Food

The Best Vegan Chili

I should first say that I’ve never before made vegan chili. But I now know I never need to try another recipe.

vegan chili

My parents always made chili from a can (I think Van Camp’s brand), and I loved it (my dad would usually put a jar of tamales in it, removed from their paper husks and sliced). I also love eating chili at restaurants and bars, Farm Burger in Decatur (GA) has a great meaty bean chili, and I have a soft spot in my heart (and belly) for the Righteous Room‘s vegetarian black eyed pea chili. And I feel like I have to mention that I worked at a chili fast food restaurant for basically all of my teen years.

Despite this obvious love of chili, I don’t cook it much because I don’t want to “waste” meat on it (I’d rather have a hamburger). But this recipe has set me straight. Chili doesn’t have to have meat!

pureed peppers

I’m not sure, but I think the masa is an important ingredient, it gives a nice flavor and texture. The pureed peppers also add a lot of texture (and flavor, duh).

The Best Vegan Chili
Adapted from Serious Eats
Yield: 6-8 servings
Total time: 2 hours (about 30 min active) (not including bean cooking time) (plus overnight resting if you’d like)

2 bell peppers (not green)
1 poblano pepper (you could probably just use three bell peppers)
2-3 chipotle chiles canned in adobo sauce
1 1/2 Tbsp cumin seed
2 tsp oregano
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 scant Tbsp miso (or soy sauce)
28 oz can tomato
3 c dried kidney and/or pinto beans, soaked and cooked (reserving pot liquor)
2 Tbsp bourbon
2-3 Tbsp masa harina

Broil peppers, rotating them periodically to blister and blacken. Let rest covered. Peel and rough cut. Puree broiled peppers and chipotles in food processor.
In a med-hot dry pan, toast cumin for a few minutes, adding oregano at the end. Grind spices.
Heat oil in soup pot, saute onion until soft, about 4 minutes.
Add garlic and spices, cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add peppers and miso, cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add tomato and beans with some to all of their cooking liquid.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to barely a simmer. Cook uncovered 1 to 1-1/2 hours, monitoring liquid and adding more liquid if necessary.
Stir in bourbon, add masa to desired thickness.
Serve immediately or cool and refrigerate overnight or longer before reheating and serving.

We had this with avocado, cheddar cheese and sour cream.

In Which I Discover Masa Harina arrow-right
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