A friend of mine recently reminded me about this chili recipe that I created about four years ago for a chili cook-off.  My entry was the only vegan chili but everyone LOVED it.  Fortunately I am accustomed to writing down recipes as I cook so here it is.  I like to call it Cosmic Chili because it is made with every ingredient under the sun but it is so rich and full of flavor you wouldn’t even know the meat and cheese were missing…

Ingredients:

• ¼-1/3 cup coconut or grapeseed oil
• ½ brown onion
• ½ red onion
• 1/3 cup chili sauce
• 6-8 cloves of garlic
• 8 oz. black beans, cooked
• 8 oz. kidney beans, cooked
• 2 lbs. of fresh or stewed tomatoes, chopped
• 10 small mushrooms or 2 large Portobello mushrooms, chopped
• 1½ cups fresh cilantro
• 1½ cups corn, fresh or frozen and thawed
• 2 stalks celery
• 1 red bell pepper
• 2 large carrots
• 10 ounces of Seitan (wheat flour based meat-like texture) fresh if possible, chopped
• 1/3 cup goat chevre or plain coconut or goat yogurt
• 1 Tbsp Onion powder
• Juice from ½ a lime
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 fresh chilies (I like the small red and green ones – Serrano or Pasilla chilies)
• 1-2 Tbsp dry vegetable broth powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• ¼ cup catsup
• 1 Tbsp agave nectar, honey, or xylitol
• 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
• Celtic Sea Salt to taste (about 2 tsp or more) 

Directions:

1. Place the fresh chilies on a pan in the oven and bake for about 10 minutes at 400 degrees. 
2. When they are finished, scoop out the seeds and pure the chilies with the cilantro and a few dashes of salt in the food processor.  Set aside.
3. In a food processor, pulse-chop the Seitan and mushrooms.
4. In a skillet, heat about 2 Tbsp of oil and the chili sauce. Stir in the Seitan and mushroom combination and grill on medium heat for about 10 minutes.
5. Sprinkle in a little salt, ½ of the cumin and chili powder, and stir every couple of minutes.
6. In a large deep soup pot heat about 1/4 cup of oil.
7. Puree or finely mince the onions, garlic, celery, red bell peppers and carrots.  Don’t let the mixture get mushy, keep it slightly chunky.
8. Stir the vegetable mixture into the soup pot, adding about 1 tsp of salt. 
9. Sauté for about 10 minutes, stirring in the Seitan/mushroom mixture once it has finished grilling.
10. Add the chopped tomatoes, including their juice, to the pot and stir well. 
11. Add the corn, cilantro & chili puree, cooked beans, catsup, lime juice, agave and remaining seasonings.  Stir well and bring to a boil then reduce to medium heat. If desired, add the non-dairy sour cream or coconut milk.
12. Stir well and taste to see if it needs more sweet, salt, or heat/spice – add accordingly.
13. Let the chili simmer on low-medium heat for at least 30-60 minutes before eating for best flavor. 

*Serves 6-8

**For the best flavor, pour the chili (which has already been brought to a boil) into a crock pot and keep it on low over night.  The flavors and spices will intensify and grow richer.

Related posts:

1. Homemade Salsa 3 Ways
2. Spicy Mexi-Cali Soup
3. Mushroom Enchiladas with Homemade Enchilada Sauce
4. Taquitos Filled with Grilled Fish & Squash
5. Celery Root Bisque