During these cold winter months a comforting chilli always sounds like a great idea. Also if that means we can have one pot meal ready when we get back home from work, nothing better than that!
We have tried various vegan chilies at different places. It is always a hit or a miss. I have tried various recipes at home. Some lack the rich flavor, some just end up being a watery bean soup. But this particular recipe from "Rainbowplantlife" has been a success each time I have made it. Of course like any other recipe I don't quite follow it exactly. Just create a version of that with what I have in my pantry and what makes my life easier!
You will need:
2 tbsp oil (canola/olive/vegetable)
Aromatics:
1 medium sized onion chopped
4-5 garlic pods sliced
2 tbsp tomato paste
Seasonings:
2 tsp ground cumin powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp crushed black pepper
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
28 oz can of crushed tomato
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 large bay leaf
Beans
15 oz can chilli beans
15 oz can cannellini beans
15 oz can pinto beans (you can use red kidney beans, butter beans, navy beans)
2 cups vegetable broth
1-2 tsp salt per taste
Garnishing and serving:
1 tbsp lime juice
chopped cilantro
vegan sour cream/yogurt (optional)
sliced avocado (optional)
Method:
Turn on the Instant Pot (IP) on sauté mode. Heat the oil. Add in the aromatics (onion, garlic). Saute till they are a bit translucent. Add in the tomato paste. Saute for a bit. Add in the seasonings. Once they start getting stuck to the pot, for deglazing add in the vinegar. Once it starts evaporating, add in the crushed tomatoes. Now it is time to add in the soy sauce, cocoa powder, maple syrup and bay leaf. After that all the canned beans go in. For the volume, pour in the vegetable broth (do not add too much, as you don't want the chilli to be thin or soupy). Salt to be added per taste. Close the Iid and keep the valve on sealed mode. Cook on manual high pressure mode for 15 minutes. Wait for natural pressure release. Open the lid. Mash some of the beans to make the chilli texture thicker. Add in the lime juice and cilantro.
You can serve it with more chopped cilantro. Or with a dollop of vegan sour cream/yogurt or sliced avocado if you wish.
ENJOY!
