Chili?
May 13, 2023 8:47 PM Subscribe
Is there a good veggie chili recipe?
This is my favourite chilli of any description.
posted by Erinaceus europaeus at 9:56 PM on May 13, 2023
posted by Erinaceus europaeus at 9:56 PM on May 13, 2023
I am not a chili (or BBQ) purist, so some of this may not fit your definition of chili. I'm also not vegetarian but eat a reduced meat diet.
I'm partial to a white bean white chili. It (and the recipe linked to by AnyUsernameWillDo) show two of the things that I typically do with a legume based chili: add some acid and chopped fresh cilantro (or other fresh green herbs) right before serving. I enjoy the earthiness of the beans but find that both of those help brighten the taste in a pleasing way. Also, sliced jalapeno peppers.
For a tomato based chili, throwing in some quick pickled purple onions can be lovely as well.
I have not found any of the fake meats particularly pleasing when cooked in chili. The long cooking process doesn't play well with them, in my experience. I'll sometimes do a batch of the Fantastic Foods brand fake taco or sloppy Joe "meat" separately from the main pot and add some just before serving.
Particularly if you're cooking for people used to meat, I find throwing in some extra unami helps. MSG, aged soy sauce, mushrooms (Trader Joes has or at least used to have a mushroom unami powder that was good), black garlic, etc. Some people like some diced walnuts mixed in for both flavor and texture.
Assuming you're using tomatoes and a pressure cooker or a low and slow dutch oven type recipe, that will also help the complexities of tomatoes develop. Just doing them in a slow cooker isn't the same.
In general, I think most meat based recipes can be adapted by using a mix of two beans. I typically reach for kidney beans and black beans. Some people will also throw in additional veggies such as diced sweet potato or corn.
If you want a specific recipe, here's one I might work off of.
Depending on what else you expect to eat that day, you might want to serve it with rice to ensure a complete set of amino acids.
posted by Candleman at 10:54 PM on May 13, 2023 [3 favorites]
I'm partial to a white bean white chili. It (and the recipe linked to by AnyUsernameWillDo) show two of the things that I typically do with a legume based chili: add some acid and chopped fresh cilantro (or other fresh green herbs) right before serving. I enjoy the earthiness of the beans but find that both of those help brighten the taste in a pleasing way. Also, sliced jalapeno peppers.
For a tomato based chili, throwing in some quick pickled purple onions can be lovely as well.
I have not found any of the fake meats particularly pleasing when cooked in chili. The long cooking process doesn't play well with them, in my experience. I'll sometimes do a batch of the Fantastic Foods brand fake taco or sloppy Joe "meat" separately from the main pot and add some just before serving.
Particularly if you're cooking for people used to meat, I find throwing in some extra unami helps. MSG, aged soy sauce, mushrooms (Trader Joes has or at least used to have a mushroom unami powder that was good), black garlic, etc. Some people like some diced walnuts mixed in for both flavor and texture.
Assuming you're using tomatoes and a pressure cooker or a low and slow dutch oven type recipe, that will also help the complexities of tomatoes develop. Just doing them in a slow cooker isn't the same.
In general, I think most meat based recipes can be adapted by using a mix of two beans. I typically reach for kidney beans and black beans. Some people will also throw in additional veggies such as diced sweet potato or corn.
If you want a specific recipe, here's one I might work off of.
Depending on what else you expect to eat that day, you might want to serve it with rice to ensure a complete set of amino acids.
posted by Candleman at 10:54 PM on May 13, 2023 [3 favorites]
This one is very, very good! Super-flexible. Sometimes I vary the beans, sometimes I add a fake ground meat, sometimes I add some canned tomatoes; it’s always good.
posted by charmedimsure at 12:08 AM on May 14, 2023
posted by charmedimsure at 12:08 AM on May 14, 2023
We often have one by Anna Jones from her book A Modern Way to Eat, it is super tasty and very filling. It looks like this one is the same recipe.
posted by spikysimon at 2:07 AM on May 14, 2023
posted by spikysimon at 2:07 AM on May 14, 2023
If you want to experiment a bit, I use this template for making chili. It recommends a few choices for vegetarian cooking within the descriptions of some sections.
Template for making chili - from thekitchen.com (base components + vegetables + spices + sauce + toppings)
posted by rakaidan at 4:51 AM on May 14, 2023
Template for making chili - from thekitchen.com (base components + vegetables + spices + sauce + toppings)
posted by rakaidan at 4:51 AM on May 14, 2023
you might want to serve it with rice to ensure a complete set of amino acids
This is unnecessary. Protein combining is the vegetarian myth that won't die. If you eat a reasonably varied diet over the course of days, you're fine. Also, every whole plant food contains all of the essential amino acids in at least some amount - check the USDA database, and you won't see any zeros.
I can vouch for the Rancho Gordo chili sin carne. It doesn't include any tomatoes and does have zucchini, so it's a bit unusual. It's very good though.
If you're into experimenting, my old veggie chili recipe uses wheat berries to add texture. They take a long time to cook, so it's best to soak them the night before.
I also like topping chili with roasted chickpeas for crunch. There are a million recipes online. The one I use is on this page with the Oh She Glows tomato soup recipe. I leave out the oil, and I think that's why mine don't get soggy after a day or too.
posted by FencingGal at 5:12 AM on May 14, 2023 [2 favorites]
This is unnecessary. Protein combining is the vegetarian myth that won't die. If you eat a reasonably varied diet over the course of days, you're fine. Also, every whole plant food contains all of the essential amino acids in at least some amount - check the USDA database, and you won't see any zeros.
I can vouch for the Rancho Gordo chili sin carne. It doesn't include any tomatoes and does have zucchini, so it's a bit unusual. It's very good though.
If you're into experimenting, my old veggie chili recipe uses wheat berries to add texture. They take a long time to cook, so it's best to soak them the night before.
I also like topping chili with roasted chickpeas for crunch. There are a million recipes online. The one I use is on this page with the Oh She Glows tomato soup recipe. I leave out the oil, and I think that's why mine don't get soggy after a day or too.
posted by FencingGal at 5:12 AM on May 14, 2023 [2 favorites]
My favorite is the Moosewood recipe linked in the first response, but it's not what I think of when I think of standard chili. It's full of fresh veg and absolutely delicious but here's another good recipe I've tried that has more of a classic chili taste even though it's vegan. There's an instant pot version now too that I haven't tried yet. The masa flour isn't really optional in my opinion, I found a big bag for $2 at Walmart so it wasn't hard to find. It improves the consistency of chili a lot and I'd recommend it for veggie or meat chili.
posted by Eyelash at 5:28 AM on May 14, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by Eyelash at 5:28 AM on May 14, 2023 [1 favorite]
I've made Carroll shelby mix (my very fave) using white beans and mushrooms as "the meat" and still adding red beans. Simple and outstanding.
For a point of fact: As a meat eater I find mushroom chili extremely satisfying and tasty, such that I started adding mushroom to my regular meat chili....
posted by chasles at 5:29 AM on May 14, 2023
For a point of fact: As a meat eater I find mushroom chili extremely satisfying and tasty, such that I started adding mushroom to my regular meat chili....
posted by chasles at 5:29 AM on May 14, 2023
This recipe from Smitten Kitchen is my go-to. I use canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, which makes things pretty spicy—the way I like it! And I’ve always used two or three different kinds of canned beans instead of dry, though I’m sure dry would be good too.
posted by bijoubijou at 6:25 AM on May 14, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by bijoubijou at 6:25 AM on May 14, 2023 [2 favorites]
My friend makes the most amazing vegan chilli and she said her secret is to melt in a few squares of dark chilli chocolate once the sauce is ready and about 10 minutes before serving. It really adds the most amazing depth of flavour.
posted by essexjan at 6:26 AM on May 14, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by essexjan at 6:26 AM on May 14, 2023 [1 favorite]
I don't want to be THAT person, but I'm vegan and that dark chili chocolate isn't. It's an interesting idea though, and I'll try it with a vegan dark chocolate.
posted by FencingGal at 8:04 AM on May 14, 2023
posted by FencingGal at 8:04 AM on May 14, 2023
Previously on the Green. See also this and this for other tips.
posted by alex1965 at 10:40 AM on May 14, 2023
posted by alex1965 at 10:40 AM on May 14, 2023
We love Meera Sodha's oven baked chili. The butternut squash is a great texture, and the dark chocolate makes it extra deep and tasty.
posted by fabius at 11:00 AM on May 14, 2023
posted by fabius at 11:00 AM on May 14, 2023
I think that adding nutritional yeast and a small amount of cocoa powder can both really enhance vegan chili. These things can both be added in small increments during cooking and then you can check the taste.
posted by ice-cream forever at 11:16 AM on May 14, 2023
posted by ice-cream forever at 11:16 AM on May 14, 2023
My parents swear by the America's Test Kitchen vegetarian chili recipe. I'm not actually sure if it's vegan but this one, adapted from their recipe, is. The dried mushrooms and walnuts give it a toothsome quality that a lot of vegetarian chilis don't have. So often veggie chili is just spicy three-bean soup, and this chili really isn't that.
posted by potrzebie at 11:55 AM on May 14, 2023
posted by potrzebie at 11:55 AM on May 14, 2023
The star of any chili recipe is the chilies themselves. A few years ago I stumbled onto this explanation of how to prepare whole dried chilies (usually available in the "Latin" aisle of the grocery store) and the difference in my finished chili was literally like night and day. A bonus of this method is that you can decide how few/many hot chilies to add to make it as mild or spicy as you like. That plus a few other seasonings will serve you well regardless of what other ingredients you add.
Although I usually use meat, I've made a well-received vegetarian version:
- Brown/soften diced onions and minced garlic.
- Add vegetable stock and canned kidney and/or pinto beans and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Add pre-browned chunks of butternut squash & mushrooms and simmer for another 15-20 minutes until pieces just begin to soften.
- Add masa harina/cornmeal (to thcken the sauce) along with a couple tablespoons of cider vinegar and a splash of soy sauce or miso, and let simmer another 10-15 minutes to meld the flavors.
posted by Greg_Ace at 12:07 PM on May 14, 2023
Although I usually use meat, I've made a well-received vegetarian version:
- Brown/soften diced onions and minced garlic.
- Add vegetable stock and canned kidney and/or pinto beans and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Add pre-browned chunks of butternut squash & mushrooms and simmer for another 15-20 minutes until pieces just begin to soften.
- Add masa harina/cornmeal (to thcken the sauce) along with a couple tablespoons of cider vinegar and a splash of soy sauce or miso, and let simmer another 10-15 minutes to meld the flavors.
posted by Greg_Ace at 12:07 PM on May 14, 2023
I don't want to be THAT person, but I'm vegan and that dark chili chocolate isn't. It's an interesting idea though, and I'll try it with a vegan dark chocolate.
Yeah, she buys the one from Aldi (which is vegan) but I couldn't find a link for it. My bad, sorry.
posted by essexjan at 1:15 PM on May 14, 2023 [1 favorite]
Yeah, she buys the one from Aldi (which is vegan) but I couldn't find a link for it. My bad, sorry.
posted by essexjan at 1:15 PM on May 14, 2023 [1 favorite]
A good veggie chili has two or three components, to produce a chili that is all about the flavour of chilies rather than tomato sauce and other vegetables:
Beans: Soak your beans, I like pintos or similar. Add half an onion, a garlic clove or two, bay leaves, a bit of celery (or parsley or cilantro stalks), and salt and boil until cooked. Used canned beans if you must.
Chili: Toast a bunch of whole chilis on a hot pan (one guajillo and half an ancho per serving would be a good starting point, but you could use whatever you want here, add some arbol chiles for heat if you want or chipotle if you want smoky flavour). Boil them for ten minutes or so in water to cover until soft and then blend until smooth. You could add some tomato to the blender at this point if you want it, but it's not necessary. Optionally, throw the onion and garlic from the bean pot in the blender too. You can also boil the chilies in with the beans, but then you have to fish them out.
Vegetables (optional): You can add anything you want or nothing at all. Saute onions, garlic, and whatever else you are adding.
Combine these two or three components, using as much bean water as needed to get to the consistency you want, and simmer for 30+ minutes. Adjust salt.
posted by ssg at 2:59 PM on May 14, 2023 [3 favorites]
Beans: Soak your beans, I like pintos or similar. Add half an onion, a garlic clove or two, bay leaves, a bit of celery (or parsley or cilantro stalks), and salt and boil until cooked. Used canned beans if you must.
Chili: Toast a bunch of whole chilis on a hot pan (one guajillo and half an ancho per serving would be a good starting point, but you could use whatever you want here, add some arbol chiles for heat if you want or chipotle if you want smoky flavour). Boil them for ten minutes or so in water to cover until soft and then blend until smooth. You could add some tomato to the blender at this point if you want it, but it's not necessary. Optionally, throw the onion and garlic from the bean pot in the blender too. You can also boil the chilies in with the beans, but then you have to fish them out.
Vegetables (optional): You can add anything you want or nothing at all. Saute onions, garlic, and whatever else you are adding.
Combine these two or three components, using as much bean water as needed to get to the consistency you want, and simmer for 30+ minutes. Adjust salt.
posted by ssg at 2:59 PM on May 14, 2023 [3 favorites]
I like kidney or pinto beans for chili, with tomato, garlic, onion, lots of chili powder (paprika, cayenne pepper, oregano, cumin, salt, pepper), and a fair bit of oil. I have gochugaru (Korean pepper flakes) from making kimchi, and it's great in chili. It's quite similar to curry, really. I like chili with a fair bit of oil to temper the acidity of tomatoes. I add hot peppers if I have them. You can add any vegetables you like: corn, summer squash, mushrooms, celery, carrots, cabbage, kale, but these may feel less like chili to you. A topping of cilantro is delicious to those of us who like cilantro, a contentious taste. Sour cream or thick yogurt are nice, as well as corn chips. Or Mexican street corn.
My friend made chili with impossible meat crumbles, and it was a nice taste and texture.
posted by theora55 at 6:55 PM on May 14, 2023
My friend made chili with impossible meat crumbles, and it was a nice taste and texture.
posted by theora55 at 6:55 PM on May 14, 2023
I love Kenji's The Best Vegetarian Bean Chili from Serious Eats, making chili with whole chilis instead of chili powder was a revelation.
posted by oranger at 6:47 AM on May 15, 2023
posted by oranger at 6:47 AM on May 15, 2023
I think chili is one of those dishes that it's great to try different recipes and take what you like from each to make it your own.
At this point I wing it every time. Some of my notes: Beans cooked from dry are significantly better than canned, but canned works. I like fake meat crumbles if I have them. Sometimes I make it very veggie-forward with mushrooms, zucchini, bell peppers, corn, sometimes I don't. Always with chipotles in adobo sauce. Always a couple dashes of liquid aminos. Bloom the spices (chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic and onion powders, oregano, salt, pepper, cocoa powder [see below], cinnamon [not too much]) in oil with the cooked veggies before adding the liquids. Personally, I prefer crushed to diced tomatoes, but not too much - I use a small can if I have the liquor from cooking beans, larger can if not. If you need more liquid, I use beer or veg stock but don't add it too early, if you have lots of vegetables they can add a lot of liquid as they break down. You can always thin out but it's harder to re-thicken.
BTW, I love some cocoa powder in chili - but there's no point in spending money on fancy chile chocolate when there's already spices in the chili, all you need is the cocoa.
posted by misskaz at 7:00 AM on May 15, 2023
At this point I wing it every time. Some of my notes: Beans cooked from dry are significantly better than canned, but canned works. I like fake meat crumbles if I have them. Sometimes I make it very veggie-forward with mushrooms, zucchini, bell peppers, corn, sometimes I don't. Always with chipotles in adobo sauce. Always a couple dashes of liquid aminos. Bloom the spices (chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic and onion powders, oregano, salt, pepper, cocoa powder [see below], cinnamon [not too much]) in oil with the cooked veggies before adding the liquids. Personally, I prefer crushed to diced tomatoes, but not too much - I use a small can if I have the liquor from cooking beans, larger can if not. If you need more liquid, I use beer or veg stock but don't add it too early, if you have lots of vegetables they can add a lot of liquid as they break down. You can always thin out but it's harder to re-thicken.
BTW, I love some cocoa powder in chili - but there's no point in spending money on fancy chile chocolate when there's already spices in the chili, all you need is the cocoa.
posted by misskaz at 7:00 AM on May 15, 2023
Self-link to our tried and true vegetarian chili recipe.
posted by terrapin at 7:39 AM on May 15, 2023
posted by terrapin at 7:39 AM on May 15, 2023
Here is my recipe. I'm a vegetarian from Texas who has been making vegetarian chili for 30+ years (and everyone says it's the best :)
Ingredients
1-2 tsp canola/vegetable oil, for sauteeing
1 red onion, diced
2 green peppers, diced
2-3 jalapeno or other spicy peppers, diced
1 T minced garlic
(Optional) spicy veggie sausage, veggie crumbles, etc.
2 cans kidney beans, drained/rinsed (I use 1 dark red and 1 light red. Black and pinto beans are also nice, as are black-eyed peas, but then it's not really chili.)
1 box Pomi chopped tomatoes (with juice)
1-2 T tomato paste
1 tsp veggie broth concentrate
5 c water
(Optional) other chopped veggies, like spinach, zucchini, butternut squash, corn - if you do squash, corn, and pinto beans, you're making 3 sisters stew)
2-3 T chili powder
At least 1 T cumin (comino)
1 tsp epazote
1/c or so of nutritional yeast
Optional if using black beans: 1/2 c orange juice (for a Brazilian twist)
Saute the first batch of ingredients til the green peppers are softened. Add the second batch of ingredients, bring to a low boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for at least 30 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so. Enjoy topped with your choice of vegan (or not) sour cream, cheese, diced green onions, etc. over brown rice, quinoa, or corn chips =) or serve with fresh tortillas or Texas toast if you really want to be indulgent =)
posted by acridrabbit at 12:58 PM on May 15, 2023
Ingredients
1-2 tsp canola/vegetable oil, for sauteeing
1 red onion, diced
2 green peppers, diced
2-3 jalapeno or other spicy peppers, diced
1 T minced garlic
(Optional) spicy veggie sausage, veggie crumbles, etc.
2 cans kidney beans, drained/rinsed (I use 1 dark red and 1 light red. Black and pinto beans are also nice, as are black-eyed peas, but then it's not really chili.)
1 box Pomi chopped tomatoes (with juice)
1-2 T tomato paste
1 tsp veggie broth concentrate
5 c water
(Optional) other chopped veggies, like spinach, zucchini, butternut squash, corn - if you do squash, corn, and pinto beans, you're making 3 sisters stew)
2-3 T chili powder
At least 1 T cumin (comino)
1 tsp epazote
1/c or so of nutritional yeast
Optional if using black beans: 1/2 c orange juice (for a Brazilian twist)
Saute the first batch of ingredients til the green peppers are softened. Add the second batch of ingredients, bring to a low boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for at least 30 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so. Enjoy topped with your choice of vegan (or not) sour cream, cheese, diced green onions, etc. over brown rice, quinoa, or corn chips =) or serve with fresh tortillas or Texas toast if you really want to be indulgent =)
posted by acridrabbit at 12:58 PM on May 15, 2023
It looks like Kenji addresses this, but an evergreen tip for thickening and adding gorgeous mouthfeel to soups and stews made with beans is to add an extra cup or so of beans that you have smashed into a paste. So good!
posted by rrrrrrrrrt at 2:14 PM on May 15, 2023
posted by rrrrrrrrrt at 2:14 PM on May 15, 2023
@acridrabbit: Can you clarify this line from your recipe? Is there a number missing?
> 1/c or so of nutritional yeast
posted by alex1965 at 9:20 AM on May 16, 2023
> 1/c or so of nutritional yeast
posted by alex1965 at 9:20 AM on May 16, 2023
Our fave veg chili has hominy in it and a little cocoa powder. It's the best one I've found.
Strictly Vegetarian Black Bean Hominy Chili.
posted by Lookinguppy at 3:03 PM on May 16, 2023
Strictly Vegetarian Black Bean Hominy Chili.
posted by Lookinguppy at 3:03 PM on May 16, 2023
Yes, @alex1965 - should have been 1/2 cup! Thank you!
posted by acridrabbit at 3:22 PM on May 17, 2023
posted by acridrabbit at 3:22 PM on May 17, 2023
This thread is closed to new comments.
https://recipeland.com/recipe/v/moosewood-vegetarian-chili-20786
posted by Pantengliopoli at 8:49 PM on May 13, 2023 [2 favorites]