The Best Vegetarian Chili

To me, this is the BEST chili, vegetarian or otherwise. It’s loaded with vegetables, and it has nice body thanks to bulgur (or quinoa) as well as beans. Chipotles in adobo give it a nice smokiness and heat, and chili powder and cumin offer more spice and smoky notes. This is a staple all fall and winter long. You won’t miss the meat — I promise!

Last Greek Easter while standing around the lamb turning on a spit, a few of my cousins confessed:

1. They had become mostly vegetarians.
2. They had been making my meaty weeknight chili recipe without the meat.

These admissions, I should note, didn’t stop anyone from fighting over the crispy lamb skin, but they did inspire me to create a vegetarian chili recipe.

Upon returning home, I set to work with a few goals in mind, namely ease and flavor: I wanted it to feel as effortless (or nearly so) as the weeknight chili recipe mentioned above, but just as satisfying with good heat, smoke, and heft.

This recipe is the product of my experiments, a hearty mix of both beans and bulgur (or quinoa), a heap of vegetables, spices, and umami-rich pantry staples. It has nice spice and smoke, thanks to chipotles in adobo sauce, cumin, and chili powder. It yields a good amount — about 6 quarts — and it freezes well. I find it deeply comforting, and I hope you will, too.

Here are the details:

Vegetarian Chili: Key Ingredients

• Pinto Beans: As you may know, I can be a little particular about cooking beans from scratch . With chili, however, I don’t fuss so much — the beans need not be cooked perfectly. Here, dried un-soaked pinto beans go right into my Instant Pot with six cups of water for 40 minutes at high pressure followed by a quick release. The beans emerge cooked, but firm, and they soften up perfectly as they simmer with the other chili ingredients. Canned, rinsed pinto beans will, of course, work here as well.
• Bulgur or Quinoa: Inspired by a favorite old vegetarian chili recipe in The Frog Commissary Cookbook , I’ve added bulgur here, which, in addition to the beans, provides texture and substance. It doesn’t taste “meaty” but it adds a meatiness. Duru extra-coarse bulgur is my favorite brand. It makes excellent tabbouleh . That said, if you can’t find extra-coarse bulgur, quinoa works beautifully in its place.
• Chili powder and cumin: Chili powder and cumin, two classic chili spices, provide heat and smoke respectively. I like to use a mix of chipotle chili powder and traditional chili powder. Chipotle chili powder is very spicy, but its got great flavor.
• Chipotles in adobo. Chipotles in adobo sauce are are dried, smoked jalapeños. I love their intense smoky, fiery flavor. As with the chipotle chili powder, you can tailor the amount to include depending on your heat tolerance.
• Vegetables : Here I’ve used nearly 4 quarts of chopped vegetables, a mix of onions, bell peppers, and mushrooms. You can use whatever vegetables you like, just go big — a heap is key!
• Tomato paste : Just as it does with soups and sauces, tomato paste adds depth of flavor (umami!) to chili.
• Vinegar: A hefty splash of vinegar in soups, stews, and the like is never a bad idea, and chili is no exception. Colavita white balsamic is what I use for nearly everything, but any white vinegar you have on hand will work.

Here’s the play-by-play: Gather your ingredients:

This is the bulgur I love: Duru extra-coarse bulgur . Quinoa works beautifully in its place. I like the red quinoa .

Cook your beans (or open a few cans): In the Instant Pot : 40 minutes, high pressure, quick release.

While the beans cook, chop the onions.

Then sauté them in olive oil.

While they cook, chop the peppers, then add them to the pot.

While they cook, chop the mushrooms.

Then add them to the pot with the onions and peppers.

Meanwhile, mince up some garlic, and add it to the pot.

Meanwhile, chop up some chipotles in adobo sauce, and open up a few more cans.

Add tomato paste and spices to the pot of vegetables and cook for about a minute.

Add the bulgur, chipotles, and crushed tomatoes.

Add the beans.

Add water and bring to a simmer.

Simmer for about 45 minutes.

Top with scallions, grated cheese, and sour cream if you wish.

Have you stocked up on quart containers ?? Soup season is around the corner. These are my favorite containers for storing, freezing, and gifting soups, stocks, stews, etc.

Description

Notes:

Beans: I love pinto beans for chili. I’ve included instructions for cooking the beans in the Instant Pot below. If you don’t have a pressure cooker, you can simply simmer the beans stovetop in plenty of water until they are cooked — this could take 45 minutes to an hour depending on how fresh your beans are. If you want to soak them overnight, here is my preferred method .

Chili powder: Chili powders vary dramatically in spiciness from brand to brand. I like using 1 tablespoon chipotle chili powder and 2 tablespoons traditional chili powder (both McCormick’s brand) — this mix gives the chili a nice kick. If you are sensitive to heat, I would tone this back. If you don’t feel like searching for chipotle chili powder, use 3 tablespoons (or less) of traditional chili powder.

Bulgur or quinoa: This is my favorite bulgur: Duru extra-coarse bulgur . It has the nicest texture — it’s worth seeking out not only for chili but also for tabbouleh . If you can’t find it, quinoa works beautifully in its place.

Chipotles in adobo: If you are sensitive to heat, use one small chipotle to start. You can add more at the end, if you want the chili to be spicier. Also: if you know you are very sensitive to heat, simply omit.

For the chili:

• 1 pound dried pinto beans, see notes above, or three 15-oz cans pinto beans
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 onions, diced to yield about 4 cups
• kosher salt to taste
• 2 to 4 large bell peppers
• 1.25 lbs. crimini mushrooms
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon chipotle chili powder + 2 tablespoons traditional chili powder, see notes above
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 cup bulgur or quinoa, see notes above
• 1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
• 1 to 2 chipotles in adobo, minced, + 1 tablespoon of the adobo sauce
• 1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar

For serving:

• grated cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
• sliced scallions
• sour cream

1. If you are using dried beans and have an Instant Pot , place them in the inner pot. Cover with 6 cups water. Set the IP to high pressure, 40 minutes. After 40 minutes, quick release the valve, remove the inner pot, and set aside. (If you don’t have an IP, see notes above.) If you are using canned beans , drain and rinse the beans. Set aside.
2. In a large pot (7 quarts at least), heat the oil over high heat. Add the onions and a pinch of salt. Cover the pot, immediately turn heat to low, and let cook for about 5 minutes. While the onions cook, stem and seed the peppers. Dice the peppers (you should have 4 to 5 cups), then add to the pot with the onions. Season with a pinch of salt. Stir. Return the lid. Meanwhile, roughly chop the mushrooms (you should have about 8 cups), then add to the pot with the onions and peppers. Season with a pinch of salt, stir, then cover the pot. Mince the garlic, then add to the pot with the vegetables. Stir to combine. Leave the cover off the pot from here on out.
3. Raise the heat to medium. Add the tomato paste and stir. Add the spices and cook for 1 minute. Add the bulgur or quinoa, crushed tomatoes, minced chipotles plus tablespoon of adobo sauce. Drain the beans — it’s OK if some of the liquid remains — and add to the pot. Add 4 to 6 cups of water (if your pot is getting very full, start with 4 cups; then add the remaining 2 as needed while it simmers). Add the vinegar.
4. Bring to a simmer over low heat and let it cook slowly, stirring often to scrape the bottom of the pot for 45 minutes to an hour or until the liquid has reduced slightly, the bulgur or quinoa is cooked, and everything tastes good and smoky and spicy. Taste. Add salt and or more vinegar if necessary. I often add a teaspoon (or two) of kosher salt, and I often add another tablespoon or two of vinegar, too. Just keep tasting and adjust as needed to taste.
5. Serve, passing cheese, scallions, and sour cream on the side.

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hour
• Category: Chili
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: American, Vegetarian

Description

Notes:

Beans: I love pinto beans for chili. I’ve included instructions for cooking the beans in the Instant Pot below. If you don’t have a pressure cooker, you can simply simmer the beans stovetop in plenty of water until they are cooked — this could take 45 minutes to an hour depending on how fresh your beans are. If you want to soak them overnight, here is my preferred method .

Chili powder: Chili powders vary dramatically in spiciness from brand to brand. I like using 1 tablespoon chipotle chili powder and 2 tablespoons traditional chili powder (both McCormick’s brand) — this mix gives the chili a nice kick. If you are sensitive to heat, I would tone this back. If you don’t feel like searching for chipotle chili powder, use 3 tablespoons (or less) of traditional chili powder.

Bulgur or quinoa: This is my favorite bulgur: Duru extra-coarse bulgur . It has the nicest texture — it’s worth seeking out not only for chili but also for tabbouleh . If you can’t find it, quinoa works beautifully in its place.

Chipotles in adobo: If you are sensitive to heat, use one small chipotle to start. You can add more at the end, if you want the chili to be spicier. Also: if you know you are very sensitive to heat, simply omit.

For the chili:

• 1 pound dried pinto beans, see notes above, or three 15-oz cans pinto beans
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 onions, diced to yield about 4 cups
• kosher salt to taste
• 2 to 4 large bell peppers
• 1.25 lbs. crimini mushrooms
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon chipotle chili powder + 2 tablespoons traditional chili powder, see notes above
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 cup bulgur or quinoa, see notes above
• 1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
• 1 to 2 chipotles in adobo, minced, + 1 tablespoon of the adobo sauce
• 1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar

For serving:

• grated cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
• sliced scallions
• sour cream

1. If you are using dried beans and have an Instant Pot , place them in the inner pot. Cover with 6 cups water. Set the IP to high pressure, 40 minutes. After 40 minutes, quick release the valve, remove the inner pot, and set aside. (If you don’t have an IP, see notes above.) If you are using canned beans , drain and rinse the beans. Set aside.
2. In a large pot (7 quarts at least), heat the oil over high heat. Add the onions and a pinch of salt. Cover the pot, immediately turn heat to low, and let cook for about 5 minutes. While the onions cook, stem and seed the peppers. Dice the peppers (you should have 4 to 5 cups), then add to the pot with the onions. Season with a pinch of salt. Stir. Return the lid. Meanwhile, roughly chop the mushrooms (you should have about 8 cups), then add to the pot with the onions and peppers. Season with a pinch of salt, stir, then cover the pot. Mince the garlic, then add to the pot with the vegetables. Stir to combine. Leave the cover off the pot from here on out.
3. Raise the heat to medium. Add the tomato paste and stir. Add the spices and cook for 1 minute. Add the bulgur or quinoa, crushed tomatoes, minced chipotles plus tablespoon of adobo sauce. Drain the beans — it’s OK if some of the liquid remains — and add to the pot. Add 4 to 6 cups of water (if your pot is getting very full, start with 4 cups; then add the remaining 2 as needed while it simmers). Add the vinegar.
4. Bring to a simmer over low heat and let it cook slowly, stirring often to scrape the bottom of the pot for 45 minutes to an hour or until the liquid has reduced slightly, the bulgur or quinoa is cooked, and everything tastes good and smoky and spicy. Taste. Add salt and or more vinegar if necessary. I often add a teaspoon (or two) of kosher salt, and I often add another tablespoon or two of vinegar, too. Just keep tasting and adjust as needed to taste.
5. Serve, passing cheese, scallions, and sour cream on the side.

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hour
• Category: Chili
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: American, Vegetarian

Find it online : https://alexandracooks.com/2019/09/30/spicy-smoky-easy-vegetarian-chili/

Last week, my friend Deb sent me a recipe for a kale salad she had made for Rosh Hashanah. Everyone, she wrote, raved.

I made it promptly and was reminded:

Roasted garlic = complete goodness. Delicata squash = so pretty, so tasty, so low maintenance.

In some ways, it’s no surprise the salad was so delicious: it’s got toasted almonds, shaved parmesan, and golden raisins, that dried fruit-nut-and-cheese trifecta that wins every time.

Plus: there’s thinly shaved kale and roasted delicata squash. As Ina says: How bad can that be?

But what was surprising was the dressing, a mix of vinegar and fresh lemon juice, honey, olive oil, and a whole head of smashed roasted garlic cloves. It’s equal parts acid to fat, which means it’s very sharp, which is partly why, I think, it works so well here.

A few days after making it, I found myself craving it again, but didn’t have an hour to roast a head of garlic, so I didn’t — rebel! — and guess what? It was still delicious. Without the roasted garlic, this salad comes together in just about 30 minutes, and thanks to the squash mostly but also the nuts, dried fruit, and cheese, it feels very substantial.

We’ve been treating it as the main course with — you guessed it! — a nice hunk of bread on the side.

Ready for a plot twist?

I first made the salad with kale, but I’ve since been using thinly shaved collard greens and a technique I learned from Ronna Welsh’s The Nimble Cook . Instead of massaging the greens, Ronna has you toss the thinly shaved leaves with a little bit of salt AND sugar, then let them stand for 15 minutes before tossing with the dressing.

“I use a pinch of sugar with collards, because they tend to lean a bit bitter. Other greens, like kale, can be bitter, too, but because collards are thicker (and more to chew), the bitterness hangs around longer in your mouth.”

This technique serves another purpose, too, however. Whereas massaged raw greens soften as they would under heat, “a light toss,” Ronna says, “leaves them crisp.”

It’s true. I actually tried massaging the collards — rebel! — and I did not like the extra-wilted texture at all.

Ronna suggests dressing the greens with a sharp vinaigrette to ensure the salad will not taste at all sweet. The lemony dressing here is a perfect match for collards.

I always associate collard greens with braising — with hours and hours of cooking — so this salt-sugar toss followed by a brief rest followed by a sharp dressing has been a revelation. Collard greens in 15 minutes? Sign me up!

Note: I rarely see collard greens at the store, but I can always count on getting them in my farmshare a few times a year, so I’m always on the lookout for new ways to prepare them. But since learning Ronna’s technique, I seek them out. Depending where you live, you may have more or less trouble finding them, but you very likely will be able to find Tuscan kale, which works beautifully in this salad as well.

Here’s the play-by-play: Find yourself a nice bundle of collard greens or Tuscan kale.

Remove the stems.

Slice the leaves very finely.

Toss the greens with a little bit of salt and sugar (if using collards), and let them stand 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, roast slices of delicata squash with olive oil and salt.

Meanwhile, whisk up a sharp dressing of vinegar, lemon, honey, and olive oil.

Toss the greens with shaved parmesan, toasted almonds, golden raisins, and the dressing.

Add the squash and toss again.

Shave more parmesan over top and serve.

Description

Salad recipe adapted from Epicurious . Original recipe calls for roasting a head of garlic, smashing the cloves, and whisking them into the dressing. It’s delicious. To save time, I’ve omitted that step.

Salt: I always use Diamond Crystal kosher salt. If you are using Morton’s kosher salt, you may want to cut back a teensy bit on the quantities listed below. Morton’s is saltier.

This is such a festive, pretty, hearty fall salad. When the pomegranates begin arriving, I think I’ll add those here, too.

• 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large or 2 small delicata squash, halved, seeds removed, and sliced into 1/2 -inch thick pieces
• 1 large head (roughly 10 ounces ) collard greens or lacinato kale, thickest ribs removed to yield about 8 ounces
• kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons white balsamic (or cider or other white) vinegar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• 1/2 cup golden raisins or dried fruit of choice
• shaved Parmigiano Reggiano or Manchego, to taste
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. Heat the oven to 400ºF. Place the squash pieces in a large bowl and coat with 2 tablespoons of the oil and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Spread out the squash, reserving the bowl, on a large baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes. Flip, and roast for another 10 to 15 minutes. Check. Continue to roast if necessary until slices are golden on both sides. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
2. Thinly slice the greens the way you would chiffonade basil: stack a few leaves on top of one another, roll into a tight coil, then cut straight down to create thin ribbons. Place the greens (you should have about 8 ounces) in the reserved bowl and toss with a scant 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon sugar (if using collards). Toss gently — no need to massage. Set aside for 15 minutes.
3. In a small bowl, stir together 2 tablespoons oil, vinegar, lemon juice, honey, and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Taste. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, if it tastes too sharp for your liking. (Note: Dressing should taste sharp. You can also always add 2 more tablespoons of oil to the salad once it’s all tossed together if you think it still tastes too sharp.)
4. Set a small skillet on the stove over low heat. Add the almonds and toast until golden, checking often.
5. Add the raisins, toasted nuts, and some shaved parmesan to the bowl of greens. Toss with the dressing. Add the squash pieces and toss again. Shave more parmesan over top and crack fresh pepper over top to taste, as well.
6. Serve the salad at room temperature.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Category: Salad
• Method: Toss
• Cuisine: American