Our 8th Annual Vegan Chili Cook-Off featured lots of delicious vegan chili. Here’s one of the winning recipes by Patrick and Ross.
Chicknotchili
Serves 8
Chili:
- 1 russet potato, coarsely chopped
- 1/2 large white onion, chopped
- 1/2 large red onion, chopped
- 5 gloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 medium jalapeño, finely chopped
- 1/2 medium serrano pepper, finely chopped
- 1/2 medium poblano pepper, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons taco seasoning
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons sea salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon cayenne
- 1 12-ounce can diced tomatoes (with green chilies for more heat)
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, finely chopped
- 1 12-ounce can cannellini beans
- 1 12-ounce can great northern beans
- 1 12-ounce can garbanzo beans
- 1 12-ounce can pinto beans
- 1 9-ounce package Beyond Meat Grilled Chicken, shredded (vegan)
- 5 cups Better than Chicken Broth (vegan)
- 1 12-ounce can corn
- 1 teaspoon espelette powder
- Juice of 1 lime
- Zest of 1/2 lime
Cashew Cream:
- 3/4 cup raw cashews
- 1 cup water
Sauce:
- 1/2 vegan mayonaise (Just Mayo or Vegenaise)
- Juice of 1/2 lime
- 1/2 cup nondairy sour cream (Tofutti)
- 2 tablespoons Yellow Bird Hot Sauce (habanero and/or jalapeño)
- 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon cayenne
- 1/2 jalapeño chile, finely chopped
Garnish:
- Fresh cilantro
- Corn tortilla chips
Cook the potato in boiling water until almost tender. (Alternatively, microwave the chopped potato for 3 minutes, until somewhat soft.)
Heat a small amount of vegetable oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 2 minutes, until softened.
Add the taco seasoning, garlic powder, black pepper, 1 teaspoon of cayenne, and 2 tablespoons of cumin and cook, stirring contantly, until toasted. Add a small amount of the broth and stir, deglazing the pan, for about 1 minute.
Add the tomatoes and fresh cilantro and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 3 minutes. Stir in the beans. Decrease the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes. Add the vegan chicken, potato, and corn. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes. Add the remaining broth, decrease the heat to low, and cook, stirring occasionally for about 15 minutes.
To prepare the cashew cream, microwave the cashews in water for about 2 minutes. (Alternatively, pre-soak the cashews for two hours.) Drain and rinse the cashews and put them in a blender with 1 cup water. Blend for about 2 minutes until smooth and set aside.
Returning to the pot of chili, add the espelette powder and stir well to combine.
Adjust the salt and spice level to taste. (Go for a balance between salty, tangy, sweet, spicy components. It’s the key to awesome flavor.)
When the potatoes are soft and starting to decompose, remove chili from the heat and add the cashew cream and the lime zest. Stir well to combine. Let cool for about 30 minutes before serving.
While the chili cools, prepare the sauce. Put all sauce ingredients in a blender and process until well combined.
Just before serving the chili, stir in juice of 1/2 lime. Top individual servings with a dollop of sauce, a bit of cilantro, and a few chips.