My chili recipe originally came from my mother, but her version contained some beef. I’ve adapted it over the years to suit my veggie tastes and generally only have it with beens as the protein. This time, I added some TVP for extra oomph.
It’s great on day one as chili, but it’s even better on day two and beyond!
Ingredients
2 lbs dried pinto, kidney, black beans or a mix
1-2 medium onions, diced
4 stalks celery, sliced thin
2 cups carrots, shredded or chopped
1 red pepper, diced
2-3 jalapenos, diced or sliced
1 large can crushed tomato
1-2 large cans diced tomato, drained
4-6 cups veg broth
2 cups TVP
3 T olive oil
6 T cumin
2 T chili powder
4 T annatto
6 T cocoa powder
3 T smooth peanut butter
sea salt
pepper
Process
Sort and rinse beans and dice veggies. Put everything except the peanut butter in your pressure cooker, using only enough of the broth to cover the beans to the appropriate level. Seal and increase to high pressure, cooking for 25 minutes. Turn off heat and allow pressure to come back down. Unseal and taste test for seasoning. You may need to add more of the veggie broth if the chili is too thick for you. At that point, you continue to cook on a low simmer until everything is cooked to the extent that you enjoy. More cooking will break down the texture of the beans and thicken the soup into a more creamy consistency – which some people like. Less cooking will result in a chunkier chili. When you are within an hour of serving, add the peanut butter and stir in.
Each time you make this, it comes out differently based on how much of each thing you add, but it accommodates a lot of variation. Increase the PB & chocolate for a richer taste. Add more diced tomato for a chunkier chili. Put in extra veggies (zucchini, and eggplant are excellent, and squash adds a different flavor) for a little veggie boost. If you don’t have any fresh jalapenos in the house, this can be done with jarred peppers, or hot sauce.
Serve with sour cream and grated cheese (vegan or non) and crackers. This and a side salad makes a full and delicious high fiber meal!
