Better-Than-Traditional American Chili
Traditional Chili is mostly ground beef, tomatoes, and spices, but this recipe improves upon the traditional version in several great ways. First, it's entirely vegan and nobody would notice. Second, the mix of beans and vegetables makes it much healthier and less fatty. And thirdly, the use of canned vegetables makes it very cheap and easy to make almost anywhere in the world.
- Preparation Time: 30 minutes
- Cooking Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
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1 wholeonion small diced
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5 wholewhite button mushrooms large diced
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1/2 wholegreen bell pepper medium diced
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2 small clovegarlic minced
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2 Tbspchili powder Should be dark reddish brown and much less spicy than cayenne
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1 tspsalt more to taste
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1/2 tspblack pepper more to taste
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2 tspcumin powder
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1/2 tspchipotle powder optional
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1/4 tspcayenne pepper powder optional for extra heat
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15 ouncescanned diced tomatoes
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15 ouncescanned tomato sauce
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15 ouncescanned tomatoes crushed or another can of diced
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15 ouncescanned dark red kidney beans or your favourite beans,
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15 ouncescanned chickpeas or red beans, brown beans, navy beans
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15 ouncescanned black beans or more kidney beans
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15 ouncescorn kernels
Toppings (optional)
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diced cucumber
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avocado or guacamole
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iceberg lettuce shredded
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vegan sour cream
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corn chips like Fritos, or tortilla chips
Instructions
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To prepare: Open all of the canned foods and drain and rinse just the beans in a colander. Chop the garlic and dice the vegetables.
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Heat some cooking oil in a large pot and when shimmering add the onions, stir for 30 seconds to 2 minutes, then add the mushrooms and peppers and stir again. When the onions are beginning to brown, make a space in the center of the pot and add 2 tsp more oil, and when that's hot, add the chopped garlic to the center. Stir the garlic for 30 seconds and then mix all the vegetables together. Continue cooking until the mushrooms and onions are soft. Add all the spices and another tsp of oil and stir until the vegetables are coated and the spices are fragrant.
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Add the tomatoes and the beans and stir to combine. When bubbles start coming to the surface, turn the heat to low and cook for 30-45 minutes, until the tomatoes have thickened, and the beans are soft. Add the corn and mix in. The chili can be eaten now, or cooked up to an hour longer to give more depth of flavour and creamier texture. Serve with some of the suggested toppings, over rice, or both.
