Vegan Beef Chili

Sometimes you watch a documentary about the horrendous ways in which animals are factory farmed, and it makes you want to be a vegetarian for a bit – but you love the taste of meat and still craaaave it. So, with that in mind, I decided to taste-test the “Beyond Beef” ground “beef” which comes in a 16 ounce package that looks like a pack of ground round.

Vegan “beyond beef” chili ready to dish up

Here is the recipe and frankly it’s delicious: I went beanless for this one per my wife’s request, but you can increase liquids/seasonings and add beans to make this a vegan ground beef/bean chili.

Here are the ingredients for a recipe to serve 2-3 people:

INGREDIENTS

1. 2 teaspoons of coconut oil

2. 1/2 onion, diced

3. 1 teaspoon oregano

4. 2 teaspoons cumin

5. 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

6. 16 ounces of ‘Beyond Beef’ ground vegan beef protein

7. 1/2 cup of pureed tomato sauce

8. 1/2 cup of veggie stock or water

9. 1 tablespoon of soy sauce or similar

10. 1 teaspoon of cocoa powder (unsweetened)

11. salt and black pepper to taste

12. 1/2 teaspoon of chili powder (or more if you like yours spicy)

STEPS

1. Use a sautee pot or dutch oven, to sautee your raw onions in the oil. Once onions are sweating, add your spices for 30 seconds to bloom, then add the tomato sauce and cook until tomatoes start to cook down a bit.

2. Add ground vegan protein and cook it into the sauce, and then add stock.

3. Cook slowly on medium heat until flavors meld – at least 30-45 minutes – add more salt/pepper as necessary to taste.

Serve over a bowl of brown rice, or a roasted sweet potato, or a bowl of roasted cauliflower rice. Top with a little cilantro and salsa to taste. If you’re not vegan and dairy is your thing, (it’s still def mine), a sprinkle of cheddar cheese or dab of sour cream go well.