“Meaty” Vegetarian Chili

I love chili, and eating it without meat was sort of a let down for me, until it dawned on me that what I missed more than anything was the texture of ground beef or turkey in the chili.  Texture is easily addressed, but to be on the safe side, I add portobello mushrooms (a meat-loving vegetarian’s best friend) to give it a beefy flavor.  Here, then, is my recipe for “Meaty” Vegetarian Chili.  It’s really awesome reheated the next day, when the flavors have had time to sit and mingle overnight.

Ingredients:
1-2 cloves garlic, pressed
2 large portobello mushrooms
1 small head of cauliflower (about 1-1.5 cups, chopped)
1 small head of broccoli (about 1-1.5 cups, chopped)
1-14 oz. can black beans
1-14 oz. can pinto beans
1-14 oz. can kidney beans
1-28 oz. can diced tomatoes (with seasoning, if you like)
3 Tbs. chili powder
2 Tbs. ground cumin
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. coriander
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. sea salt
red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper, to taste (optional)
a splash of water (about 1/4 to 1/2 cup)
masa/cornmeal or flour, to thicken (optional)

To make:
Heat a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil over medium high heat. Reduce heat to medium and add the garlic. Toast it for about a minute, stirring occasionally.

Chop and add the cauliflower, turning the heat back to medium-high.  I usually go with pieces about a dime to a nickle in size.  Stir occasionally while you’re dicing the portobellos.

Cut each mushroom cap in half and then slice each half into 1/4 inch thick slices. Roughly chop the slices and toss them into the pan.  Add the salt.  Give it a good stir and heat until the mushrooms are a rich brown, stirring occasionally so they brown evenly.

If you like your broccoli cooked well, chop it like you did the cauliflower and toss it in now.  Otherwise, wait until the last 5-10 minutes or so, turn the heat back up, and then stir it in.

Add the diced tomatoes, juice and all.  Give it a good stir.

Toss in the spices (except the salt, which you already added) and stir it all up well.

Rinse the beans and toss them in with a splash of water.  How much water depends on your preference for thick or thinner chili, but I’d say you should start with 1/4 cup.

Bring it to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

If you prefer your broccoli to be less wilted, bring up the heat and stir it in probably around 15 minutes in.  Stir often until the broccoli is as you like it, which will take somewhere between 5 and 10 minutes (for me, it’s 5).  You can’t really overcook this stuff, so don’t worry about how much longer it cooks.

If you think it’s too thin, toss in a few tablespoons or handfuls of masa and stir it in well, letting it cook for another minute or two.  Keep adding masa until it gets to a state you like, and then stop.

Serve it up in a bowl and top it with cheddar cheese, sour cream, and chopped green onions (or go vegan and forgo the dairy), then ignore your spoon and use corn chips to eat it with.

Heaven on cold winter nights!

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