Today was a very fall kind of day! I raked leaves, collected pinecones, drank whiskey, listened to the Punch Brothers, and made chili! It. Was. Perfect.
I’ve spent several years searching for the perfect chili recipe – I bought books and browsed hundreds (not exaggerating!) of recipes online. We’d try a recipe, and it would be too bland, too spicy (even for our daring taste buds), weird texture, too bean-y, etc. Finally, last year, I decided to adapt my Grandpa’s chili recipe to a vegan version. As it turns out, the perfect recipe had been sitting in front of me the whole time 🙂
Variations on Grandpa’s Chili
Serves 8
- 2 onions, chopped
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 jalapeno pepper, minced
- 1 package tempeh, crumbled
- 2 15 oz cans pinto beans
- 2 15 oz cans dark red kidney beans
- 28 oz tomato sauce
- 28 oz peeled, crushed tomatoes
- 12 oz Sam Adams (I used Oktoberfest… because it’s October, obviously)
- 1 T cumin
- 1 T chili powder
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- ¾ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp crushed red peppers
- ¼ tsp paprika
- dash red cayenne pepper
Sauté onions, carrots, celery, garlic, jalapeno, and tempeh until soft and translucent – about 5-10 minutes. Then add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 30-45 minutes (until consistency thickens).
I love topping this chili with avocado and cilantro. The Taylor tradition is to have chili with saltines and peanut butter – pretty delish, by the way. For some non-vegan routes, there’s always cheese and sour cream. I hope you love this family recipe as much as me!!!!
Yo Soy! 