BEST DARN CHILI EVER

I have never been much of a red chili fan but this indeed is my favorite recipe so far. It is delicious. I served it with homemade cornbread. My husband is not yet vegan so I cooked the Beyond Beef he wanted and added it to his batch. He also likes his chili smoky so I added some drops of liquid smoke to his.

You can find the recipe at the “Brand New Vegan” recipe blog: BEST DAMN VEGAN CHILI EVER

Here is a 5 minute excerpt from an interview with Dr. Greger where he discusses use of vegan meat alternatives: Are Meat Alternatives Healthier Than Real Meat?

BEST DARN CHILI EVER

Ingredients

1 large onion, diced (after dicing mine measured 1 1/2 cups)

1 large red bell pepper, diced (I didn’t have fresh bell peppers so used frozen chopped peppers from my garden)

1 large green bell pepper, diced

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

1 splash vegetable broth for sautéing (I used water)

8 oz your choice of meat substitute OR 1/2 cup bulgur wheat, uncooked (optional) (I cooked Beyond Beef separately for my husband’s batch)

1 (8 oz) can no salt added tomato sauce (mine had salt)

1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes - Fire Roasted, RoTel, etc

2 cups low sodium vegetable broth (I used prepared Orrington Farms vegan beef flavored broth base which is not low sodium)

1/2 of a 15 oz can no fat refried beans (I used a whole can)

1/4 cup chili powder

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder (optional) (I added 1/2 tsp)

1 (15 oz) can low sodium pinto beans, drained & rinsed (I did not rinse)

1 (15 oz) can reduced sodium kidney beans, not drained (Mine were not reduced sodium)

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

2 Tablespoons pickled jalapeños with juice or to taste (I used 1 TBSP)

1-2 Tablespoons Masa Harina Tamale Flour if necessary to thicken (I didn’t need)

To my husband’s part I added some cooked Beyond Beef and several drops of liquid smoke.

Brand New Vegan Instructions

1. Chop onions and peppers into a large soup pot

2. Saute in a little veggie broth until translucent and softened.

3. Add minced garlic and saute for an additional 30 seconds until fragrant

4. Add any kind of meat substitute (if using) or dry, uncooked bulgur and continue to stir for a few minutes until heated through

5. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, and remaining broth

6. Add in spices and stir until mixed well

7. Add all the beans and jalapeños and stir

8. Sprinkle up to 1-2 Tbs of the Masa on top if you think it needs thickening.  The masa adds a slight 'corn tortilla' or 'tamale' flavor to the chili. 

9. Give the chili one more good stir and bring it to a slow boil.

10. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 to 30 minutes.  

Information directly from their websites