“Where’s the Beef” Vegan Chili

Hey guys and gals!

A lot of you showed interest in my roasted vegetable chili from my What I Ate Wednesday post the other day and well, I just couldn’t see holding you in suspense any longer…

It all started when one of my coworkers announced the date of her annual “chili cook off.” Every year, once the weather starts turning colder, we all get together and have a friendly little contest.

$2.00 to enter and the winner gets bragging rights for a year! 😉

While I’d love to say I went home that evening with a fatter wallet, I did not, but I didn’t need a pocket full of dollar bills to tell me that I hit the jack chili pot with this one!

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Roasted Vegetable Chili: (serves 6-8)

  • 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
  • 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 large zucchini, chopped
  • 2 medium jalapenos, stemmed but left whole
  • 1 15oz can corn (unsalted if available)
  • 3 15oz cans mixed beans, undrained (I prefer one of each: pinto, kidney, black)
  • 1 15 oz can fire roasted tomatoes
  • 2 8 oz cans tomato sauce
  • 2 cups homemade seitan, chopped (or 1 package of tempeh, crumbled)
  • 2 Tablespoons cumin
  • 1 Tablespoon chili powder
  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • salt & pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit then get to chopping your vegetables.
2. Thoroughly coat a cookie sheet with cooking spray, add your vegetables in a single layer  along with the whole jalapenos and roast for 20-25 minutes or until tender/browned.
3. Drain corn and pat dry with a paper towel.
4. Transfer corn to a skillet lightly coated with cooking spray and saute over medium-high heat until browned.
5. Once the vegetables and corn are roasted, transfer the pan to a medium-large slow cooker.
6. Peel the skin from the jalapenos and dice. Add to slow cooker seeds and all.
7. Add the beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce, and faux meat of choice (if using) to the slow cooker.
8. Add seasonings and allow to cook: 2-3 hours on high or 4-6 hours on low.
9. Adjust seasoning as needed to taste before serving.
10. Top with sliced avocado, cilantro, nutritional yeast, and/or crumbled tortilla chips 

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I originally planned on doing this recipe with crumbled tempeh, but when I went to the store to grab all of my ingredients, they were completely out and I had no time to go on a wild goose tempeh chase (as exciting as that may seem)…so I had to improvise.

That’s where Elise came in.

Her homemade log seitan, seasoned to be more chili-like (worcestershire sauce instead of soy sauce and cumin, chili powder, garlic and onion powder for the seasonings), was the perfect compliment to the roasted vegetables and smoked paprika in this chili.

Just right for a cool night when all you need is a warm belly.

I know this recipe looks long and drawn out, but I promise it all comes together in no time…the hardest part is the onion crying chopping! 😉

So give it a try…your belly will thank you!

 Now that it’s fall, will you be looking to more slow cooker recipes for dinner like me?

What’s your favorite slow cooker recipe? Feel free to drop a link…mama needs some meal ideas! 😉 

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20 Responses to “Where’s the Beef” Vegan Chili

  1. chelsea says:

    I loooove worcestershire sauce and was so upset when I realized it was made out of anchovies and me being vege can’t eat it 🙁

  2. Chili is soooo good when the weather gets colder. I love making a big batch and serving it over rice, potatoes, or with corn bread to vary it up. Your version looks amazing!

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      Thank you Allison! I’ve never thought about serving it over rice or potatoes, but that’s a great idea! I usually either just have a bowl of it or use it as a salad topper. Too bad I finished off the rest of it yesterday…next batch is definitely going over some spuds!

  3. oh yum that chili looks so good. It will have to be one of my first meals once i get back to europe!

  4. katie says:

    I love chili!!

    I always look forward to pulling out the crockpot as it gets colder! Im excited to try some new recipes!

    I can’t believe its almost winter! Yikes!

    Happy Friday love!

  5. PB&Jenny says:

    okay, you’re a freak. (I mean that in a good way ;)) I was JUST thinking about how much I was craving chili and, sure enough, here you are – taunting me with these pictures!

    My mom used to make chili and corn bread every year for halloween. That’s the only day we would eat it so it’s always had a special place in my heart 🙂

    have yourself a merry little weekend, Heather! **hugs!!**

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      Haha! What can I say, I’m in your head…now if I can only convince you to fly down to Tennessee and come see me! 😉

      I hope you have an excellent weekend to missy! *hugs* back!

  6. I made chili last night! Except I used turkey…therefore it wasn’t vegan. Topped it with avocado though 🙂

  7. Chili is one of my favourite fall meals! I don’t have a slow cooker, but I love soups and stews around this time of year. Or heck, any time of the year. I definitely made a few batches of chili and soup over the summer. 😛

  8. mmm, i love any recipe with roasted veggies – this sounds delicious!

  9. HEATHER ZOMG I MISS YOU AND STUFFS! Now that I got that out of the way…

    You know I love my slow cooker! I actually just made some AMAZING curry veggie soup in mine the other day, http://www.purplebirdblog.com/2011/10/24/crock-pot-curry-veggie-and-rice-soup/ It’s definitely a winner, very carroty! 🙂 Your chili looks like the bomb, but I’d have to make it with the tempeh, obvs. 😉

  10. veggie chili is the only kind i’ll eat =) this looks goooood! <3

  11. Lauren says:

    This mama needs a crock pot. I made meat chili this week and I made veggie and she kept referring to hers as “real chili.” Veggie chili is just as real!

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      I get comments like that at work all.the.time! “Where’s the meat??” Seriously…it amazes me with how far we’ve come in being educated about food and being able to expand our food choices that there are still people that can’t (or won’t) think outside the box!

  12. I sadly shy away from the crockpot. I love making pasta sauce in it though. Chili is not chili for me unless it has pintos. They make the BEST chili! YUM!

  13. Yo, thanks for posting the recipe for your drool-worthy chili. I must make this now. And thanks for sharing the tweaks you made to Elise’s seitan recipe. I think I’d probably like the worcestershire instead of the soy sauce too. You rule and your food rocks. Have a great weekend!

  14. This both looks and sounds wonderful! A definite weekend meal – I’ll have to try soon I can practically smell it already 🙂

  15. elise says:

    i never asked how this recipe fared in your coworkers chili-off???
    did anyone know the seitan was vegan faux meat?

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      Ohhh, I can’t believe I forgot to tell you! Since it was cubed when I sliced it up, a few people noticed right away, but I got pretty good feedback from it. I heard a lot of, “Yeah, it was better than I thought it was going to taste!” Haha!

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