Vegan Chili con Kinda Carne

I woke up this morning and it was snowing unexpectedly, and I immediately thought, I should make chili today. Something about chili makes you feel warm and cozy inside. This recipe packs a lot of heat and smokiness that is sure to do just that thanks to the mixture of herbs and spices.

Spices affect your palate and senses differently, that’s why I like to build a full flavor profile and use a variety of spices instead of just dumping a tablespoon of chili powder in. This chili is a slow, smoky, and sweet burn, not an inferno. The oregano gives it a floral fragrance, the cumin and garlic gives it an earthy savoriness, the smoked paprika gives it the smokiness as does the chipotle which also adds a bit of heat, the tomatoes will add sweetness and zing and the chili powder and cayenne pepper will give it that bright pop of heat.

If you’re not a fan of meat substitutes you can easily leave the beefless beef out and replace it with an additional 15 oz of kidney beans or black beans and make an all bean chili that will also work.

I love to serve this with homemade cornbread (recipe here) since the sweetness of the corn really helps balance out the fiery flavors in the chili. This meal is sure to make you feel toasty on cold winter’s nights, but if you can’t finish it all, it freezes well also. Buen Provecho!

Print Recipe
Vegan Chili Con Kinda Carne
Course Main Dish
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Servings
Ingredients
Course Main Dish
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Servings
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Gather your ingredients together.
  2. Heat oil in a stock pot on medium high. Once the pan is hot, add the onions and peppers to the pan, and cook for 3-5 minutes until onions become translucent.
  3. Add garlic and cook for one minute.
  4. Then add spices and cook for one additional minute.
  5. Add beefless beef to the pan and fully incorporate all the veggies and spices. Then add the salt.
  6. Add all the tomato products and stir to incorporate.
  7. Add the beans with their liquid, stir again to incorporate.
  8. Reduce heat to medium to low. Cover and allow to cook for 30 minutes stirring occasionally to ensure nothing burns and sticks to the bottom.
  9. Reduce heat to low and allow to cook for additional 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  10. Serve over white rice, with cornbread, or crackers.


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