Hearty Plant Based Chili

Chili is a crowd-pleaser. It’s filling, flavorful, and delights kids as much as adults. There are many ways to make chili, from the simplest dump-everything-in-and-let-it-simmer busy weeknight version to the most lovingly hand-crafted it-took-three-days-to-make-this rendition. And it’s just as good, or dare we say better, without animal products. Our Hearty Plant Based Chili is big on flavor, vegan, oil-free, and satisfying enough to please any omnivore. 

The secret is our Coney Island-Style Sauce, made with bulgar wheat, which is packed with seasonings and simulates the texture of ground beef. Putting together the Coney Island-Style Sauce before you make the chili takes extra time, but we promise it is so worth it. In fact, you should just go ahead and double it and use the extra to make all sorts of yums, or eat by itself. Don’t say we didn’t warn you!

What’s inside 

Coney Island-Style Sauce

Bulgar wheat: this grain is made from cracked wheat hulls. It has a course, semi-firm texture, and a nutty flavor. You can typically find it in the bulk sections of grocery stores or online. We recommend purchasing the fine or medium-grain variety (this is most common and you can assume it’s fine or medium if not listed on the label). You can use course-grain bulgar if you prefer, but you’ll need to let it cook it a little longer. 

Chili powder: this common seasoning is actually a spice blend in itself, with many different varieties and spice levels available. What kind you use is up to you. Experimenting with different chili powders to see how the flavors change is super fun, so don’t be afraid! Even better, make your own and tell us all about it. We have a Simple Chili Seasoning in Clean Food Dirty Girl if you want to give it a whirl.

Smoked paprika powder: this isn’t your mom’s paprika! We love its deep red color, but the real purpose here is to deliver subtle smoky notes that deepen the flavor of your chili. It’s commonly available in most conventional grocery stores, but there are lots of sources online if you have trouble finding it.

Cinnamon powder: you might be surprised by this one, but its light spicy flavor complements the more traditional savory seasonings incredibly well.

Low-sodium vegetable broth: any brand or variety will work. If you like making things yourself while saving money, you’ll love our Vegetable Bouillon Powder recipe. Mix up a batch and keep a jar on hand to make veggie broth, boost the flavor of ramen, soups, grains, and sauces, or sprinkle a little on your popcorn for a bit of savory flavor. Hell yeah!

Vegan Worcestershire sauce: say that three times fast. Most varieties contain anchovies or fish sauce, so be sure to purchase a vegan version. It should be clearly labeled on the bottle.

Hearty Plant Based Chili

Brown rice flour: uncooked brown rice is ground into a fine powder to make this handy flour. We love to use it for thickening soups and stews. Check the bulk section of your grocery store or purchase online. You can even grind your own with a fancy blender or food processor. Now if only the fancy blender could do the dishes…

Sweet onions: we like sweet varieties like Walla Walla, Vidalia, or Texas sweet for our chili as they meld nicely with the other flavors without being overpowering. They also caramelize beautifully.

Mushrooms: grab whatever you like, is on sale, or in your CSA box. Try throwing in different varieties to play with texture and flavor. 

Jalapeño: you can remove the seeds or omit the jalapeño entirely, depending on your spice level tolerance.

Frozen corn kernels: we like to use frozen corn kernels because they’re available year-round and super convenient.

Let’s make Hearty Plant Based Chili

Coney Island-Style Sauce

First, let’s get our bulgar cooking. Measure one cup of water into a small saucepan and set it over high heat until it begins to boil. Remove the pan from the heat, turn off the burner, and stir in the bulgar. 

Cover with a lid and let it rest off the heat for at least 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, grab a small bowl and measure the spices into it (chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, cumin, oregano, salt, cayenne, black pepper, cinnamon, and allspice) and set aside. This will make things faster once we get our veggies cooking. 

Place a smallish pot over medium heat and allow to warm for a few minutes. Once it’s hot, add the onion, garlic, and 1⅔ tablespoons of water. Cook until the veggies start turning translucent at the edges, about six minutes, stirring occasionally. You can add another splash of water if things start to stick.

Now, lower the heat to medium-low and add the tomato paste and spice mixture you set aside earlier. Stir continuously for about a minute to coat everything and get the spices nice and toasty. It’s ok if they stick to the pot right now. 

Let’s deglaze this baby! Pour in your veggie broth and stir well, scraping the bottom of the pot to grab any stuck bits—they’re basically flavor bombs. We like a wooden spoon for this. 

Now add the cooked bulgar you set aside earlier, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, maple syrup, and liquid smoke (if using). Stir well.

Bring to a gentler simmer (you may need to raise the heat a little), and continue cooking, stirring often, until the sauce thickens, about five to 10 minutes.

Set aside until you’re ready to make your chili! You’ll need it all, so do your best not to get carried away after a taste test. If you were wise and made a double batch, here are a few of our favorite ways to enjoy your extra Coney Island-Style Sauce:

• Cheesy Artichoke Quesadillas
• Cheesy Coney Stuffed Sweeties
• Build Your Own Cheesy Pepper Jack Macaroni Bowl
• Chili Mac-N-Cheese
• Coney-style Carrot Dogs

Hearty Plant Based Chili

We’ll follow a similar process for the chili. If you want maximum efficiency, you can start your chili after you deglaze the pot for the Coney Island-Style Sauce. 

First up, let’s measure our spices, including the flour, into a small bowl and set aside (flour, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, black pepper, and chipotle powder). 

Pull out your Dutch oven or large soup pot and place over medium heat for a few minutes to warm up. Then, add the onions, mushrooms, jalapeño, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms have released most of their liquid, about five minutes. If things start to stick, you should be able to hold off on adding water, as the mushroom liquid will help release things.

Once your veggies are softened, add the flour/spice mix and the tomato paste. Stir for about a minute while the spices toast.

Add water, diced tomatoes, beans, and corn and stir well, scraping up all the stuck pieces from the bottom of the pot. You’re a deglazing master!

Raise the heat to medium-low, bring everything to a light boil, then lower the heat to a gentle simmer. Let cook, stirring occasionally, until it begins to thicken, about 10 minutes. 

Finally, add all of your Coney Island-Style Sauce, stir to combine, and simmer for about five more minutes. That’s it! You’re free to enjoy your Hearty Plant Based Chili.

If you like your chili extra thick, make it the day before you plan to eat it as it will continue to thicken as it cools. Then reheat and enjoy!

Yield, storage, and serving suggestions 

These recipes will make 2⅔ cups of Coney Island-Style Sauce and 8 cups of Hearty Plant Based Chili, respectively.

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days. This is a great dish to make over the weekend to enjoy all week long.

Are you a Clean Food Dirty Girl member? View the recipe there and get cooking.

While you’re there, grab this Cornbread recipe. It’s the perfect companion for your delicious chili. We also love it topped with Vegan Sour Cream, but you can’t go wrong with keeping it simple if that’s more your style.

Have you made our Hearty Plant Based Chili? What’s your favorite chili powder to use? Let us know in the comments below!

Wishing you new joy from familiar pleasures.

Xo 
Team Dirty