“Chorizo” & Black Bean Vegetarian Chili

In all honesty, I’ve always been confused by meat substitutes. Veggie “bacon,” fake meat crumbles, etc. If you decide to adapt a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle, why would you want to eat these things? While I’m not a vegetarian, I eat many meatless meals, filling my plate with filling yet substantial foods like lentils, whole grains and mushrooms.

However, I’m not one to completely dismiss a food until I’ve tried it. By happenstance, I came across this article that explains “hippie ingredients” like miso and nutritional yeast, as well as meat substitutes.

The author talks about tempeh (a meat substitute), claiming “$10 says you can use it interchangeably in [chili, lasagna or Sloppy Joe’s], and even the most astute meat-eater wouldn’t be able to tell if you spice it properly.” Challenge accepted.

In the name of trying to fool my husband, I trekked to the “hippie” section of my grocery store. While I didn’t find tempeh, I did spot a chorizo-flavored seitan (a high-protein meat substitute made from wheat gluten) with a cute hipster guy on the package, and knew I could turn it into a spicy chili.

With a big pot of chili and a very hungry and unsuspecting husband (I simply told him it was “chorizo chili”), dinner was served.

Now, Jeff is a meat lover. He craves steak, owns his own smoker, and smokes at least 5 pounds of meat many weekends. His review of this chili: “That is an outstanding chili. You should be very proud of that.” I actually still haven’t told him the truth until now. Hi honey – I fed you fake meat. And you had no idea.

I think this vegetarian chili would be perfect to serve a mixed crowd of vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike for game day! The vegetarians will enjoy the spicy flavor and textures, and the non-vegetarians won’t be able to tell the difference! Enjoy the game!

"Chorizo" & Black Bean Vegetarian Chili

Author: Lori Yates

Yield: 4 servings

Prep: 15 minutes minutes

Cook: 20 minutes minutes

Total: 35 minutes minutes

I think this vegetarian chili would be perfect to serve a mixed crowd of vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike for game day!

4.5 from 4 ratings

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Ingredients

• ▢ 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• ▢ 2 garlic cloves minced
• ▢ ½ small white onion chopped
• ▢ 1 package chorizo-flavored seitan 8 ounces
• ▢ 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained 15 ounces
• ▢ 1 can crushed tomatoes 14.5 ounces
• ▢ 1 can diced green chiles, drained 4 ounces
• ▢ 2 cups vegetable stock
• ▢ 2 teaspoons chili powder
• ▢ 1 ¼ teaspoons dried oregano
• ▢ Sour cream or Greek yogurt, cilantro, Cheddar cheese and/or tortilla chips, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

• Heat oil in medium saucepot over medium-high heat. Add garlic and onion; cook 4 to 6 minutes or until softened, stirring frequently.
• Add seitan; cook 2 to 3 minutes or until lightly browned, breaking up seitan with side of spoon and stirring frequently.
• Add beans, tomatoes, chiles, stock, chili powder and oregano. Heat to boiling; reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer 15 minutes or until slightly thickened. Serve with desired garnishes.

Notes

• Use any type of meat substitute. There are some great "crumbles" out there!

Calories: 243kcal, Carbohydrates: 32g, Protein: 21g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Sodium: 1397mg, Potassium: 707mg, Fiber: 11g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 819IU, Vitamin C: 23mg, Calcium: 100mg, Iron: 5mg

This website provides estimated nutrition information as a courtesy only. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.

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