This Almost Vegetarian Chili is a great make-ahead meal that is versatile in its ability to be eaten with many things as a side or a base for another creation
I love this recipe because it is a product of many iterations of chili that I’ve made throughout my life. It’s “almost” vegetarian because it uses Chicken stock but you can easily substitute with vegetable stock. I originally got into making chili when I was trying to break out and live on my own because it creates a large quantity that can be easily stored in the fridge or freezer. It’s a great meal to have anytime of the year and surely hits the spot when you’re looking for that spicy fix. It has a bold, savory, peppery flavor and a hearty body that will satisfy any hunger cravings.
Warning: this could be a little spicy if you’re not careful with how many hot chili peppers you put in. Typically, I use deveined and deseeded Habaneros because the flavor it lends to this chili is what makes it unique. It’s also good with other common hot peppers like Jalapeno and Serrano chilis. This recipe uses Vegetarian beef crumble because the texture is very complimentary to the rest of the chili. I have used, and also recommend, using chicken tenderloins (popped in frozen for time savings!) as it basically turns into tender pulled chicken infused with chili flavor.
The key to enjoying this chili is to let the finished pot of chili sit overnight to let the flavors marry and mingle. The portion this recipe creates is good enough for about 10 to 12 hearty servings. It can be eaten with your choice of starch or vegetables or used in another recipe like a cream cheese dip. I personally recommend trying this chili with thick, crunchy chips like pita chips.
Kitchen Tools Needed:
- Hand Blender: To create a smoother chili texture. If you don’t have a hand blender it’s okay as this won’t change the flavor of the chili, but it will change the texture.
- Large Stock Pot: About 6 to 8 quarts in size
- Wooden Spatula or spoon for stirring
- Food safe storage container: We use a tall, cylindrical food safe container. Make sure to fully wash and dry the container before use (especially if it is new).
Ingredients:
- Peppers: Habaneros (if you can’t find these, you can substitute with jalepeños and serrano), Pasilla Peppers (about 6” in length), Red & Yellow Bell Peppers
- Veggie Beef Crumble (10 oz): We use the brands Abbot’s or LightLife
- Unsalted Butter
- Oil: Vegetable and Olive
- Tomato Paste (6 oz)
- Onion
- Garlic
- Beans: Black and Kidney
- Roma Tomatoes
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Chicken Broth (15 oz): Can use veggie broth instead
- Honey: How much you put in the chili depends on how sweet you like your chili.
How to make an Almost Vegetarian Chili:
- Gather your ingredients together and have all spices measured and ready to be used. I follow the concept of mise en place* here.
- Wash your peppers and tomatoes in cold water. (don’t forget to remove the stickers on the vegetables!)
- Now dice the pasilla peppers, red and yellow bell peppers, and Roma tomatoes.
- When you get to the habanero peppers, if you have gloves, put them on now. IF you don’t have gloves, be careful when you start cutting into them. The oil from the peppers will get on your skin and can transfer to anything you touch. Do not touch your eyes or anywhere until you wash your hands thoroughly after handling them.
- Devein and deseed at least 2 of the Habaneros, then dice (keep one Habanero with all the seeds to add heat. You can do all 3 though it will make the chili a little less spicy).
- When you finish cutting the habanero, make sure to clean everything before proceeding. Clean the cutting board, the knife, your hands, and anything the pepper may have come into contact with. You don’t want to accidentally get the oil from the pepper on anything sensitive.
- Dice the onions
- Use a garlic press on the Garlic cloves and set that aside.
- Pour vegetable oil in the pan and set heat on Medium/high
- When the oil begins to lightly smoke (about 3 ½ min) add in the onions and stir until evenly spread in bottom of pot.
- After 1 min of cooking add 1 tsp of salt, stir, and continue to cook.
- When the onions are lightly browned and translucent, add in the butter.
- Once butter is melted add in the Garlic and cook for one min (until fragrant)
- Add in the Roma tomatoes and stir to incorporate
- Add in the dry spices and stir until fully mixed in.
- Open all 3 cans of beans and pour the bean juice in only and stir to incorporate
- Add in the Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, chicken broth
- Pour in ¾ of all the peppers (including the one pepper with the seeds) and reserve a ¼ of all the diced peppers (bell peppers and hot peppers).
- Add one can of the drained black beans and one can of the kidney beans and stir
- Bring the mixture to a boil, add 2 bay leaves
- Then lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 20 min.
- Remove the bay leaves, stir mixture.
- At this point you want to make sure the peppers are cooked through. Take one out and test one to verify.
- Here you want to adjust the salt to taste.
- Once the flavor is to your liking, you are going to want to use a stick blender and blend until the chili is slightly chunky. If you don’t have a hand blender you can skip this step. You will end up having a chunkier chili.
- Add in remaining peppers, black beans and the veggie crumble to the pot.
- Bring the pot back to a simmer and cover for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, stir the Chili and adjust now for sweetness. Add in the honey and stir. Adjust sweetness by adding no more than half a Tablespoon at a time. Brown sugar can also be used here if you don’t have honey.
- Then add in olive oil stir until fully combined.
- The chili is now ready to eat! Enjoy with your favorite of either rice or bread.
Almost Vegetarian Chili
Ingredients
- 5 Medium Pasilla Peppers About 6"
- 1 Red Bell Pepper
- 1 Yellow Bell pepper
- 1 Large Onion
- 5 Garlic Cloves
- 2 cans Black beans 15 oz
- 1 can Kidney Beans 15 oz
- 5 Roma Tomatoes
- 3 Habanero peppers* See notes below for alternatives
- 1 pkg Veggie Beef Crumble 10 oz
- 2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
- 1 ½ tbsp Vegetable Oil
- 1 can Tomato Paste 6 oz
- 1 can Chicken Broth 15 oz, can use veggie broth instead
- 2 Tbsp Olive oil
- 1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 2-3 tbsp Honey to taste
Spices:
- 3 tbsp Chili powder
- 1 tbsp Onion powder
- 1 tbsp Garlic powder
- 1 tbsp Cumin
- 2 tsp Black pepper
- 2 Bay leaves
- 1 tsp Dried Thyme
- ¼ tsp Ground Cinnamon
- Salt to taste
Instructions
Prep Ingredients:
- Dice the pasilla peppers, red and yellow bell peppers, and Roma tomatoes.
- Devein and deseed the habañeros, then dice (keep on habañero with all the seeds to add heat, if desired)
- Dice the Onion
- Mincing the Garlic clove
Cooking the Chili
- Pour vegetable oil in the pan and set Heat pan on Medium/high
- When the oil begins to shimmer add in and stir the onions.
- After 1 min of cooking add 1 tsp of salt.
- When the onions are lightly browned and translucent, add in the butter.
- Once butter is melted add in the Garlic and cook for one min (until fragrant)
- Add in the Roma tomatoes and stir to incorporate
- Add in the dry spices and stir until fully mixed in.
- Open all 3 cans of beans and pour the juice in first and stir
- Add in the Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, chicken broth
- Pour in ¾ of all the peppers (including the one pepper with the seeds) and reserve a ¼ of all the diced peppers (bell peppers and hot peppers).
- Add one can of black beans and one can of the kidney beans and stir
- Add in the 2 bay leaves and bring to a boil.
- Then lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 20 min.
- Stir and remove bay leaves.
- At this point you want to make sure the peppers are cooked through. Take one out and test one to verify.
- Here you want to adjust the salt to taste.
- Once the flavor is to your liking, you are going to want to use a stick blender and blend until the chili is slightly chunky. If you don’t have a hand blender you can skip this step. You will end up having a chunkier chili.
- Add in remaining peppers, black beans and the veggie crumble to the pot.
- Bring the pot back to a simmer and cover for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, stir the Chili and adjust now for sweetness. Add in the honey and stir.
- Then add in olive oil stir until fully combined.
- The chili is now ready to eat! Enjoy with your favorite of either rice or bread.
Notes
*If you can’t find habañero’s you can substitute with 2 jalapeños and 1 serrano pepper (deveined and deseeded).
