Best Damn Vegan Chili
Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users
Category
Vegan
Cuisine
Vegan
Servings
10
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
45 minutes
I love eating a meatless meal that is soo delicious and chock full of flavors and textures that you dont even realize meat isnt present. This recipe delivers on umami meaty flavor and texture and it will satisfy any chili craving, plus it is super healthy and packed with tons of protein! The mushrooms bring some super umami notes along with the walnuts which give you an awesome textural component. If you are trying to eat more veggies and flex into healthy eating this Chili should not be missed!
Pro tip: this recipe freezes beautifully! I like to make a double batch and break it out into smaller portions and freeze for upcoming "Meatless Mondays". It is awesome on a baked potato, over Fritos, tossed with pasta as chili Mac or just garnished with some avocado and crackers.
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1C walnuts
- 8 oz mushrooms, cleaned and rough chopped
- 2 carrots, rough chopped
- 1 poblano, small dice
- 1 red bell pepper, small dice
- 2 yellow onion, small dice
- 2 ribs celery, small dice
- 4 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 1 - 15 oz can petite diced tomatoes, with juices
- 1 – 15 oz can crushed tomato
- 1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 2.5 C vegetable stock
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 2 Tbsp Chili Powder
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1.5 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sriracha
- Season to taste with salt and pepper
- *Finish with fresh lime and cilantro, top with Vitalite Plant Based Cheddar
Directions
Place carrots in the bowl of a food processor and pulse 4 times. Add mushrooms and walnuts to the food processor on top of the carrots and continue to break down until the mix resembles ground meat.
Add 1.5 tbsp olive oil to a nonstick pan and heat over medium heat until shimmering. Add the nut/mushroom/carrot mix to the pan and sauté about 5 minutes, or until the mixture begins to resemble cooked meat.
In a large stock pot or dutch oven sauté the onion and peppers until tender about 5 minutes.
Add garlic and all of the dried spices and cook for an additional minute.
Add the diced and crushed tomatoes and the bay leaf and let simmer for 30 minutes.
Remove the bay leaf. Pull out 1/3 of the chili and puree in food processor or blender until smooth.
Add the puree to the pot along with the walnut mixture. Add the soy and sriracha and let simmer for 15 minutes for the flavors to meld. If the chili becomes too thick or starts sticking add additional veg stock or water.
Season aggressively with salt and pepper to taste.
