom in the heat of the oil, amplifying the flavor so that you won’t even miss nor crave meat!
Cook low & slow: Good things take time- and this pumpkin chili is a testament to that. Once everything has come to a rolling boil, I reduce the heat to a simmer and let cook for 1 hour (but preferably more). The longer you cook this chili, the more amplified the flavors (and honestly- this is why leftovers are SO DANG TASTY!).
🌟MADE THIS RECIPE & LOVED IT?🌟I’d love it if you’d like a comment and a rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below! This helps others to find the recipes! As always, I absolutely love to see your beautiful creations on Instagram and Pinterest, so be sure to tag me there as well!
Three Bean Vegan Pumpkin Chili with Ground Tofu
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 30
- Total Time: 320
- Yield: 10 1x
- Category: Dinner, Lunch, Soup
- Method: Stove
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Vegan
Description
This ridiculously easy vegan pumpkin chili is PACKED with warming spices and deliciously comforting flavor- with loads of hearty beans and perfectly seasoned ground tofu, this three bean pumpkin chili is a classic fall comfort dish with a delightful pumpkin spice twist that satisfies all eaters- yes even meat-eaters (my dad is OBSESSED with this one!).
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 16 ounces firm tofu
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 2 small bell peppers, chopped
- 10 ounces kidney beans
- 10 ounces black beans
- 10 ounces borlotti beans*
- 16 ounces crushed tomatoes
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 15 ounces pumpkin puree
Instructions
- Prep: Mince and chop the garlic and onion, along with the peppers. Rinse and drain the beans and set aside.
- Sautè: In a large pot, heat the olive oil on medium high heat. Add in the onion, and sauté until translucent, about 3-5 minutes. Then add in the garlic and sauté until golden brown. Finally, add in the tofu but tearing off tiny chunks and crumbling it between clean fingers. You want the crumbles to resemble ground beef. Pour in the soy sauce, cumin, smoked paprika, pumpkin pie spice, chili power, and sea salt as well over the crumbles, and sauté everything in the pan for 3-5 minutes on medium heat, until the tofu is evenly coated.
- Cook: Add in the bell peppers and all 3 types of beans, and stir. Then pour in the crushed tomatoes, vegetable broth, tomato paste, and pumpkin puree. Stir to evenly combine then turn the heat onto high and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and cover. Let cook for at least 30 minutes, preferably an hour or more. The longer it cooks, the better!
- Serve and enjoy! After 30 minutes of cooking, you can serve with vegan sour cream, vegan cheese, and fresh herbs for garnish. The longer you cook, the more flavorful and thicker the chili will be.
Notes
Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight container and in the fridge for up to a week. Alternatively, you can freeze the soup for up to 3 months.
Borlotti beans: You can swap in pinto beans here.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 202
- Sugar: 6.6 g
- Sodium: 621.7 mg
- Fat: 4.7 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 30.3 g
- Fiber: 10.1 g
- Protein: 12.3 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Regarding the beans: Are these canned beans? If so, should they be drained and rinsed, or is the bean liquid meant to be included? Also, 10 oz. is an unusual amount for the US, so I think I would use two 15 oz. cans of two types of beans instead of three 10 oz cans of three types of beans, so as not to have the remaining 5 oz. of beans from three cans of beans. If only two types of beans were to be used, which two types do you think would be best? Thank you.
Hi Kathy!
Great call! So the brand of beans (Jovial Foods) I used were actually 10 ounces, but you can certainly do two types of canned beans (drained and rinsed!). However, an extra can of beans won’t harm the recipe at all if you were to use it- chili is a very forgiving recipe! If I were to just do two beans, though, I would do kidney and black beans (though I know some people prefer their chili with pinto, in which case, I would do kidney and pinto!). I hope that helps!