My Vegan Chili

by Christine Pesta

Growing up, there wasn’t a meal my mom made that I didn’t love. She was a great cook! One of the dishes she made most often was chili. Inexpensive, nutritious, and easy to throw together, we probably had it at least once every week or two. She always made enough that there were usually leftovers in case we wanted a snack after school the next day, and there was sometimes enough for another day’s dinner, so that she could just heat it up and not have to cook again that night. The seasonings would marry overnight with the other ingredients as it sat in the fridge and it would taste even better the next day.

Of course, she used ground beef in her chili, so I had to change a few things when it came to making the dish vegan. Just as her recipe required a pound of ground beef, the bags of veggie crumbles I found in the frozen section of the supermarket (various brands), measured out to the equivalent amount of meat, and made it very easy to make the dish as quickly – if not quicker than – my mom made it.

Everyone likes different things in their chili and likes it served different ways, so the variations on this recipe could be almost endless. I will include a few serving suggestions, and they will include ingredients that you should be able to find easily at your local supermarket, unless you live in some remote location. Even so, there are substitutions available at stores or by ordering online that should still make it easy to put a decent vegan chili together for you and your family.

My Vegan Chili

Ingredients
1 bag of frozen veggie crumbles (ex.: Gardein or Morningstar )
2 15-ounce cans of red kidney beans or black beans
3/4 T. garlic powder
3/4 T. onion powder
1 T. dried parsley flakes
1 T. chili powder (or to taste)
2/3 c. onions, chopped (fresh or frozen)
2/3 c. green pepper, chopped (fresh or frozen)
1 4-ounce can diced green chilis (optional)
2-3 oz. tomato sauce (not tomato paste)
1 T. olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper

Directions
1.) In pot, pour in both cans of beans, including liquid. Lightly mash 1/3 to 1/2 of the beans with the back of fork or potato masher.
2.) In skillet, sauté onions, peppers, and veggie crumbles to soften, then add to pot. Alternately, you may just add them straight to the pot if pressed for time.
3.) Add tomato sauce, diced green chilis, and seasonings. Simmer on medium heat for 20 minutes until everything is well heated through. (If using kidney beans, you may add up to an additional 10 minutes to ensure that the beans are softened to taste).
4.) If chili is too thick, add 1/4 – 1/2 cup water, a little at a time, until chili is to desired consistency. Serve.

Variations and Serving Suggestions:
The recipe above can be adjusted to your own personal taste. If you like corn in your chili, or prefer red, northern, or pinto beans, by all means use them.

Additionally, you might prefer jalapeño peppers instead of green chilies, or more chili powder than listed above (which I normally do). Adding yellow, red, or orange bell peppers to your chili – particularly the black chili – will make the dish more colorful and festive, depending on the occasion.

To serve, you can eat it on it’s own, over rice, or if your from Cincinnati, you might put it over spaghetti. Guacamole, cilantro, freshly chopped tomatoes or salsa, and even some shredded vegan cheese make for a nice variety of toppings, as well as some tortilla chips on the side. Enjoy!