Is there any such thing as a good vegetarian chili recipe?

[QC]

I desperately need one. The ones I have tried with textured soy protein did not thrill me, as I generally do not like the make-believe meat items.

Does anyone have a good vegetarian chili recipe?

I will scream with delight if you post one!

(I'm about to go to work, so the delighted screaming might have to happen later tonight.)

[flvegan]

1. Which faux meat did you try?

Some of them do indeed suck.

[QC]

8. It was a box of dry, crumbly things from the health food store.

The ones you soak in hot water until they become a mass of flavorless crumbly things.

[stuntcat]

14. was it TVP?

textured veggie protein? If you soak it in the juice from the canned tomatoes with some spices added then it comes out delicious! I think.
I drain the juice into a very small pot on the stove, then add the TVP and the spices and let it all warm a while then add it to the beans and the rest of the tomatoes and onions, or whatever else!

(I just noticed you already answered that question, about TVP :blush: anyway, this is what I do to make it yummy. I like chili without any meat-like stuff too but I think TVP's good for you.)

[bicentennial_baby]

2. I like Lightlife Smart Ground

:)

[QC]

9. I'll look for that one. Maybe Publix will have it. n/t

[LostinVA]

3. We make a good one -- no fake meat, just beans and veggies

I stole it out of the "Clean Eating" book. The recipe is vegan, but we usually add some cheese to our bowls. I like it, and I'm not vegetarian.

I'll post it later. I'll have to dig out the book.

[malta blue]

4. I don't use fake meat, but just add groats and walnuts

instead of meat. So whatever you would do with the beans, tomato, chiles, etc., don't cahnge it, just add groats and/or barley and walnuts.

[QC]

10. Thanks! n/t

[GOPisEvil]

5. Actually, Rachael Ray's vegetarian chili recipe is a good, basic recipe.

No faux meat. I played with hers somewhat to get the flavors that I like. But her recipe is easy and quick.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_18690,00.html

[QC]

11. Oooo--that one looks good. Thanks!

I think I might try that with one of the brown bag mixes, like Shelby or Three Alarm.

[XemaSab]

6. I bet soyrizo would be good in chili

I haven't tried it, but it has that flavorful, "meaty" way about it. It can be broken down into micro-pieces, so you wouldn't have meaty chunks, just the flavor.

[QC]

13. I've never tried that one, will see if Publix has it. n/t

[grace0418]

21. Soyrizo *IS* good in chili.

I also chop extra firm tofu into tiny chunks and saute it in the seasonings I'm using for the chili. It gives the chili great texture.

[OffWithTheirHeads]

7. McDougle's red bean chilie is the best ever

And I am speaking as a carnivore!

Not just meat free but fat free!

Wish I had it at my fingertips but I'm afraid you will have to do some research. If you really can't find it, let me know and I will look it up.

[Canuckistanian]

12. NO

Next question....

[Chan790]

16. Oh my god you are so wrong...

I used to think vegetarian chili? :wtf:

Then I became a ovo-lacto (and later a lacto) vegetarian. Meat-free chilis are better, they don't have that greasy mouthfeel that beef chili does. Now if I could find a decent veggie hot-dog. No such item exists. I've tried them all.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

15. The one in the original Moosewood Cookbook is one I've made over the years

(I originally tried it because I had a roommate who was Russian Orthodox and had to be vegan during Holy Week.)

The more types of legumes you put in (red beans, black beans, lentils, peas, chick peas, etc.) the more satisfying it is.

It has no attempted meat substitutes in it, just assorted legumes and other veggies.

[Chan790]

17. I have an easy quick one

but it's not as good as my complex 8-hour one.

Quick Veggie (or possibly vegan) Chili:

Start with one pre-mixed chili base of your choice. (Any one, even the ones designed for meat almost never contain any...usually it's tomato paste and spices.)

Add any and/or all of the following to your preference:

Pre-cooked or pre-soaked beans of any sort (Red, Black, Kidney, Navy, mixed)
Drained stewed tomatoes
Shredded carrot
Green peppers
Jalapenos
Peanuts
Corn
Other nut-meats (Not almonds, personal experience there...they're too sweet. I really like cashews, walnuts or philberts for this.)
Barley
Bulghur
Summer squash
Zucchini
Onions (I like to add battered and crisped onions (kinda like onion rings, except strings/straws) on top in the bowl in place of the traditional cheese.)
...pretty much any other veggie you can think of.

If you want to thicken it, add 1 tbsp. of instant oatmeal. Thinner? I use V8. (V8 is a great veggie stock if whatever you're using it for contains tomatoes or you don't mind a tomato-ey taste. Not so good for, say, a vegetarian French Onion soup.)

Usually it cooks within 20-30 minutes.

[jobycom]

18. Yes. But I won't tell you the recipe.

Mainly because I've lost it. Living in Texas, I've got a whole book on vegetarian chilis and half the cookbooks I've bought over the years were bought because I liked the chili recipes. I used to have a copy of Vegetarian Times devoted completely to chili, but I wore the darned thing out, between constant use and splattering with simmering ingredients. And I attend the Lone Star Vegetarian Cook-off whenever I get the chance, which isn't more than once a year, since that's all they hold it.

But I lost my favorite recipe, have to improvise it when I want it. It uses TVP (though you could leave that out), frozen tofu (freezing it then defrosting it gives it a very different texture), three types of beans, several bottles of Shiner Bock, jalepenos, and I don't even remember what else. Cumin and Cayenne are no doubt part of it.

The other favorite veggie chili I've ever had was from a restaurant in New Mexico, either around Taos or Santa Fe, that had a slighly bitter, licorice flavor. No beans, IIRC, and not a lot of fruit.

I've had chilis based on squash and eggplant, bean chilis, tofu chilis, veggies, fake meat, tofu, Boca Burgers... About the only thing they all have in common is a cayenne--cumin flavor base, and even that varies.

So yes, there are great vegetarian recipes out there. And bad ones. And ones that would only make a vegetarian happy, and others that meat-eaters would love (the one I wish I hadn't lost even pleases my carnivore family).

But I can't make you scream with delight, I'm afraid. The quest for the perfect chili is a religious one, and no one can help your spirit along such an intimately personal journey.

[jobycom]

19. Holy Spicole, after that long rant, I found it!

THE BEST CHILI IN TEXAS!!!!!!

AWARD-WINNING VEG CHILI!
(Quintes-sensual Chili)(1 gallon)

2 1/2 Cups beans (5 cups cooked)
Use a combination of pinto, black, kidney and garbanzo. Soak overnight in distilled water and a couple bottles of Shiner Bock beer. Rinse before cooking. Cover with distilled water and cook beans almost completely before adding remaining ingredients-except for TVP-see below.
1 lb tofu, frozen, thawed and torn into bite-sized pieces.

Whip together:
1/4 cup tamari
1 1/2 TBS tomato paste
1/2 TBS onion powder
1/4 TBS garlic powder (or more)
1/2 cups distilled water
2 TBS oil
Add to the tofu pieces and mix...saute in oil over medium heat until all liquid is absorbed and tofu well browned.

In a pan, saute:
2 TBS oil
1 large green peppers, diced
2 large onions, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
Add these and the browned tofu to the cooked beans, adding 2-3 Shiner Bock beers plus distilled water as needed.

Add 1cup chunk TVP when you have about 1 hour cooking time left.
Also add:
1-2 TBS salt
3-4 TBS chili powder
2-3 TBS cumin
chopped Chipotle peppers to taste
2-3 Shiner Bock beers

Cook for 2-3 hours, taste and modify with spices and peppers. Serve with fritos.

http://www.voiceforanimals.org/vegantexmex.htm

The recipe for calabacita is pretty good, too, but use chayote squash (we used to call them melitons or merlitons in Louisiana).

[LeftyMom]

20. here you go

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=231&topic_id=497&mesg_id=1112

[cemaphonic]

22. How about rishta? It's not chili, but the cumin, tomatoes and onions give it a bit of a chili feel

Classic Middle Eastern dish, and really good. I don't really use a recipe anymore, but this one is pretty close to mine.


Ingredients

* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 large onion, finely chopped
* 2-3 garlic clove, finely minced
* 1 cup lentils
* 2 cups unsalted chicken stock - sub this for water or vegetable stock, obviously.
* 3 large plum tomato, coarsely chopped or 1 cup drained italian canned tomato, coarsely chopped
* 2 tablespoons tomato paste
* 1/4 teaspoon hot pepper flakes
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
* 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
* salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
* 8 ounces tagliatelle pasta noodles or fettuccine pasta
* 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Directions

1.
1
Heat the oil in a 5-qt nonstick Dutch Oven and saute the onions and garlic over low heat, stirring constanly for 5 minutes, or until the onions are soft and begin to brown. Stir in the lentils and add the chicken stock. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Then stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste, hot pepper flakes, cumin, allspice, coriander, salt and pepper. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes more, or until the lentils are soft but hold their shape.
2.
2
Meanwhile, boil and drain the pasta. Transfer the lentils and pasta to a large warm serving bowl. Sprinkle with lemon juice and toss lightly. Serve hot.

I generally fry the cooked pasta in a little bit of very hot oil with some (whole) cumin seeds for a couple of minutes before mixing them in with the lentils, but it adds more cleanup, and might not work very well with the thin noodles in this recipe.

I hate fake-meat products too, and I'm not vegetarian so I don't particularly feel a need to try to work them into my vegetarian dishes. I find that legume-based dishes are often a better way to get a meaty texture than the processed soy products.

[davsand]

23. Portabella Mushrooms work well.

They are nice and "meaty." Make sure you use a good veggie stock to get started and put your tomatoes in the pot to start cooking down. Saute off the peppers, onions, and 'shrooms and add those to the pot along with your spices and tomato sauce. Simmer on low for a long while and keep it stirred to prevent burning. About 40 minutes before you serve it add all your beans (I used both red and black beans) and about two Tablespoons of unsweetened chocolate. Once it comes back up to a boil re-spice it. Add cilantro about 15 minutes before serving along with fresh lemon juice.

I have used the TVP before and it is not TOO bad, but you REALLY have to spice the hell out of it to make it taste ok. You can't cook with it like you do real meat...

Have fun!


Laura

[southlandshari]

24. I don't know, but

now that I know what I have to do to make you scream with delight, I will report back with every vegetarian chili recipe on record.

Post haste.

:hi: