Classic Style Vegan Chili

A satisfying vegan chili made with the traditional ingredients that you think of when you think of chili, such as beans, tomatoes, onion, chili powder and so on. Except, we used a tasty beef alternative product* in place of the ground meat. But if you prefer a garden style chili, simply replace the meat alternative with diced carrot. Either way, this chili is yummy! 

Ingredients:

• 1 recipe Vegan Sour Cream (optional)
• 2 tablespoon olive oil, divided
• 1/2 large white onion, diced
• 2 large ribs celery, finely chopped
• 1 large red bell pepper, small diced
• 1 large green bell pepper, small diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeño pepper, seeds removed, minced
• 1 1/2 cups homemade Simple Vegetable Broth, or gluten-free store-bought brand
• 1 (14oz) can Muir Glen Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes, or other brand
• 4 tablespoons Muir Glen tomato paste, or other brand
• 1 teaspoon 100% pure maple syrup
• 1/4 cup parsley leaves, loosely packed, chopped
• 2 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons nutritional yeast (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 (15oz) can kidney beans, rinsed, drained
• 1 (15oz) can pinto beans, rinsed, drained
• 1 teaspoon finely ground Himalayan salt, or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste
• 2 tablespoons chili powder, or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne powder (optional for added heat)
• 1 (10oz) package ground beef alternative*
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (optional)
• 1 recipe Vegan Sour Cream (optional)
• 1 small bunch chives, finely chopped (optional)
• Tabasco pepper sauce to taste (optional)

Directions:

1. The day before you plan to serve the chili, make our Vegan Sour Cream recipe if using. Refrigerate in an airtight container until ready for use.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté for 2 minutes or until just translucent.
3. Add the celery and bell pepper. Sauté for 4 minutes or until just tender.
4. Add the garlic and jalapeño. Continue to sauté 2 minutes more or until aromatic.
5. Stir in the vegetable broth, tomatoes, tomato paste, and maple syrup. Reduce heat to medium-low, partly cover and simmer, stirring occasionally for 4 minutes or until heated.
6. Mix in the fresh parsley, fresh oregano, nutritional yeast, and ground cumin, then gently stir in the canned beans. Continue to simmer for 5 minutes or until the beans are heated through.
7. Add the Himalayan salt, black pepper, chili powder, and cayenne powder, if using. Gently mix to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired. Cover with a lid, and remove from heat.
8. In a large nonstick frying pan, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the Beyond Meat Beefy Crumbles and cook on medium heat, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes or until heated through. If using another brand for the ground beef alternative, cook according to the package directions. Mix in the garlic powder if using.
9. Add the heated beef alternative into the pot of chili and gently mix until well combined. Serve hot in individual serving bowls. If using the Vegan Sour Cream, chopped chives, and Tabasco sauce, serve them along side the bowls of chili. In this way, individuals can choose how much of each, if any, that they want to add to their bowl of chili.

Variations:

1. For ease, replace bell peppers with 1 (16oz) jar Mezzetta Deli-Sliced roasted bell pepper strips, or other brand, drained well and roughly chopped.
2. For a garden style chili simply omit the ground beef alternative and add 2 carrots, small diced, when adding the celery and bell pepper.
3. This chili is thick, but for an even thicker chili add some mashed butternut squash, when adding the tomato paste. Simply use 1/2 (15oz) can of butternut squash. Alternatively, place 2 cups of 1-inch cubed fresh or precooked frozen butternut squash in a medium size pot, add enough water to more than cover, bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer for 20 minutes if fresh and 10 minutes if frozen, or until very soft. Drain well, then mash with a potato masher.

Yield:
Makes 6 servings

*Nowadays, there are many meat alternatives to choose from, which you can find in whole food markets, health food stores, and even some supermarkets. For this recipe we used Beyond Meat Beefy Crumbles, which is similar to classic ground beef. There’s also Beyond Meat Feisty Crumbles, which is a bit spicier. Both options are vegan, gluten-free, non-GMO, soy-free, and kosher certified.