The Vegan Chili that Gets Better The Longer it Sits

Ola my friend! You will not believe how this vegan chili only gets better and better the longer it sits. I even froze some for later and it tasted even better than when it was made fresh. “What an experience” is what you are going to repeat over and over in your head for a couple of days after trying it. This vegan chili is filled with rich and bold flavors that will keep you puzzled as to why it taste so good. This recipe was adopted from Nora Cooks Ultimate Vegan Chili post.

Now you should know that I did not use any measuring utensils for this dish so this post will focus on the ingredients, method and results. It came out so good that I wished that I measured everything. I was so surprised. I plan to keep exploring with this vegan chili going forward and will update this post accordingly. Ready for an easy vegan meal idea for when you are craving chili and curious about cocoa powder in the chili? Let’s go!

Vegan Chili Ingredients and Prep

Chili Base
  • Medium Firm Tofu (19 oz)
  • Tomato puree (1 1b can)
  • Kidney beans (1 lb bag)
  • Green bell peppers
  • Yellow onions
  • Frozen corn
  • Water
  • 100% Olive Oil (optional)
Main Seasonings
  • Chili powder
  • Ground cumin
  • Smoked paprika
  • Cayenne pepper
  • Pink Himalayan Salt
  • 100% Maple syrup
  • 100% Cocoa powder
Tofu Seasoning
  • Soy sauce
  • Nutritional yeast
  • Chili powder
  • smoked paprika

Tofu Crumbles

  1. Take 1 package of medium firm tofu and crumble into small pieces. Add to a large wok or frying pan. Cook on medium to high heat.
  2. Add the soy sauce, nutritional yeast, chili powder and smoked paprika to the tofu (add to taste). Stir until the tofu is fully coated with the seasoning mixture.
  3. Cook for about 7 to 10 minutes or until crumbles are firm and not mushy.

Chili

  1. Wash / rinse all vegetables and legumes well.
  2. Add the red kidney beans and water to the crockpot. Be sure the water is about 3 inches above the beans. Cook the beans using the beans setting with high pressure & high temperature.
  3. Cut the green bell peppers, yellow onions into medium to large pieces.
  4. Once the beans are done, pour the excess water out.
  5. Add all veggies, the tomato puree, frozen corn, tofu crumbles, and a little olive oil (optional) to the crock pot with the cooked beans.
  6. Add the chili powder, ground cumin, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, pink Himalayan salt, maple syrup, and cocoa powder. (Add to taste)
  7. Next, add water as needed / desired.
  8. Cook the chili using the chili setting on high pressure & high temperature.
  9. Once done, stir well and serve immediately or allow to sit and cool a bit. Remember it tastes better and better the longer it sit for some reason.
  10. Serve with sour cream and tortilla chips (may favorites) and enjoy.

Notes

  • Please do adjust the ingredient portions per your preferences and dietary goals.
  • Squeeze water out of tofu by pressing down on the tofu. Don’t hesitate to use a solid spatula and plate or like me use your two hands.
  • Soak the red kidney beans in water overnight for easier digestion as needed.
  • Feel free to leave some of the bean water in the pot in step #4

Vegan Chili Gallery

Health Benefits

Some of my favorites for red kidney beans:

  • rich source of protein so rich that it is known as the poor man’s meat
  • an excellent blood sugar balancer thanks to being a slow release carb and ranking low on the glycemic index
  • highly supports colon health thanks to the insoluble fibers that function as prebiotics
  • helps with weight management because you feel fuller longer causing you not to overeat thanks to the high fiber content.

Read more details here and here.

Until Next Time

Well, what do you think? Are you daring to give this chili a try? Are you surprised that one of the ingredients is cocoa powder? I had to try the cocoa powder and Nora Cooks is right. It definitely adds riches and depths of flavors to the chili! Please drop a comment below or email me. I would love to hear your feedback and/or stories. Do you need another crock pot vegan meal to make quickly? Check out my post ‘The Best Vegan Tomato Lentil Soup for All Seasons’ here.

Well, I will take my leave for now. I look forward to our time together again soon. Be inspired to have an appetite to Live and Live well.

Adaeze

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