Vegetarian Chili
Serves: 10 (1 cup) servings
This chili is packed with plant based power from the beans and the vegetarian crumbles. It is low in fat , lower in sodium than average chili, and full of plant based protein and fiber. It’s sure to warm your heart on a cold day.
We bring so many of our food habits and traditions with us from childhood. I learned to make chili from my dad many years ago. Although, he would have never used the added chilis, the toppings I suggest, or the vegetarian crumbles (never, ever, ever). This recipe has been lovingly tweaked to make it good for your heart and soul. This chili because it reminds me of him and watching him cook a batch in what seemed like the biggest pot ever (from my little girl memories) or later on giving him a taste test of the chili I made after I had taken over the chili making duties to get his stamp of approval.
I used the Quorn brand for the vegetarian crumbles which is made from mycoprotein. Mycoprotein is “a natural nutritious fungus from the soil and ferment it to produce a dough called mycoprotein. It’s high in protein, high in fiber, low in saturated fat, and contains no cholesterol” per Quorn’s website. The Quorn crumbles also contain egg whites so, they are not vegan. There are many other varieties like Morning Star Farms, Boca, Beyond Meat, or Gardein to name a few. There protein sources varies from soy to pea protein. Several add egg whites in like the Quorn brand. Make sure you read the Nutrition Facts label for total fat and the source of fat. Some meat crumble substitutes may be high in fat and saturated fat. There are so many choices now. Find one that you like and meets your health goals.
If the plant based crumbles aren’t your thing, you could use 2 cans of beans to replace the crumbles. Use different types of beans to change it up a bit. If you a meat eater, you could use lean ground beef, chicken, or turkey in this recipe. Cook it in a skillet and break into crumbles. Drain off the fat and rinse under warm water in a colander. Even better, use half meat and half vegetarian crumbles to take a little step towards a plant based life. Had to get the plug in for plant based eating ;)
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Directions
In stock pot, saute onion, garlic, and vegan crumbles in vegetable broth until onions are translucent.
Add tomatoes, kidney beans, chili seasoning, tomato juice, chili powder, water, cumin, and chilis.
Simmer for 30 minutes.
Hints:
Prepare in an Instant Pot or electric pressure cooker. It makes it an easy way to transport it to a potluck and you can plug it in to keep it warm
Adjust the spiciness by adding more or less chilis or even a little hot sauce.
Add other veggies like corn or bell pepper.
Top with chopped red onion, fat free sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, or fat free shredded cheddar cheese. If you are vegan, use the plant based versions of sour cream and cheddar cheese.
Top 1/2 cup prepared whole grain or legume pasta with 1 cup of chili to make your own Chili Mac (another of Dad’s favorites). See toppings above.
Ingredients
1 medium onion, chopped
1 T. minced garlic
12 oz vegetarian crumbles (I like the Quorn brand)
1 cup low sodium vegetable broth
28 oz diced or crushed low sodium canned tomatoes
3 cans organic (low sodium) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 packet Chili Man chili seasoning
3 cups low sodium tomato or V-8 juice
1 tsp. chili powder
1 cup water
1 tsp. Cumin
1-2 chilis in adobo sauce, chopped