Help me with this doomed vegetarian chili effort.

January 25, 2024 1:08 PM

I am trying to make Texas-style chili with TVP in place of meat. It is, predictably, missing something, namely a certain heft that probably comes from fat and other tissue. Thoughts on how to round this thing out, more in terms of texture than flavor?

1. Roughly speaking, this is the kind of recipe I'm adapting.

2. I'm actually going to add some beans though, in other words I'm not sticking by some kind of "beans in Texas chili are sacrilege" thing.

3. Doesn't have to be vegan, just vegetarian. But I am not trying to make a "here's a bunch of chunks of carrots and corn and bell pepper" type of chili.

4. Has to be TVP-centric. Like sure, if seitan or something will improve it, let me know, but I also need to get rid of a metric ton of this style of TVP, so it's gotta stay in there.

Things I have considered:

1. Adding a good amount of olive oil or butter.

2. Blending some beans into a slurry so there's a silkier/creamier quality to the chili.

Thoughts? I know this is replacing big hunks of beef with some crumbles, but the swap I was thinking is more like ground beef versions of chili to TVP.

posted by kensington314 to Food & Drink (26 answers total)

If you're able to cook out some it long enough, shredded sweet potato dissolves and adds good flavor and mouth feel.

When I make a bean chili, I get the best results from a mix of beans; I like kidney, black, and pinto. I think having at least a 2:1 ratio of beans to tvp if not more would be better than the reverse.

I also like the sauce to be chunky rather than smooth like your example recipe with recognizable pieces of tomato, onion, peppers. With vegetarian chili, all the ingredients have to contribute to the texture.
posted by carrioncomfort at 1:32 PM on January 25 [2 favorites]

Both of your ideas are good! (Adding a good amount of butter and blending beans to make a thicker/creamier texture). I think that will help with the overall texture so it's not too soupy/brothy. In addition to those steps, try sauteing/browning big chunks of root veg (carrots, sweet or white potatoes, eggplant, mushrooms) first, then deglazing and cooking in the same pot/pan so you get added flavor plus big chunks of vegetables with that caramelized-on-the-outside-soft-on-the-inside thing going.
posted by sleepingwithcats at 1:35 PM on January 25 [1 favorite]

I made a vegetarian soup this week that was unexpectedly thick and creamy despite having nothing that would account for it and I think it was blended cauliflower! So that might help with texture.
posted by *s at 1:45 PM on January 25

Blended cauliflower and onion are both creamy.

You can also be a bean sneak and BLEND beans and add them.
posted by tofu_crouton at 1:56 PM on January 25 [1 favorite]

Don't rinse the beans, if you're using cans - that bean water is full of starches that will help thicken the chili. It will be saltier though so you want to make sure to taste before you add salt, and maybe hold off if you're already at a saltiness level that's good.
posted by Kutsuwamushi at 1:58 PM on January 25 [9 favorites]

I think you have it: the additions of more fat and some blended beans will do what you're looking for.

I also checked that the recipe includes masa harina, and it does, as it should! (Obviously Kenji knows this!) Masa also aids in adding body and texture in chili. You could increase the amount of this ingredient by a little (not a lot).
posted by Dr. Wu at 2:00 PM on January 25 [1 favorite]

I have a good vegetarian chili recipe but it's not Texas chili by a long shot. I think that's at least some of the issue: Texas chili famously doesn't have beans or crushed tomatoes, and a decent vegetarian chili needs both. I know you said you're willing to add beans, but what about the tomatoes?

Here are my suggestions:
- Cook the beans from dried and use some or all of the cooking liquid to add a velvety texture
- Use crushed tomatoes to add thickness
- A small amount of cocoa powder can add a warm velvety flavor too (I use about 1/2 tsp, not too much!)
- Liquid aminos add umami in place of the fish sauce in the recipe you linked. I always add liquid aminos if a veggie recipe is lacking and it helps about 80% of the time.
posted by misskaz at 2:07 PM on January 25 [1 favorite]

I just a Moroccan recipe from the NYTimes, Loubia, which is a bean dish. Part of what made it so good was the parsley oil topping:

4tablespoons olive oil
1tablespoon finely chopped flat leaf parsley (I used more)
1½teaspoons white wine vinegar
Pinch fine sea salt
Pinch granulated sugar

I could see this going well with chili too - it adds fat, with a bit tang and flavor. You want to let it sit for a bit.
posted by coffeecat at 2:15 PM on January 25 [1 favorite]

grated carrot

finely diced tomato

fried finely diced onion

Google "sofrito"

Make a flour or starch-based gravy and add that

Freshly cut-off-the-cob corn

grated cheddar on top

Don't forget you can use this in tacos, which will solve a lot of texture problems
posted by amtho at 2:19 PM on January 25

Best answer: I really like finely chopped walnuts cooked in with the chili for as long as possible to balance out with TVP mince. When they're properly cooked, the textures blend together, and they have a lot of richness coming from their fat.
posted by ambrosen at 2:23 PM on January 25 [7 favorites]

Best answer: I'm not creative enough with recipes to give advice on altering that one, but I can vouch for this vegan recipe. It's delicious, the author mentions entering it in Texas chili competitions and it's open as far as which protein you use. Maybe it would be good for inspiration even if you don't want to completely change course.
posted by Eyelash at 2:26 PM on January 25

Best answer: I always thought that the Amy's Chili I like used Bulgar wheat for it's texture. Looking up the ingredients though, it seems they now use tofu. Maybe it changed? Your TVP should work well, but, Bulgar will certainly thicken things up.
posted by Windopaene at 2:34 PM on January 25

Whenever I make a bean soup, I am amazed and annoyed by how much the texture improves overnight, after chilling and reheating. Part of that is definitely due to broken-down beans and their liquid (because I'm usually cooking from dry) but I feel like time is also a factor. And very unscientifically, I wonder if retrograded starches from cooling and reheating are doing some extra textural work too.
posted by fountainofdoubt at 2:57 PM on January 25

I always throw some dried mushrooms in my chili for a little extra umami/layers of flavor
posted by jeweled accumulation at 2:58 PM on January 25 [2 favorites]

Best answer: Maybe slow roast some tomatoes in oil (slices, low low heat, multiple hours), and then just chuck all the tomatoes and oil into a blender and pour that in? That would give you an unctuous umami blast.
posted by graphweaver at 3:14 PM on January 25 [3 favorites]

Best answer: I recently used a vegan chili recipe as a starting point to get rid of some stuff, and I have to say that the minced mushrooms cooked down thoroughly was a great call. They added a nice thick chewiness that might help you texture-wise? It made me feel more like I was eating chili and less like I was eating bean stew.
posted by queensissy at 3:14 PM on January 25 [3 favorites]

You can use corn oil; the flavor goes well with chili and lends a more authentic flavor than olive oil or butter. I saute the onions in lots of corn oil, so it has a nice deep flavor. With no meat, it needs quite a bit of fat. Lots of people add beer; I mean to try that. Be heavy-handed with chili powder and salt.

Since you have a lot of TVP, try some with pinto beans. It's not Texanm, nut it is Tex-Mex and they have a nice flavor.
posted by theora55 at 3:47 PM on January 25 [2 favorites]

I regularly make really good vegan chili, and I think smoked paprika is one of the key ingredients that helps give it more of a "meaty" flavor without the meat.
posted by hydropsyche at 4:16 PM on January 25 [2 favorites]

Honestly, you can just mash the beans instead of blending them, if you have a potato masher handy. Provides a good texture without making it too smooth.
posted by pdb at 5:21 PM on January 25 [1 favorite]

Here’s our family’s TVP veggie recipe in case it helps.
posted by terrapin at 5:29 PM on January 25

Best answer: Use a more saturated fat with higher smoke point, like corn, coconut, or peanut oils. Olive oil is actively the wrong flavor imo. Otherwise maybe add a drop (more) of liquid smoke, or mushroom, or msg, something for more umami.
posted by SaltySalticid at 6:26 PM on January 25

Get a wee can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, fish out a few peppers, chop them finely and add to the chili along with some of the sauce. They are super flavourful and add wonderful smoky depth.
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 4:03 AM on January 26 [3 favorites]

Best answer: A lot of great suggestions in here. When I try to make a good fake meat, I really concentrate on the three things that stand out in a great meat dish: fat, umami, and texture. So yes to fat. Butter is probably better than olive oil in here. I'd also add rehydrated dried mushrooms. They'll add a big punch of umami, and if you mince them to the size of the TVP, will give a a nice chewy note to break up the uniform texture of tvp. The other texture trick is that slow cooked meats have a melty fat texture that I like to imitate with either minced eggplant or okra.

Also, every Texas chili is improved by chipotle peppers in adobo, but I've also like the Better Than Bouillon Chipotle. It's a little hard to find, but helped me win my last chili contest.
posted by advicepig at 6:37 AM on January 26 [4 favorites]

Kenji also has a vegan chili recipe and setting aside his hatred of meat analogues, it's a great recipe to follow otherwise (I have made it a couple of times), and I would definitely add the umami bombs he recommends (marmite and soy sauce). While his recipe is fairly low-fat I agree that adding a bit for richness would be good too.
posted by O9scar at 2:57 PM on January 26

I'm one post too late to be the first to mention Marmite. Glen, of the Glen & Friends YouTube channel, puts it most anything beefy.
posted by SemiSalt at 10:14 AM on January 27

Maybe too late to this one but as well as everything else that's been mentioned - my secret ingredient for making vegan sauces taste like meat sauces is coconut oil - adding any flavour ingredient to the saturated / solidified fat of coconut oil mimicks the way that fat from meat works to add depth to a sauce. Also soy sauce, dried porcini mushrooms and their liquid and mushroom ketchup are all very useful for adding umami.
posted by chives at 3:09 AM on January 29