Step 1: Gathering & Preparing Your Mise en Place
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 1 green pepper, diced
- 1 sm head cauliflower, stemmed and cut into small florets
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tbsp Chili Powder (or to taste)*
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 - 15 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 1 - 15 oz can whole tomatoes, seeds removed and roughly chopped
- 2 cups cooked kidney beans (or 1 - 15 oz can, drained and rinsed)
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, to taste
To start, first, gather and prepare all of your ingredients.
Note that a variety of different vegetables and/or legumes could be used to add your own twist on this chili.
For the Chili Powder, the amount needed will depend on how spicy you like your chili and also which chili powder you used. We use this Chili Powder, which is a nice somewhat subtle blend of spices and herbs.
Step 2: Cooking the Chili
- oil for cooking, if using
To make the chili, heat a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat and dry-sauté the onions. Alternatively, the onions can be sautéed with a bit of oil. Let the onions cook for a minute or so and then add the carrots.
Once the onions are translucent and just starting to brown and the carrots have started to soften, add the garlic and let cook for 30 seconds or so. If needed, add a tablespoon or so of water to deglaze the pot and to help prevent the ingredients from burning.
Next add the green pepper, cauliflower and cook until they start to soften slightly, about 5 minutes or so. Again, if the mixture seems dry or is starting to stick, add a couple of tablespoons of water to deglaze the pot.
At this point, add the cumin, chili powder, vinegar, tomatoes, kidney beans and 1 cup of water. Bring the chili to a boil and then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and let cook for 45 mins to an hour. Stir and test the chili periodically, to ensure nothing is sticking. If the chili seems too thick, add a touch more water. Once the vegetables are just cooked through and tender, the chili is done.
Lastly, check for seasoning before serving.
Step 3: Serving the Chili
- 1/2 cup Cashew Sour Cream
- diced avocados
- cooked corn
- roughly chopped cilantro
- minced red onion
- lime wedges
- Mushroom-Nut Ground 'Beef'
To serve the chili, ladle into bowls and top with whatever garnish you desire. We really like serving with chili with the Cashew Sour Cream and all the other fixings list here.
The Mushroom-Nut Ground ‘Beef’ also adds that more classic chili flavor and texture to the dish.
As far as amounts go, it really depends on how many people you are serving. When it comes to toppings for this chili, we like to air on the side of more, rather than less. It’s even nice halfway through eating to add a bit more of your favorite toppings.