Once there’s a whisper of fall in the air, the leaves are crunching under my feet and it’s starting to get a little chilly outside, I immediately start craving a comforting bowl of Chili, inside. (Inside my house & inside my belly 😉 )
~I don’t find many foods quite as comforting as a big bowl of Chili.
Initially, when I started searching for a Vegan, Plant-tastic Chili recipe, I noticed that almost every recipe I found was trying to compensate for the lack of Meat with adding an eclectic assortment of Veggies, Seasonings and Spices.
While that’s all well and good (if that’s what you’re looking for), that wasn’t the taste or texture I was after.
I was looking for something that was as hearty as, and tasted super similar to the “Classic Chili” that I was craving, (only sans the meat).
So I created one of my own!
(This article contains affiliate links.)
I collaborated with a Chili-cook-off-winning, Executive Chef, (Crunchy Veggie Papa!) and I’m extremely pleased with our resulting recipe!
~In this Chili, the combination of Chili Powder, Cumin & Smoked Paprika create the Classic flavor combination you’re used to and the Veggies are purposely left large, which creates heavy, hearty bites.
I’ve even served this Chili to a few carnivores in the past who thought this Chili was fresh, flavorful, & fantastic but who didn’t even realize it was missing Meat…
Now that’s a compliment! 😉
-Just because you’re omitting Meat, it doesn’t mean you should sacrifice the classic “Chili” flavor!
“Chili is actually a selection of Spices, not ingredients.” (That’s a direct quote said by my collaborative Executive Chef, Crunchy Veggie Papa.)
~My Meat-Free Chili is made without anything from a can, and is made using only things you’ve made yourself from scratch, including my Instant Pot Vegetable Broth!
(But you feel free to substitute canned Beans or boxed Broth if that’s what you have on hand. 🙂 )
Here’s what you need to create your own “Meat-Free Firehouse Chili”
Ingredients
Instant Pot Kidney / Great Northern Beans
1 pound (2 Cups) of Dried Kidney Beans* (Can be substituted with two 15 oz Cans)
6 Cups of Filtered Water
1 Cup of White Onion – Chopped
2 Tablespoons of Cumin
2 Teaspoons of Sea Salt
1 Tablespoon of Garlic Powder
(60 Minutes on High Pressure in the Instant Pot)
*Can be combined with other types of Beans, including Great Northern, the ones shown in my photos.
Chili
2 Tablespoons of Oil (I use either Coconut or Olive)
1 Large White Onion – Chopped
1 ½ Cups of Celery (⅓ Head) – Chopped
3 Large Carrots – Chopped
15 Garlic Cloves** – Diced
**Only if you REALLY love Garlic & aren’t hoping to host a vampire as a houseguest anytime soon 😉
***Even if you aren’t as “over the moon” about garlic as we are, I would still suggest using a few (3-5) cloves! Garlic gives great flavor and is amazing for your health!
3 Bell Peppers – Chopped
1 Serrano Pepper – Chopped
1 Long Hot Pepper – Chopped
4 Tablespoons Cumin
2 Tablespoons Sea Salt
1 Teaspoon Smoked Paprika
2 Teaspoons Chili Powder
¼ Teaspoon Cayenne Powder
3 Cups (25 oz) Crunchy Veggie Mama’s Veggie Stock (Can be substituted with Filtered Water)
2 Cups of Filtered Water (In addition to the stock above)
6 – 8 Fresh Tomatoes (The riper, the better) (Can be substituted with 16-25 oz of Diced Tomatoes)
Here’s What You Do
Step One: Defrost your Veggie Stock.
~If you’re a planner & are aware you’re making this plant-powered Chili ahead of time, move your frozen jar of Veggie Stock from your freezer to your refrigerator the day before you’ve planned to prepare it in order to allow it to defrost. Or, if you’re like me (someone who doesn’t always have a plan and likes to live in the moment), place the jar in a container of standing warm water and run a light stream of warm water over the top to defrost.
*Make sure to do this first so you are defrosting your stock as you prepare the rest of the Plants.
*The Water does not need to be cool water as we aren’t defrosting anything with Meat.
Step Two: Combine the Bean Ingredients (Dried Beans, Filtered Water, Chopped Onions, Cumin, Sea Salt and Garlic Powder) in the Instant Pot bowl & manually set the timer for 30 minutes at High Pressure.
*When the timer beeps, allow the pressure to diffuse naturally. You can safely open the lid when the pressure valve drops.
Step Three: Rustically Chop the Onions, Celery, Carrots, & Peppers (into quarter inch by quarter inch pieces) & dice the Garlic. If you are using fresh Tomatoes (as opposed to jarred or canned) rustically chop the Tomatoes as well, and put them in a separate small bowl, & set aside. If you’re using jarred or canned Tomatoes, hold off on doing anything with them just yet, as you will use them later.
*I find it fastest & easiest to dice the Garlic & Onions using my Ninja Food Chopper.
It only takes a couple of pulses for all of the Cloves to be precisely diced!
Step Four: Preheat an 8 quart pot on medium heat (5 / 6). Add your Oil and heat it for 15 seconds. Add the Onions and Garlic, stir them & allow them to heat up for about one minute.
-Add the Celery & Carrots, stir everything together & allow them to sweat for 2 minutes.
-Add the Peppers, sprinkle them with 1 Tablespoon of Sea Salt & stir everything together. Allow everything to sweat for one minute.
Step Five: Add any other Vegetable you would like to use & all of the remaining dry ingredients (Sea Salt, Cumin, Chili Powder, Paprika, & Cayenne).
Step Six: Stir everything together, cover, & allow the Veggie & Seasoning mixture to simmer for 3 – 5 minutes.
*Make sure to simmer it until you see condensation on the lid.
Step Seven: If you are using Fresh Tomatoes, add them to the pot now and allow them & the entire mixture to sweat for another 2 – 3 minutes.
Step Eight: Add the wet ingredients (Veggie Stock, Filtered Water, & Canned Tomatoes- if you’re using them), stir, & allow everything to simmer on 2 until your Beans are finished cooking. (This will be for about 35 minutes.)
Step Nine: When the Instant Pot timer goes off for the Beans, let them stand for 5 minutes. Then, release the pressure, drain them, and add them to the Chili pot. Turn off the heat.
Step Ten: Allow the Chili to sit for five minutes and then serve.
Step Eleven: Eat & Enjoy!
Mama’s Magic Tips & Tricks
~According to Crunchy Veggie Papa, the Executive Chef I collaborated with on this recipe, “Chili is a selection of spices, not ingredients. You can use any type of fresh Veg in a rustic cut to add bulk and to give depth to this Chili.” So you can feel free to use any type of Veggie you have on hand or that you feel would lend itself best to this Chili. 🙂
-I make my Kidney Beans in my 6 Quart Instant Pot.
Not only is it an incredible time-saver, but making them in the Instant Pot infuses them with the flavors from the Spices that I sprinkle in before cooking! My Instant Pot has been a game-changer for me, saving me time in the kitchen & saving me money by helping me make more from scratch!
*Interested in owning one of your own? Click Here or on the image for a direct link to Amazon dot com, where you can check it out for yourself.
~Another time & tedius-task-saver is my Ninja Food Processor.
It makes dicing the Garlic almost effortless!
Click Here or on the image below to be taken directly to Amazon, where you can order your own. 🙂
Perfect Pairings
This Chili is amazing on its own, but it is even better when accessorized.
~Some suggested accessories include:
–Crunchy Veggie Papa’s Pico de Gallo
-Avocados / Guacamole
~Bean / Tortilla Chips (I am current loving Siete’s grain free, Coconut Flour Tortilla Chips!)
-Jalepenos & Hot Sauce
Suggested Serving Styles:
On top of: Mashed White or Sweet Potatoes, Brown Rice, Gluten Free Pasta, Spaghetti Squash, a bed of Spinach / Lettuce or an assortment of Steamed Veggies!
I’d love to see what you choose to complement your Chili!
Those meatballs sound so delicious!! White chicken chili sounds good, too. It’s funny how the week that I can’t meal plan (due to traveling) I’m itching to do so!!
This so AMAZING! This is a dish that I would totally make for myself and probably keep for myself. My grandmother used to make something similar when I was a little girl.