The name says it all. My wife and I love chili. Chili can be one of those dishes that you use to clear your fridge out. So many different kinds of foods, and certainly, vegetables work so well in the dish. My favorite chili I have made to date is my Ancho Chili with Farro. I really liked the flavor but loved the addition of the farro. The farro really bulked up the dish and its texture. This time I wanted to go all vegan with my recipe. So I shopped the vegan aisle at the grocery store to see what ingredients I could use to make my Vegan all in the Pot Chili. The products that I decided on were LightLife‘s Chorizo and Smart Ground (Meat). LightLife makes plant based proteins among other items.
Vegan all in the Pot Chili
As you can see from the ingredient picture below, I put a lot of stuff in this chili. I used 13 different ingredients, including the Smart Ground and the Chorizo, for the vegetables and beans and 7 different spices. These spices are from my haul this summer at Penzy’s in Pittsburgh. I put a Mexican spin on this chili by using three different ground chilies – Gaujillo, New Mexican and habanero. Yes that gave the chili a real good KICK!
I have to say that this chili recipe was really good, and really, hearty. I do have to say though, as someone who still eats meat, that the texture of the chorizo and ground meat take a little bit of getting used too. I eat Kosher like so I have not had pork or shellfish in years. I share this because I feel I do not miss those foods anymore. I have found substitutes that are very satisfying. I also am not sure I remember what those ingredients tasted like or there texture. For those of you who have been vegan for a while, I am sure that is how you feel about so much of the food you now eat if you buy some prepared products.
The cast of characters (I needed an extra wide photo to fit in all the ingredients).
Ingredients
The browning of the chorizo and the meat.
Browning Chorizo and Vegan Meat
The sautéing of all the vegetables, followed by the addition of the spices, the stewed tomatoes and green chilies and finishing with the kidney beans and farro.
Sautéing of the Vegetables
Spices & Herbs Added
Stewed Tomatoes & Green Chilies Added
Kidney Beans & Farro Added
The Vegan all in the Pot Chili plated.
Vegan all in the Pot Chili plated
Vegan all in the Pot Chili
Ingredients
- 4 Whole LightLife Chorizo Sausages cut into 1' slices
- 12 Ounces LightLife Smart Ground Meat
- 12 Ounces Bella Mushrooms sliced
- 1/4 Whole Red Onion diced
- 2 Whole Adobo Chilies in sauce minced
- 1 Whole Yellow Onion diced
- 4 Cloves Garlic minced
- 3 Ounces Canned Green Chilies
- 1 Whole Red Pepper diced
- 1 Whole Green Pepper diced
- 15 Ounces Stewed Tomatoes
- 2 Tbsp Mexican Oregano
- 1 Tbsp Guajillo Chili Powder
- 1 Tbsp New Mexican Chili Powder
- 1/4 Tsp Habanero Chili Powder
- 1 Tbsp Salt
- 1/2 Tbsp Cumin
- 1/2 Tbsp Aleppo Pepper Flakes
- 1 Tbsp Canola Oil
- 30 Ounces Kidney Beans
- 1 Cup Farro
Instructions
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In a Dutch oven, heat the oil on medium high heat. Add the chorizo and Smart meat and cook for 4 - 6 minutes until browned. Remove from the Dutch oven and set aside.
Next, start sauteing the vegetables with the onions, peppers and mushrooms for 4 - 5 minutes. Add int he herbs and mix well. The next addition is the stewed tomatoes and green chilies. Mix well. Finish by adding in the kidney beans and farro. (Cooke the farro ahead of time) Mix well.
Add back in the vegan meats and let the ingredients simmer for another 30 minutes on a low heat.
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