Like the chili I grew up eating but with a medley of beans, mushrooms, and loads of my favorite veggies!

Yield: 4 large bowls or 6 moderate bowls

• Prep time: 20 minutes

• Cooking time: 30 minutes

• Equipment needed: large heavy-bottomed pot or dutch oven, chef’s knife, can opener, strainer

See *Notes for more important tips/clarifications

Background:

Grandpa’s chili will always be the reigning champ in my book. I’ve been eating it my whole life and every time I do, I’m reminded of the happy memories of my childhood (and eating way more bowls of it than I can count 😉). It was always the first meal we ate after arriving at the cabin for our family’s annual Memorial Day weekend vacation. It was Christmas Eve dinner, and a bowl of comfort and warmth on a cold East Coast winter night. It’ll always be my go-to when I want a hearty bowl of nostalgia.

However, I wanted to try a different take on that chili: one that was vegan but was still just as hearty and had all the classic flavors I grew up loving. The sweet potatoes add a nice starchy element that makes the dish hearty but not too filling. The corn gives the dish a nice pop and a touch of sweetness in every bite. The mix of mushrooms adds a great umami flavor to the dish and gives it a bit of a meaty chew, replacing the ground beef in Grandpa's recipe. The three different types of beans round it all out, making it the chili I know and love. Serve it with some vegan sour cream (or regular if you’re not vegan) and crushed tortilla chips and you have yourself an incredibly comforting meal.

I opted for McCormick’s Original Chili Seasoning mix as the backbone of flavor for the soup because that’s how my Grandpa always did it, but feel free to use your own combination of chili spices including chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, onion powder and garlic powder.

Ingredients:

• 3 cans of beans, drained and rinsed (I used black, pinto, and kidney)

• 13 oz mixed mushrooms (I used baby bella and shiitake), diced or sliced if small

• 1 small red bell pepper, diced

• 1 small sweet potato, chopped

• 1/2 cup of corn (I used frozen)

• 2 carrots, diced (about 1/2 cup)

• half of a medium yellow onion, diced (1/2 cup)

• 3 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed

• 1 package of McCormick’s Original Chili seasoning mix (or a different brand/store brand)

• 1 1/2 cups vegetable stock/broth (I’d recommend homemade, if not - I like Imagine’s Low-Sodium Vegetable Broth

• 1 10 oz can Ro-Tel Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies (plus extra from a small 4 oz can of diced green chilis if you want the extra heat)

• 1 14.5 oz can fire-roasted tomatoes

• 2 dried bay leaves

• 2 tablespoons of olive oil, divided

• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

• Soy sauce, vegan Worcestershire sauce (to taste)

• Additional spices: I added a bit of extra cumin, chili powder, and smoked paprika

*Notes

• Optional: Add a few spoonfuls from a small 4 oz can of diced green chilis if you like a little extra heat! You can always freeze the rest in a freezer bag or airtight container.

• Storing:

  • This chili will be good in the fridge for about 4-5 days in an airtight container. I’d recommend heating in a small pot on the stove, but the microwave works as well! The leftover chili would also be great on some vegan nachos, on a veggie burger, or even on some fries!

Process:

1. Heat about 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a dutch oven or large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Saute onion, carrot, and red bell pepper until onion is translucent and the carrot and pepper are slightly softened. Add the garlic and saute for another 30 seconds until the garlic is fragrant. Add about another tablespoon of olive oil and add the mushrooms, a few shakes of soy sauce and vegan Worcestershire sauce and saute for another minute or minute or two.

2. Add the beans, chili seasoning, sweet potato, fire-roasted tomatoes, Ro-Tel (and an optional spoon or two of chopped green chilis) and mix to combine. Last add the veggie broth, corn and 2 bay leaves and stir.

3. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high and once boiling, turn down to low and let simmer partially covered for about 30 minutes, checking towards the end to see if the sweet potato is cooked through.

4. Pull out the bay leaves, ladle into bowls and serve with vegan sour cream, crushed tortilla chips and other toppings of choice. Enjoy!!