Months ago one of my friends on Instagram @philly_vegan_guy blogged about taking second place in a vegan chili contest hosted by V Marks the Shop and offered to share his recipe! The competition was pretty legit and his chili was served to a crowd of over 250 people for judging. I knew I absolutely had to try his recipe!

I did a couple things differently and added a few ingredients to pack in even more flavor. I'm so happy with the final product. I have eaten this chili with a roll and plantains, with homemade cornbread, and also as a sweet and savory breakfast with my coconut waffles recipe... all so good! It seems to go so well with so many things.

This chili is so incredibly healthy and packed with nutrients. Aside from my smoothies, I honestly don't think I've ever made a recipe before that was packed with so many vegetables! At the time of this writing, I've been vegan for 3 and a half years so that says a lot. This chili is also very cost effective, all of the ingredients are cheap and easy to find.

For more from Philly Vegan Guy check him out at phillyveganguy.com

Ingredients

In the ingredients section below I list the base recipe, then there is a section below titled "optional add-ins" that lists the additional flavorings that I added. If you do not have the extra ingredients you can rest assured that the base recipe is very delicious, it's award winning!

Base Recipe:

2 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 lbs sliced baby bella or white mushrooms, diced - You may also use hen of the woods, shiitake, baby bella, or oyster mushrooms for additional flavor.
2 red bell peppers, chopped
2 green bell peppers, chopped
2 poblano peppers, chopped
2 jalapeño peppers, minced - Remove seeds if sensitive to heat
2 medium onions, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp tamari, may use soy sauce
6 oz can tomato paste - I use a brand that had basil, garlic, and oregano as additional flavorings
32 oz vegetable stock
15 oz can black beans, drained - Do not rinse
15 oz can red kidney beans, drained - Do not rinse
15 oz can white beans, drained - Do not rinse
7 oz of Gardein Beef crumbles (optional) - This comes in 14 oz package, so just use half. You can use any brand name of vegan crumbles, just add about 7 oz.
3 Tbsp chili powder - SEE NOTE
1 Tbsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt, to taste
1/2 tsp pepper, to taste

Optional Add-ins:

2 tsp liquid smoke
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 of veggie bouillon cube

Note: The spice labeled in the market as “chili powder” is a blend of spices (such as a chili powder, cumin, oregano, coriander, garlic, allspice, cloves) that are traditionally used to make chili. It should be very flavorful, but should not have any “heat” unless specified on the label, I mean zero heat. This is a standard seasoning found in almost all grocery stores. The most popular brands that I usually see are McCormick and Simply Organic (click for links). Next to them there are always store brands that are also fine. Now, do not get this confused with the powders of specific chilis like chipotle chili, cayenne, or any powder that is just the powder of that chili. If you mistakenly add those instead this will be hot like fire, not to mention it will also be lacking in flavor.

Directions

Dice all of the mushrooms or use a food processor. If you are using a food processor, you will still need to process them in batches, it is a lot of mushrooms do not overload your machine. Use the pulse control and be sure to stop before it becomes a puree.
In a large stock pot, sauté mushrooms in oil until brown and moisture has evaporated, about 10-15 minutes.
Add onions and sauté for 5 minutes.
Add all remaining ingredients. Stir to combine. Simmer on low heat for at least 1 hour, taste and adjust seasoning as needed. - For the first 45 minutes keep the lid on top of the pot, but cracked. This prevents all of the liquid from cooking off too fast. For the last 15 minutes simmer uncovered, or until chili thickens to the proper consistency.

Serve

Serve hot with my cornbread recipe.

Vegan Chili

Ingredients

Directions

Serve