Hearty Vegan Chipotle Chili
Alison Stone
Ingredients:
1-12 oz. package Impossible Burger (cooks like ground beef)*
1 medium onion, chopped
1-4 oz. can mild green chiles
1-28 oz. can fire-roasted, crushed tomatoes
1-28 oz. can diced tomatoes
1-28 oz. can tomato sauce
1-14.5 oz. can light or dark kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1-14.5 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
1-14.5 oz can chili beans, undrained (I used Bush’s Best red beans in medium chili sauce)
½ tsp. onion powder
2 tsp. chili powder
1½ tsp. cumin
¼ tsp. chipotle chili powder
1 tsp. cocoa powder
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
Instructions:
Crumble Impossible Burger into a large pan or soup pot; add the chopped onion. Cook until the burger crumbles are browned and onions are translucent. Add the green chilies and cook on low heat for another five minutes to combine flavors.
Add the cans of tomatoes and sauce, the drained and rinsed black beans, kidney beans, and the chili beans with sauce to the Impossible mixture.
Add seasonings; stir to combine all ingredients. Simmer for 30 minutes.
*In lieu of a meat substitute, add another can of drained and rinsed beans. If you’re adventurous, substitute 1½ cups of sweet potatoes, zucchini or other favorite vegetables.
This recipe makes a large amount of chili. It feeds my family of three (generously) for 2-3 meals. We freeze it to sometimes have on cold, fall days when there is no time to cook. We typically eat chili in our house with tortilla chips or cornbread. Be sure to also freeze a small container of chili to have on hand when you just NEED a chili dog! (LightLife Smart Dogs is our brand of choice.)
I have played with a few recipes throughout the years and so far, these are our favorites.
MORE FROM THE AUTHOR:
Welcome autumn with a classic chili/cornbread combo, vegan-style
Don’t hate me for saying this, but autumn is so close I can smell the pumpkin spice wafting in the air.
While I do enjoy a good oat milk pumpkin latte, chili is my absolute favorite fall food.
My chili recipes have evolved over the years to suit whatever kind of “diet” I was punishing myself with at the time. A few decades ago, I hopped on the “low carb” craze, so I increased the amount of animal flesh in my recipe, followed by the “low cal” craze, where I exchanged the red meats with ground turkey and chicken. Finally, after my weight had skyrocketed to an all-time high, I decided dieting was not the answer.
I made significant changes in what I ate when the lives of animals became more important to me than a burger. So I made one last adjustment to my chili repertoire.
Initially, I took out all animal products and substituted extra beans, veggies and chunky tomatoes. For me, it was filling, tasty, healthy and CHEAP!!
Who doesn’t have a stockpile of canned beans and tomatoes hanging out in their pantry? Today, with all the meat alternatives that are exploding on the market, I decided to throw in some Impossible-brand, “plant-based meat.”
Impossible products cook up just like ground beef, its texture is similar, and the flavor is great!
Sometimes you just need a warm, hearty bowl of chili, and this is IT for me! We like to top our chili with a dollop of Follow Your Heart vegan sour cream, Chao vegan shredded cheese and a bit of cilantro.