Café Chan Vegan Chili

Note: This recipe hasn’t been fully tested since I scaled down the amounts.

Author: Colin Chan

Time: 3 hours (1 prep + 2 cooking)

Yield: 6 servings

  • 1 lb Beyond Beef
  • 2 large yellow onions, minced
  • 1 green bell pepper, minced
  • 1 red bell pepper, minced
  • 3 large carrots, minced
  • 1⁄2 cup olive oil
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds, somewhat crushed
  • 1⁄4 cup tomato paste
  • 2 tsp Vegemite
  • 2 tsp soy sauce
  • 2 Tbsp chipotle peppers in adobo, blended
  • 14 oz can crushed tomatoes
  • 16 oz can kidney beans
  • 16 oz can pinto beans
  • 16 oz can chickpeas
  • 16 oz can corn, drained
  • 1 1⁄2 Tbsp ancho chili powder
  • 2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1⁄2 tsp cinnamon powder
  • 2 tsp oregano
  • 1⁄4 tsp liquid smoke
  • salt
  • splash of vinegar (optional)
  • 1 1⁄2 oz dark or semisweet baking chocolate (optional)
  • Fritos (optional, for serving)
  • shredded cheese (optional, for serving)
  1. In a large dutch oven, brown the Beyond Beef, then remove it from the pan and deglaze with a little water or wine.
  2. Cook the onion, bell pepper, and carrots in the oil slowly, stirring every few minutes to avoid burning on the bottom, until the whole mixture starts to turn a golden color (about 45 minutes!).

    You may need more or less oil, depending on the shape of your pan. The oil should be enough to nearly submerge the vegetables after they've shrunk (~15 minutes). You can skim off excess oil before proceeding to the next step.

  3. Add the garlic and fennel seeds, and cook for a few minutes more.
  4. Add the tomato paste, Vegemite, soy sauce, and chipotle peppers, and cook for a few minutes more.
  5. Add the crushed tomatoes, kidney beans, chickpeas, corn, ancho chili, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cinnamon powder, and oregano, and mix in.
  6. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and let simmer for at least 30 minutes (but ideally 60 or more).

    If the mixture is too thick to simmer, add some water. If you accidentally add too much or want the chili to be thicker in the end, simmer uncovered instead.

  7. Add vinegar, salt, and chocolate to taste.

    You can test adjustments to a small amount of chili in a separate bowl before adding them to the main batch.

  8. Serve atop a layer of Fritos, and top with shredded cheese.