It was the last day of spring, 82 degrees here in Louisiana, I was in the mood for chili.
Actually, it could be 92 degrees in the middle of July and if chili called, I’d answer. I heart chili and enjoy it all year long. Chili con carne with beans or without, green chili, white chili, chicken chili… all hit the spicy spot.
I miss the rich, smoky bowls of chili from small restaurants across the state of Texas enjoyed during my years working on the road and the hunt continues for a single scrumpdilioscious chili recipe to become my home staple.
For the past few months I’ve been exploring different levels of vegetarianism. Keeping in that theme, I decided to try my hand at a vegan chili.
It came out good – really good. Good to the point that my carnivorous husband and son gave it enthusiastic thumbs up.
Here’s how it came together:
Dice a red onion, a yellow bell pepper and 1/2 green bell pepper (a whole green bell was the plan but I only had half of one on hand.) Saute the veggies on medium high in a tsp of olive oil for about 4 minutes.
Add 6 cloves of finely chopped garlic to the pot.
Cook until the onions are translucent, being careful not to let the mixture brown or burn.
Drain and rinse a can of pinto beans and a can of kidney beans (to reduce the amount of sodium).
Add this to the pot along with a can of seasoned black beans (I used Trappey’s Black Beans Seasoned with Olive Oil, Onion & Garlic – not pictured). Do not drain – include the liquid from the black beans.
Also add a cup of corn.
Pour in a 28 oz can of stewed tomatoes and a cup of vegetable broth.
Add the spices – 1 Tbsp chili powder, 1 tsp coriander, 1 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, 1/2 tsp garlic powder and 1 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder.
Give the mixture a good stir and bring to a slight boil over medium heat.
- 1 red onion, chopped
- 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- 1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 15.5 oz can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- 15.5 oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 15.5 oz can seasoned black beans – undrained, include liquid (I like Trappey’s Black Beans seasoned with olive oil, onions and garlic)
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 1 Tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp coriander
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 cups vegetable crumbles (I like Morning Star Farms)
- soy sauce or Bragg’s liquid aminos
- salt and pepper to taste