Did you make a New Year’s resolution to take better care of yourself? Working out, getting more sleep, drinking more water and eating better are topping our lists. The holidays were a great time to indulge but now we’re ready to make the best of the new year.
Start off the new year right with this healthy vegan chili recipe. Vegan recipes are a great way eat well and still stick to those resolutions. You might be worried that with a vegan recipe you won’t feel full, but you won’t miss the meat in this chili. Pinto beans add hearty flavor, while slow-cooked mushrooms take on a meaty texture. Combine all that with big bursts of spices and you get a filling traditional chili without any of the fat or grease.
Our vegan chili is just as hearty and filling as traditional meat filled chili recipes. Mushrooms provide body and pinto beans are a fiber rich source of protein. Red wine, sweet sherry and tomato paste add a robust flavor to the chili. Garlic, fennel and Vidalia onions add an earthiness and texture. Herbs de Provence, fresh thyme and toasted fennel seeds create a complex seasoning complementing the vegetables.
Ingredients
- 16 oz baby bella mushrooms, quartered
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/3 cup garlic, minced
- 1 fennel bulb,chopped
- 3 Vidalia onions, chopped
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 1/2 jalapeno pepper, chopped
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 1/2 cup sweet sherry
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- 5 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 tablespoon herbs de Provence
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon fennel seeds, toasted and coarsely ground
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 cups Randall Pinto Beans, in their liquid
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot. Brown the mushrooms in the hot oil.
- Add the minced garlic and continue to cook until the garlic is golden.
- Add the wine and sherry to the pot. Cook until the mixture is almost dry.
- Stir in the chopped fennel, onions, celery, and jalapeno pepper. Cook until the vegetables are soft stirring the mixture constantly to prevent burning.
- Add in the herbs and continue to stir until the herbs are fragrant.
- Next stir in the tomato paste. Cook for about one minute, stirring to incorporate.
- Add the pinto beans with their liquid and vegetable stock. Bring the chili to a boil and skim off any foam.
- Turn the heat down to a simmer and add salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve the chili with rice and top with fresh diced tomato and onions or with a side salad.
Are you hungry yet? Head out to the store, and look for Randall’s Pinto Beans to make this dish tonight.
