Ultimate Vegan Chili featuring a divine mix of walnut and soy curl meat in a thick and hearty tomato sauce. Protein loaded, gluten free and easy to make from scratch in 1 pot for the best comforting meatless chili ever.
Soak the soy curls in a bowl of hot water for 20 minutes. Drain and wring out any excess water. Transfer to a food processor (or a chopping block) and process using the pulse button (or a sharp knife) until the soy curls are all chopped up into small piece. Careful not to overdo do it and keep some nice texture. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
Add the walnuts to the food processor and chop them up until they resemble large bread crumbs, do not turn them into powder.
Preheat a medium heavy bottom pot and saute the onion and carrot in a light drizzle of olive oil until translucent. (Omit oil and use a splash of water for WFPB + Plantricious compliance).
Stir in the garlic and chopped jalapeño pepper and cook just until the garlic is fragrant.
Add the chopped walnuts, soy curls and Tamari (soy sauce) and give everything a good toss.
Transfer the canned tomatoes to a bowl and use your hands to crush them into rustic pieces. Add them together with all the juices to the pot with the soy curls.
Stir in the chili powder, cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, oregano and water. Bring to a constant simmer and partially cover with a lid. Cook for 35 minutes stirring often making sure nothing sticks to the bottom.
Check the consistency at the 35 minute mark and if the chili has reduced and thickened to your liking it’s time to add the rinsed beans.
Season with a good pinch of sea salt and continue cooking uncovered another 10 to 15 minutes until the beans are warmed through and the chili is thick to you liking.
Taste and adjust seasonings with more sea salt and extra chili powder for extra heat.
Serve hot with a dollop of vegan sour cream, dairy-free queso and a wedge of lemon or lime.
WFPB + Plantricious
Omit oil and use water or veggie stock to saute the aromatics for the recipe to be fully compliant and oil-free.
Notes
How to Thicken the Chili - This is the ultimate pot of chili that naturally thickens as the sauce cooks down. The ground walnuts are the perfect thickener here so theres’s no need to add anything else at all. Just cook your chili down until the ideal texture is achieved.
Storage - Store any leftovers in lidded glass containers to refrigerate up to 5 days or freeze up to 5 months. Remember to thaw out in the refrigerator before reheating on the stovetop or in the microwave.