Three-Bean Veggie Chili

This colorful, hearty veggie chili is packed with all the delicious flavor and wholesome vegan protein you desire in a south-of-the-border dish. It’s always a huge winner at any small or big gathering, and the recipe can easily be doubled or even tripled. Psst … don’t tell them it’s vegan and they won’t even notice! Since I try to avoid packaging as much as possible, I soak and cook beans myself in large batches which I then freeze in portions. This is just personal preference (and better for the environment … whoot whoot!) but you can, of course, use canned beans as well. If you also don’t feel like cutting a lot of tomatoes, there’s an easy solution in my notes!

Remember to freeze tofu for at least one day to achieve the chewy texture, then give it a couple hours to thaw!

Ingredients: (for 5 – 6 servings)

• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 sweet onion, diced
• 7 oz (200 g) pre-frozen, extra firm tofu, thawed
• generous 2½ lbs (1200 g) Roma tomatoes, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 Tbsp homemade veggie broth concentrate or store-bought vegetable broth powder/cubes to taste (store-bought is saltier, so start slow!)
• 2½ Tbsp maple syrup
• 2 Tbsp Mexican seasoning (I use this brand)
• crushed red pepper to taste or 1 hot pepper, cored and sliced (optional, if you like it spicy!)
• 1½ cups (9 oz / 260 g) cooked garbanzo beans/chickpeas
• 1½ cups (9 oz / 260 g) cooked black beans
• 1¼ cups (6 oz / 170 g) shelled edamame, frozen
• 1½ cups (8 oz / 225 g) sweet corn, frozen
• 4 Tbsp tomato paste
• 3 Tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1½ any color bell peppers (I used 3 different colors), cored, cut lengthwise, then sliced
• Celtic sea salt to taste, if necessary
• freshly minced cilantro galore

Serving suggestions:

• vegan quesadillas or tortillas
• brown rice or wild rice blend
• vegan sour cream
• guacamole
• slices of lime

Preparation:

Preheat a large pot over medium heat, then add extra virgin olive oil with diced onion and sauté for about 7 minutes or until soft.

Meanwhile, squeeze as much water out of the thawed tofu as you can. It has a sponge-like texture now which makes it very easy to crumble between your fingers.

Add the tofu crumbles to the pot and sauté for about 5 minutes or until slightly browned.

Add tomatoes, garlic, veggie broth concentrate (or store-bought substitute), maple syrup, Mexican seasoning and, optionally, crushed red pepper or fresh hot pepper. Stir well, increase heat to bring to a boil, then cook over medium low for about 15 minutes or until tomatoes start falling apart. Stir occasionally.

Add garbanzo beans, black beans, edamame, corn, tomato paste, and nutritional yeast. Bring to a boil again, then simmer for 10-15 more minutes.

Add bell peppers, and cook for 2-3 minutes for a crunchy texture, longer if you like them soft. Season to taste with Celtic sea salt, if necessary, and serve with lots of freshly minced cilantro on the side.

Enjoy by itself or pick from all the Mexican goodness in my serving suggestions!

Notes:

• Have you ever tried chili over oven baked potatoes? Absolutely delicious!
• You can easily double or triple the recipe for a potluck, party or, generally, to feed a large group. To keep hot, simply transfer it to a crock-pot. If necessary, you can add some tomato juice.
• I recommend serving red pepper flakes or fresh hot peppers on the side. Not everyone loves it spicy.
• To freeze tofu, simply place it with packaging into the freezer and leave it there for at least 24 hours. I always keep some frozen, just in case. If you forgot to thaw it in time, just place it with packaging into a hot water bath to speed up the thawing process. Take out of the packaging and remove as much water as possible from the tofu by squeezing it like a sponge.
• If you don’t really feel like dicing tomatoes, just substitute by using diced tomatoes from a jar. You can reduce the cooking time accordingly. For diced tomatoes I recommend this brand. You will need two 18.3 oz/520 g jars for this recipe.