Vegan Chili
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 6
Description: One of my fondest memories with my little sister is staying up all night at our Mom’s house, eating bowl after bowl of vegan chili. I would make us a huge batch and we would watch movies all night while eating it. Our favorite thing to do was pair it with vegan sour cream and vegan cornbread. We would mix them both in our chili to create a creamy, sweet, and salty concoction, and I still do this. I think it is the best way to eat it! I hope you enjoy this flavorful chili that will keep you warm and full, especially during the cooler seasons!
Feel free to use Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP) or vegan ground “beef” instead of the tofu. Many people also enjoy vegan cheese with their chili; feel free to try this or add a dash of nutritional yeast on top instead. Enjoy!
Chili Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons oil or 2/3 cup vegetable broth or water for oil-free
- 2 28-oz cans of crushed or diced tomatoes (I use diced for more texture)
- 1 15-oz can red kidney beans
- 1 15-oz can black beans
- 1 15-oz can pinto beans
- 1 green bell pepper
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 4 garlic cloves (minced)
- 1.5 tablespoons cacao powder (please visit F.E.P.’s Chocolate List to help make informed choices on chocolate selection)
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
Tofu Ingredients:
- 1 block extra-firm tofu
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon nutritional yeast
Tofu Preparation Instructions:
- With your fingers, crumble the tofu into small pieces. This should only take a few minutes.
- Place the tofu crumbles into a large bowl and add the seasonings and soy sauce.
- Gently mix together all of the ingredients until all of the pieces are evenly coated.
- Spread evenly onto a lined pan and bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes, then flip for another 5 minutes. Bake for longer for a tougher texture.
Chili Instructions:
- Chop the onion and bell pepper into small pieces.
- Saute the onion and bell pepper in a pot with the oil or water if oil-free, over medium heat until the onions are translucent. This should only take a few minutes.
- Add the minced garlic to the mixture and stir for one minute.
- Drain and rinse the kidney beans, black beans, and pinto beans.
- Add the cans of tomatoes, red kidney beans, black beans, pinto beans, maple syrup, cacao powder, cumin, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, and salt to the pot.
- Stir in all of the ingredients until well mixed.
- Allow the chili to heat until it boils on high heat, then let simmer on low heat, stirring every few minutes, for 20 minutes, to meld the flavors.
- Add tofu crumbles and let simmer for another 5 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes.
Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes before serving!
Recipe Courtesy of jaz boler