8 Homemade Vegan Chili Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What can I replace meat with in chili? ›

Let's Talk Vegetarian Chili “Meat”

This vegetarian chili features a hearty mixture of walnuts, mushrooms, and carrots that can beautifully stand in place of your ground beef and absorbs the big flavors of sautéed onion and garlic, diced green chiles, and all those spices.

This Vegan Chili is a moderately-spiced, tomato-y stew loaded with chunks of celery, onion, green bell pepper, and carrot. Spices like ancho chili powder, cumin, oregano, garlic, and cayenne pepper add some body to the chili, while kidney beans and pinto beans give a hearty and creamy texture.

Cocoa powder, bacon, cinnamon, ground coffee and tomato paste will all add a rich sweet & salty flavors that are sure to surprise and delight. Warming spice blends, like Garam Masala, Ras el Hanout or Baharat are another simple and delicious way to add layered flavors to this simple one-pot meal.

The best meat for chili depends on the type you're making, but professionals generally use a combination of ground chuck, brisket, short ribs, or diced tri-tip sirloin mixed with bacon and sausage to layer multiple textures and flavors.

Stir in some finely ground cornmeal or masa harina.

Start by stirring 1 to 2 tablespoons into your chili, allow the stew to simmer for 5 to 10 minutes more, and it should thicken up a bit. Masa harina (an instantly binding corn flour) also works beautifully to absorb liquid.

Leftovers: This chili will keep in the fridge for about 4-5 days, and also freezes well. Instant Pot version: Use the sauté feature and cook your onion and garlic, then add the rest of the ingredients (except the tofu, bake that in the oven like normal).

What Lee Kum Kee Sriracha Chili Sauce delivers is a pleasant garlic kick with a blend of tangy undertones, a hint of sweetness, and a fiery aftertaste-- this is Asian fusion in a bottle. Get ready to turn any dish into a mouthwatering meal. Suitable for vegans and vegetarians.

A cup of strong, brewed coffee will work wonders for your pot of chili, imparting a deep, roasted flavor that will make the chili taste like it simmered away all day long. For maximum flavor, reduce the coffee along with a blend of tomato paste, aromatic veggies and spices like we do in our Spicy Vegetarian Chili.

Cumin, Chile Powders, and Paprika are the most common spices in chili followed by garlic, onion, coriander, Mexican oregano, and bay leaves. These ingredients can be combined to create a savory and well-balanced pot of top notch comfort food.

What liquid is best for chili? ›

Chili cooks low and slow, so you need enough liquid to tenderize the meat and keep everything from drying out. That liquid should also add flavor to the chili, so use chicken, beef, or vegetable stock, or beer.

Tomato paste is a great way to add bonus tomato flavor, and thickness, to a chili recipe. To get the best flavor it needs to be browned. Add a couple tablespoons (or a whole can if you want a thicker soup base) directly to the pan after cooking the meat and onions.

To make the chili:

Heat oil in a dutch oven set on stovetop to medium-high heat. Stir in the onions, garlic and celery cover and cook for about 5 minutes, until soft and translucent. Sprinkle in the spice mix, stir and cook for an additional two minutes. Reduce the temperature to medium.

Cooking chili low and slow is the way to go

Although the internet abounds with recipes for quick-cooking chilis that take as little as 20 minutes (via MyRecipes), this stewed dish truly benefits from a longer cook time that will gently coax all the flavors out of the meat, legumes, vegetables, and spices in the recipe.

Vegetarian chili

It is also popular with those on a diet restricting the use of red meat. To make the chili vegetarian, the cook leaves out the meat or replaces it with a meat analogue, such as textured vegetable protein or tofu, quinoa, or a starchy vegetable, such as potatoes.

Lentils are well-known to vegetarians and are a solid option for adding texture, protein, and deliciousness to chili; plus, they're good for you. If adding lentils, be sure to add a bit more water or broth because they soak up a lot of liquid.

Legumes are another fantastic option you can choose to include in your meals instead of ground beef. Lentils are a type of legume that you can use to replace beef in many dishes. They're also full of moisture, giving them an excellent texture for replacing beef in your recipes.