Chili Con Carne

Did you ever think you would see a vegan chili without any beans in it?? OK, technically there are beans in this recipe, since tofu is made of soybeans, but this is in no way similar to any other vegan chili you’ve had. Anybody who claims that they don’t like tofu will be absolutely blown away by this recipe! – Craving Vegan: 101 Recipes to Satisfy Your Appetite the Plant-Based Way, Sam Turnbull, Appetite by Random House

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CHILI CON CARNE

Course Main Course

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 6 servings

Author Sam Turnbull, author of Craving Vegan: 101 Recipes to Satisfy Your Appetite the Plant-Based Way

Ingredients

• ¼ cup (60 mL) nutritional yeast 3 Tbsp (45 mL) soy sauce gluten-free if preferred
• 2 Tbsp (30 mL) olive oil, divided 2 blocks (each 12 oz/340 g) extra-firm tofu
• 1 cup (250 mL) finely chopped walnuts
• 1 yellow onion diced
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 1 can (28 fl oz/796 mL) diced tomatoes (fire roasted when available)
• ½ cup (125 mL) tomato paste
• 2½–3 cups (625–750 mL) water
• 1½ Tbsp (22 mL) chili powder
• 1 Tbsp (15 mL) ground cumin
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• ¼–½ tsp cayenne

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, mix together the nutritional yeast, soy sauce, and 2 Tbsp (30 mL) oil. Add the tofu to the bowl. You can either crumble it with your fingers or use a potato masher to smash the tofu into small crumbles. stir the tofu to evenly coat in the seasonings.
• Divide the tofu crumbles evenly among the two prepared baking sheets. Bake for 35 minutes, stopping to stir it halfway through. After 35 minutes of cooking, sprinkle the walnuts evenly over one of the baking sheets and continue baking both sheets for another 10 minutes, until the tofu is dried and golden brown. (Adding the walnuts at the end will toast them up a bit and make them more flavorful.)
• In the meantime, heat the remaining 1 Tbsp (15 mL) olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic and sauté for about 5 minutes, until the onions begin to brown. Stir in the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, 2½ cups (625 mL) water, chili powder, cumin, paprika, and cayenne to taste. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes, until the tomatoes have darkened in color and the chili has thickened slightly.
• Stir in the baked tofu and walnuts, bring back to a simmer, and cook for another 5 minutes to let the tofu absorb the liquids and soften a bit. if your chili is too thick, stir in another ¼–½ cup (60–125 mL) water as needed until you reach your desired consistency. Divide among bowls and serve hot.
• MAKE AHEAD – Chili tends to taste even better the next day! Allow the chili to cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Notes

Excerpted from Craving Vegan by Sam Turnbull. Copyright © 2023 Sam Turnbull. Photographs by Tanya Pilgram. Published by Appetite by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.

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