Vegan Chili Recipe

This recipe pays homage to my cousin Holly - you were my first best friend, partner in crime, and fashion consultant!

The first time I had this recipe was at a Civil War (UO vs OSU) football game in 2010 - my cousin brought it over for our tailgate party. Though her recipe contained meat, I have since "veganized" it to fit our family. It is now the must have meal for Civil War and Super Bowl games! This recipe is even a favorite for my picky 8 and 4 year old! Side note, no one knows it's vegan! If you haven't noticed, I like to sneak vegan dishes on my unsuspecting omni family and friends. Vegan does not mean a diet of bland salads and squeaky tofu-try this recipe and surprise yourself and your family how good vegan dishes can be!




Ingredients:

1 bag of crumbles (there are many brands, like Morningstar Crumbles that can be found at Fred Meyer, Winco, and Whole Foods - Fred Meyer even has their own generic).

3 (15 ounce) cans chili beans, drained (or you can sub 1 pound dry beans of choice that have soaked overnight)

1 (15 ounce) can chili beans in spicy sauce (make sure it is vegan - again these are easy to find)

2 (28 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with juice

1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste

1 large yellow onion, chopped

3 stalks celery, chopped

1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1 tablespoon bac'n bits

4 cubes vegetable bouillon

¼ cup chili powder

1 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon dried oregano

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon white sugar

Serve with:

1 (10.5 ounce) bag corn chips such as Fritos®

1 bag of favorite vegan cheese (we like Violife Mozzarella)

1 tub of favorite vegan cream cheese (we like Tofutti Sour Cream)

Black olives, avocado, fresh Cilantro, salsa or favorite hot sauce 

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a crock pot, turn on high and chili will be ready in 4-6 hours! If you are using dry beans (that were soaked over night and drained) cooking time will be on the 6-8 hour side - as soon as your beans are soft, the chili is done. Side note: when you first put all ingredients in the crock pot it gives the illusion that it will be too dry...do not fret...the veggies will soften up and add a lot of liquid to the chili. If you feel it does not have enough liquid after a couple hours into the cooking process feel free to add a half of a bottle of beer or 1-2 cups of vegetable broth. Remember it is very easy to add liquid, but hard to take it away, so start out with a little amount, if needed at all. Enjoy with corn chips, shredded cheese, black olives, avocado, fresh cilantro, salsa, and/or sour cream!

Note: this chili recipe is pretty mild! It's the perfect spice level for my 4 and 8 year old and my 92 year old grandmother! I've spiced it up in the past with chipolte peppers with adobo sauce, cayenne, or jalapenos.

*Recipe adapted from: Boilermaker Tailgate Chili*