MEGAN’S VEGAN CHILI
About 8 cups; 5 servings
We like to toast and grind dried chiles for better flavor, but you can substitute ¼ cup chili powder or your own combination of ground dried chiles for those called for in the recipe. If using prepared chili powder, reduce the cumin and coriander to 1 teaspoon each.
Toast in a dry skillet over medium-high heat until fragrant, about 3 minutes:
- 3 guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
- 2 chipotle chiles, stemmed and seeded
- 2 ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
Cool and grind the toasted chiles to a powder in a spice grinder. Set aside. Coarsely crumble with your fingers:
- 8 ounces tempeh
Heat in a Dutch oven over medium heat:
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Add the tempeh and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and crisp, about 10 minutes. Add and sauté until tender and starting to brown:
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 2 jalapeño or serrano peppers, seeded and chopped
Add the ground chiles and:
- 8 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
Cook until fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes. Allow the spices and tomato paste to form a dark brown crust on the bottom of the pot. Pulse in a food processor until chopped fine, or very finely chop:
- 8 ounces mushrooms
Add the mushrooms to the Dutch oven and allow them to cook until they have released their liquid, scraping the bottom of the pot to loosen the brown bits. Let the mushroom liquid boil off. Add and reduce to about ½ cup:
- One 12-ounce beer (a dark beer or lager) or 1 ½ cups water or vegetable broth
Add:
- One 14 ½-ounce can diced tomatoes
- Two 15-ounce cans pinto or black beans or a combination, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup vegetable broth or water
Let the chili simmer, covered, for 30 to 45 minutes or until thick. Season to taste with:
- Salt and black pepper
Serve with:
- Chopped green onions
- Chopped cilantro
- Sour cream or a vegan sour cream substitute