Name: Vegan Chili with "Ground Beef" Tofu
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 1 1/4 cups "Ground Beef" tofu **; 3/4 cup diced yellow onion; 3 Tbs. olive oil, divided (2 Tbs. + 1 Tbs.); 1 clove garlic, minced; 1 1/2 Tbs. chili powder; 3/4 tsp. salt; 3/4 tsp. paprika; 3/4 tsp. cumin; 1/4 tsp. crushed dried oregano; 1/4 tsp. garlic powder; 2 15 oz. cans pinto beans; 3 cups tomato juice (two 12-ounce cans); 2 Tbs. cornstarch dissolved in 2 Tbs. water; pinch cayenne pepper ((optional))

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This vegetarian chili is also vegan and gluten free. The “ground beef” tofu helps to give it the same texture and flavor of regular chili.

Makes about 5 cups

Bowl of vegetarian chili with onions, cheese and homemade corn chips

Bowl of vegan chili made with ground beef tofu.

For the most part, I usually make a large batch of vegan chili with home cooked pinto beans from a slow cooker and store any extra in the freezer. But when I run out and have a craving for chili, I make this quick batch with canned pinto beans. You could also use dark red kidney beans, Anasazi beans, or any other beans that suit your fancy. This recipe uses “Ground Beef” Tofu which was made in the previous post. From my own experiences I have found that even people who do not like “meat” substitutes rave about this chili. Also, if you would like a little more fire in your vegetarian chili, you can add an additional pinch cayenne pepper.

Ingredients:

1 to 1¼ cups “Ground Beef” Tofu **
¾ cup diced yellow onion
3 Tablespoons olive oil, divided (2 Tbs. + 1 Tbs.)
1 clove garlic, minced (about 1 teaspoon)
1½ Tablespoons chili powder
¾ teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon paprika
¾ teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon crushed dried oregano
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
2 (15 oz.) cans pinto beans
3 cups tomato juice or V8 juice (two 12-oz. cans)
2 Tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons water
pinch cayenne pepper (optional)

Instructions:

Prepare the “Ground Beef” Tofu ahead of time and set aside. **

1. Place a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat and add 2 Tablespoons of the olive oil.
2. Then add the ¾ cup diced yellow onion. Cook and stir for 5 minutes.
3. Add 1 clove minced garlic and cook for 1 to 2 more minutes or until onion is translucent.
4. Add remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1½ Tbs. chili powder, ¾ tsp. salt, ¾ tsp. paprika, ¾ tsp. cumin, ¼ tsp. crushed dried oregano, and ¼ tsp. garlic powder.

1 - Put 2 Tablespoons olive oil in 3-quart saucepan.

2 - Add onion to saucepan and cook for 5 minutes.

Olive oil, onions, and garlic in saucepan

3 - Add garlic and cook for another minute.

Olive oil, onions, garlic, and spices in saucepan

4 - Add remaining olive oil and spices.

5. Cook and stir for about 1 minute. Generally, you want to cook the spices briefly in the oil to help bring out their flavor.

6. Add the 2 (15 oz.) cans pinto beans and stir until well blended.
7. Add the 3 cups tomato juice and briefly stir again until blended.
8. Add the “Ground Beef” Tofu.

Cooking the spices and onions in the pot.

5 - Cook and stir the spices for 1 minute.

6 - Add 2 cans pinto beans and stir.

7 - Add 3 cups tomato juice and stir again.

8 - Add the "Ground Beef" tofu.

9. Gently stir the “Ground Beef” Tofu into the pinto bean mixture.

10. Simmer slowly for 5 to 10 minutes. As a result, this will allow the flavors to mingle.
11. Then remove from heat. In a small dish stir the 2 Tbs. water into 2 Tbs. cornstarch and quickly stir the mixture into the vegetarian chili.
12. Return to the heat and continue to stir slowly until the chili thickens. Let the chili return to a low simmer, then turn off the heat. Finally you can taste the chili to sample the seasoning and add a pinch of cayenne pepper if you would like spicier chili. Serve.

Stir ground beef tofu into bean mixture.

9 -Gently stir the tofu into the bean mixture.

10 - Simmer slowly for 5 to 10 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in cornstarch mixture.

11 - Stir the cornstarch mixture into the chili.

Return to heat and stir slowly until chili thickens.

12 - Cook slowly until chili thickens.

Serving suggestions:

So you can serve this vegan chili topped with grated vegan cheese (I used Daiya dairy free medium cheddar style), diced yellow onion, vegan sour cream, fresh salsa, or any combination of the four. For this particular meal I served homemade corn chips on the side. You could also serve fresh corn or flour tortillas with your chili.

Vegan chili served with homemade corn chips.

** When you are in a hurry, there are a lot of substitutes that you can use for the “Ground Beef” Tofu. Beyond Meat®, Morningstar Farms®, and several other companies make vegetarian beef crumbles that you can usually find in the freezer section or the produce department. The advantage to making your own “Ground Beef” Tofu is that is much less expensive and does not contain a lot of the chemicals that the others have.