White Chili
Vegan white chili is a creamy, cozy pot of white beans, sweet corn, and green peas simmered in a blended vegetable base enriched with coconut cream and warm white chili seasoning. Unlike the tomato-red chili most people know, this one skips the tomatoes entirely and leans on a smooth, gently spiced broth, which makes it lighter on the palate but every bit as hearty. If you have never tried making white chili until now, you have no idea what you are missing out on, and this is the version I keep coming back to.
The autumn air is getting stronger and stronger here. The ground is full of yellow leaves and I have already switched my sandals for boots. For me this is a clear sign that autumn is here, so I am slowly saying goodbye to fresh salads and locally grown fresh fruit, and welcoming the soup and stews season instead. To celebrate, I decided to make a hearty, filling, and creamy meal. White chili is less known in my country but fairly popular in the Southern parts of the US, and because it was a new recipe in my kitchen, it felt like a proper celebration of the cool seasons. I was so amazed by the results that I knew I had to share it with all of you.
What makes this chili “white”
The difference comes down to what is left out. Traditional chili con carne gets its color and tang from tomatoes and red chili powder. White chili drops both and builds its body from pale ingredients instead: white beans, a blended potato-and-vegetable base, and coconut cream for richness. The result is a soft, ivory-colored bowl that reads as comforting rather than fiery. In my opinion, it actually tastes better and it is much easier to prepare and eat than you would expect from something this creamy.
The ingredients that carry the dish
A few ingredients do the heavy lifting here, so it helps to know what each one is bringing to the pot:
- White beans are the backbone. Canned and drained works perfectly and keeps this a true weeknight recipe; their mild, buttery flavor is exactly what “white” chili is built on.
- Coconut cream (the thick canned kind, not the thin milk) is what makes the base luxuriously smooth. Use the solid cream at the top of the can for the richest result.
- Potato and celeriac get blended into the broth, which is the trick to a naturally thick, velvety texture without any flour or dairy.
- White chili seasoning carries the warmth. It is milder and more herbaceous than a red chili blend, so it seasons without turning the pot red.
- Corn, green peas, and pickled jalapeños are the filling. They go in whole after the base is blended, giving you pops of sweetness, texture, and a little tang in every spoonful.
Why blending the base works
The step that makes this chili feel restaurant-creamy is blending the cooked potato, celeriac, celery, onion, and garlic into a smooth purée before you add the beans and vegetables back in. Starchy potato and celeriac break down into a natural thickener, so the broth turns silky on its own without a roux or added cream base. Pulsing the coconut cream in at the end, off a hard boil, keeps it emulsified and stops it from splitting. It is a simple bit of technique that gives you a pot that looks and tastes far more involved than it actually is.
Tips for getting it right
- Sauté the garlic and onion only until fragrant. Let them catch and brown too hard and the base can turn bitter, which shows up quickly in a pale, delicate broth.
- Blend the base while it is hot for the smoothest texture, and if you like a little rustic body, reserve some of the beans and corn to stir in whole rather than blending everything.
- Season with the jalapeños “to taste.” Pickled slices add heat and tang, so start with less and add more once you have tasted the finished pot.
- The final rest matters. Turning the heat off and letting it sit covered for about 10 minutes lets the flavors settle and the chili thicken to its proper spoon-coating consistency.
What to serve with vegan white chili
Finish each bowl with a squeeze of lime, fresh cilantro, and chopped mint, which brighten all that creamy warmth. You can also eat it with tortilla chips, which is actually my favorite option because I love the combination of the crispy chips and the creamy chili. For a fuller table, a wedge of vegan cornbread is the classic partner, and a spoonful of vegan sour cream on top adds a cool, tangy contrast. If you are cooking your way through the whole cool-season lineup, it sits nicely alongside the rest of my chili recipes. Trust me, this is a great recipe for a weekday dinner.
Storing and making it ahead
Like most bean dishes, this white chili is even better the next day once the flavors have had time to meld. Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days, and reheat gently over low heat, stirring so the coconut cream stays smooth; add a splash of broth or water if it has thickened too much overnight. It freezes well too, so portion it into containers for a fast future dinner and thaw overnight before warming through. If white beans have won you over, my vegan white bean soup is another cozy pot worth keeping in your back pocket. I am just glad we have this today and can enjoy it anytime we like.
If you make this creamy white chili, I would love to know how it turned out for you. Rate the recipe below and leave a comment telling me whether you went the tortilla-chip route like I do, how much jalapeño you dared to add, or any little tweak you made along the way.
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White Chili
Ingredients
For the base:
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 cups vegetable broth or water
- 1 potato chopped
- 1 onion chopped
- ¼ celeriac chopped
- 1 stalk green celery chopped
- ½ cup coconut cream canned
- 4 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- 1 Tbsp white chili seasoning
For the filling:
- 2 cups white beans canned, drained
- 2 Tbsp jalapeño slices pickled, drained – to taste
- ½ cup green peas
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 cup corn cooked
- 1 red chili sliced
For serving:
- 1 wedge lime
- cilantro
- fresh mint chopped
Instructions
- Heat a large pot on medium heat. Add the olive oil, garlic, and onion. Sautee until fragrant.
- Add the potato, celeries, and chili seasoning and sautee for about 3 minutes.
- Pour in the broth and simmer for about 7 minutes.
- Add the veggies to the food processor and blend until smooth.
- Add the coconut cream and pulse a few more times to combine.
- Return the mixture to the heat. Add all the filling ingredients and bring to a boil.
- Turn the heat off, cover and let sit for about 10 minutes.
- Serve with lime wedges, fresh cilantro, and fresh mint. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
Vegan white chili is a creamy, tomato-free chili made with white beans, corn, green peas, and a blended vegetable base thickened naturally with potato and celeriac and enriched with coconut cream. It uses white chili seasoning instead of red chili powder, which keeps the color pale and the flavor warm and herbaceous rather than fiery. It is entirely plant-based, with no dairy, meat, or eggs.
Regular chili gets its red color and tangy depth from tomatoes and red chili powder, while white chili leaves both out. Instead it builds body from white beans, a blended potato-and-vegetable broth, and coconut cream, giving you a soft, ivory-colored bowl that tastes creamy and comforting rather than spicy-red.
Yes, and this recipe is written for them. Two cups of canned white beans, drained, keep it a true weeknight meal with no soaking or long simmering required. Just drain and rinse them, then add them to the filling once the base has been blended.
Coconut cream is what makes the base luxuriously smooth, so choose another thick plant-based cream if you need a swap, such as cashew cream or a dairy-free cooking cream. The result stays vegan and creamy; just avoid thin coconut or plant milks, which will not thicken the broth the same way.
This version is mild by default because the heat comes mostly from pickled jalapeños added to taste. Start with less, taste the finished pot, and add more if you want it hotter. A sliced red chili on top lets each person adjust their own bowl.
Stored in an airtight container in the fridge, it keeps for up to four days and often tastes even better the next day as the flavors meld. Reheat gently over low heat, stirring so the coconut cream stays smooth, and add a splash of broth if it has thickened. It also freezes well for a fast future dinner.
This sounds very tasty, but…… you have celery listed twice in the base. And how do you peel cooked corn? I think one can of jalepenos would make it too hot for me, and I don’t know how hot a red chili pepper is as I’ve never used one. Could I just use a red bell pepper? Is coconut cream the hard part that rises to the top of a can of coconut milk? I like chunky soup, so thinking I might not use the food processor.
Hi, Sandy! That’s because I use both the root and the green part. You can add the chili to your taste, if you don’t like spicy foods, add less. You can definitely make this non-spicy as well by using bell peppers. Yes, coconut cream is the thick part of a coconut milk can.
So, so, so yummy! The entire family loved it, thank you! 🙂
Thank you! Happy to hear you liked the recipe!