My favorite vegetarian chili recipe is one that can be used by anyone, even people who are on strict vegan weight loss diets, because there’s no meat, dairy products or cheese and the fat content is really low. The key to this vegetarian chili recipe is in the different kinds of beans and the spicy sauce.
The Best Multi-bean Vegetarian Chili Recipe
This recipe calls for classic kidney beans, garbanzo beans, pinto beans and turtle or black beans. The best way to get a thick sauce is to cook the beans with onion and garlic (plus a little sea salt and pepper), although in a pinch canned beans can be used.
The other ingredients are sweet kernel corn, chopped celery, at least two green, red or yellow sweet bell peppers (or a blend of all three), and jalapeno peppers. Crushed tomatoes or fresh roman tomatoes Peeled and mashed) should be used to create the sauce. The primary spices are oregano, cumin, garlic, bay leaves and cilantro (substitute cilantro for parsley if the flavor is too strong).
This vegetarian chili recipe can be made without a meat substitute or with one, but the best way to create a meaty flavor is to use mushrooms. Choose large Portobello mushrooms and grind them coarsely using a food processor, then brown them in a pan with a little olive oil to create a meaty flavor. Add the mushroom mixture to the beans, tomatoes and other ingredients and use cayenne to make it spicy.
For those who want absolutely no oil, especially those using this recipe while on vegan weight loss programs, the best way to brown the ground mushroom mixture is to bake it. For vegetarian mushroom recipes to acquire a meat-like flavor it’s important that the mushrooms not be added raw to the bean / sauce mixture because they’ll simply take on the flavor of the tomatoes and beans. So, sautéing them, even without oil, with a little garlic and onion, until golden brown, is a better alternative for both taste and texture.
The thing that separates this chili recipe from others is the use of black beans. Black beans have a unique flavor and texture. One variation of this multi-bean vegetarian chili recipe calls for grinding the black beans with mushrooms to create a meat substitute. The black bean paste is added to the ground mushrooms (with seasoning), then the mixture is shaped, baked, grilled or fried, then added to the chili.
For a complete meal suitable for those on a vegan weight loss plans, add a leafy green salad to the menu instead of a rice dish. Flatulence can be reduced by serving only raw veggies and leafy greens with chili and omitting the carbohydrate that doesn’t digest well with protein-rich dishes.
