Not yo’ Mama’s vegan chili is an incredibly flavorful and complex spicy chili made with red wine, cocoa powder, and adobo chilis. It’s sure to replace your favorite chili recipe. Perfect for a cozy meal on a winter evening and pairs even better in a homemade bread bowl.
Ingredients
Ancho Chili Powder: This stuff is seriously better than regular chili powder and if you like heat, it’s exceptional in this recipe. Made from just dried poblano peppers, it has a superior flavor compared to the milder mixed chili powder version. If you don’t like a ton of spice though, swap them out!
Chipotles in Adobo: Another one of my favorites in this recipe is the chipotle peppers in Adobo sauce. They are jalapenos that are dried and smoked giving them an incredible depth of flavor. Another spicy ingredient so please modify as necessary!
Beans: Use whatever kind of bean you like. I prefer pinto beans, but cannellini beans and kidney beans are also dynamite in this chili.
Red Wine: A dry red goes a long way to impart a bold rich flavor once the alcohol burns off. It balances the spice and gives a wonderful depth.
Cocoa Powder: The bitter earthiness of unsweetened cocoa powder is such a nice balance and pairs so well with the chili spices.
Instructions
- Over medium heat, add the olive oil to a large stockpot and saute the onion for 5-7 minutes until translucent.
- Add the garlic and saute for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant.
- Stir in the tomato paste and let it cook for 2-3 minutes until it darkens in color. This is essential to get the best flavor from the tomato paste.
- Mix in the chili powder, cumin, paprika, and oregano. Modify the chili powder and paprika for your spice preferences. For more heat, use ancho chili powder and smoked paprika. For less heat, use regular chili powder and regular paprika.
- Deglaze the pot with the red wine scraping any browned bits off the bottom of the pot. Let cook for a minute or two until the alcohol vapors cease.
- Add the stock, beans, cocoa powder, bay leaf, Worcestershire, adobo chilis, tomatoes, brown sugar, and salt and pepper. Heat to a rapid simmer and then turn down the heat to a gentle simmer on low. Reduce to one diced chili pepper for less heat or omit it altogether.
- Cook for a minimum of 30 minutes. Ideally, simmer the chili for 2-3 hours stirring every 10 minutes to bring out an incredibly complex flavor.
- Serve warm with your favorite toppings like cilantro, red onion, vegan sour cream, or cheese.
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Not Yo’ Mama’s Vegan Chili
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 yellow onion-diced
- 5 cloves garlic-minced (adjust to taste)
- 1 can tomato paste
- 3 tbsp ancho chili powder (substitute for regular chili powder for less spice)
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika (substitute regular paprika for less spice)
- 1 tbsp oregano
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 1 1/2 cup vegetable broth
- 2 15 oz cans pinto beans
- 1 15 oz can black beans
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tbsp vegan Worcestershire (substitute soy sauce or tamari)
- 2 chipotle in adobo-diced (add a tbsp of the adobo sauce to up the heat)
- 1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
- 2 tsp salt
- pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Over medium heat, add the olive oil to a large stockpot and saute the onion for 5-7 minutes until translucent.
- Add the garlic and saute for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant.
- Stir in the tomato paste and let it cook for 2-3 minutes until it darkens in color. This is essential to get the best flavor from the tomato paste.
- Mix in the chili powder, cumin, paprika, and oregano. Modify the chili powder and paprika for your spice preferences. For more heat, use ancho chili powder and smoked paprika. For less heat, use regular chili powder and regular paprika.
- Deglaze the pot with the red wine scraping any browned bits off the bottom of the pot. Let cook for a minute or two until the alcohol vapors cease.
- Add the stock, beans, cocoa powder, bay leaf, Worcestershire, adobo chilis, tomatoes, brown sugar, and salt and pepper. Heat to a rapid simmer and then turn down the heat to a gentle simmer on low. Reduce to one diced chili pepper for less heat or omit it altogether.
- Cook for a minimum of 30 minutes. Ideally, simmer the chili for 2-3 hours stirring every 10 minutes to bring out an incredibly complex flavor.
- Serve warm with your favorite toppings like cilantro, red onion, vegan sour cream, or cheese.
Notes
- This chili is even better the next day once the flavors have melded in a wonderfully complex way.
- Keep the chili in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw before reheating.
- To add some tang, throw in a tsp of apple cider vinegar.
- This chili is spicy as written! Adjust your spices and peppers to suit your palate.
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