Why surprise? Because Gourmenator cannot conceive of chili without some kind of meat involved! Well, the best surprise was that he loved this chili. It was amazingly quick to throw together, yet had a sophisticated complex flavor. Recipes like this are a real treasure! This is probably the only time I open a bunch of cans for dinner. A nice zing from the peppers, meatiness from the beans and tofu, melded with organic tomatoes and seasonings, topped with a splash of green – soul-satisfying chili!
Quick Vegan Chili
2 T olive oil
1/2 large onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 red pepper (Italian or bell), diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 dried ancho chili (deseeded and pulverized)
1 chipotle chili (deseeded and pulverized)
1 can organic pinto beans
1 can organic black beans
1 can organic diced tomatoes (14 oz)
1 C filtered water
2 tsp sea salt
1 31/2 oz block baked Teriyaki tofu (see note)
Topping:
1 avocado chopped
1 C chopped cilantro
Fresh lime juice to taste
Heat oil in heavy soup pan (4 qt. works). Saute onion and celery until onion is translucent. Add garlic and red pepper and continue stirring. Add ground, deseeded chiles and stir to toast.
Add beans, tomatoes, salt and water. Simmer on low for at least 20 minutes, add tofu which has been cut into 1/4 inch by 1 inch pieces. Simmer another 5 minutes and remove from heat. Allow to stand for 30 minutes to meld flavors.
Serve topped with avocado and cilantro with a quarter lime on the side. Lime juice really wakes up the complexity of this chili.
I stumbled upon this and love it. I am always trying to find a way to add tofu to my diet and now I have. This is the perfect chili because even if you are not a vegan (sorry I am not but I do love tofu) I can substitute chicken or beef in place of the tofu. I do think I am going to try this thanks!
Posted by: Christine | March 19, 2008 at 01:25 PM
Yea for vegan chili! This looks seriously delicious and now you've made me very hungry :)
Posted by: Foodeater | March 26, 2008 at 04:35 PM
"pulverized" is such a brutal word to be involved in such a fabulous recipe. beans delight me, and i think the cilantro and avocado are must-haves. and it's vegan? awesome.
Posted by: a. grace | April 01, 2008 at 09:08 AM
Hi there, just stumbled accroos this from stumbleupon and am loving the healthy angle. Seems like more and more people are into the healthy option these days which has to be a good thing! I am pretty sure the new health craze started in the USA and is sweeping accross the rest of the world with people totally obsessed with what they eat nowadays! I think the most important is having a healthy diet most of the time while allowing some treats once in a while! I have been developing a series of healthy video recipes myself on www.ifoods.tv that I hope can help people stay healthy. Keep up the good work on the site and hopfully more people will be eating healthy before we know it! Cheers
Posted by: Niall Harbison | April 21, 2008 at 08:03 AM