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Vegan Chili at Jon's

Source of Recipe

From "Castle Rock Kitchen" by Theresa Carle-Sanders


Recipe Introduction

"Jon's Restaurant was located in Bridgton, a town not far from Castle Rock with its own terrifying history. Jon's served down-to-earth, home-cooked food. He wouldn't have been caught dead with meatless chili on his menu, but the Rock saw big changes when they rebuilt. Time marches on, and food with it. Store leftover chili in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 4 weeks."

List of Ingredients

◦ 2 tablespoons olive oil
◦ 12 ounces vegan ground round (see Note)
◦ 1 large white onion, julienned
◦ 2 celery stalks, diced
◦ Kosher salt
◦ 4 cloves garlic, finely grated or minced
◦ 2 tablespoons tomato paste
◦ 2 tablespoons chili powder
◦ 2 teaspoons ground cumin
◦ 1 teaspoon dried oregano
◦ One 28-ounce can whole tomatoes, with juices
◦ One 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
◦ One 15-ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
◦ 1 cup water
◦ 2 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, minced
◦ 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
◦ Freshly ground black pepper
◦ Chopped cilantro, sliced avocado, diced tomato, thinly sliced white onion, and/or shredded vegan cheese for garnishing


Recipe

In a Dutch oven or other large, heavy pot over high heat, warm the olive oil until shimmering. Add the vegan ground round and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until it is sizzling and the fat has rendered, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the onion, celery, and � teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic, tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, and oregano and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute more.

Add the canned tomatoes and their juices, black beans, kidney beans, water, and chipotles to the pot. Stir to combine, turn the heat to medium-high, and bring to a low boil. Then turn the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 45 minutes. Remove the chili from the heat and stir in the lime juice. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Serve the chili piping hot, garnished with your choice of toppings.

Makes 6 servings






❧ Note:
If you can't stand the very idea of meatless chili, substitute 1 pound of ground beef for the vegan ground round and then drain most of the fat from the pan before you add the onion and celery.