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Vegan Chili with Impossible Beef

Hearty bean and fake meat chili
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time1 hour 15 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: chili, hearty, impossible, spicy, vegan
Servings: 6

Ingredients

  • 1 cup kidney beans or 2 15oz cans

Chili paste

  • 3 big dried chiles New Mexico, California, ancho, etc, stemmed and seeded
  • 3 dried árbol chiles or any small/hot dried red chiles like Japanese, stemmed
  • 1 Tbsp coriander powder
  • 1 Tbsp cumin powder
  • 1 Tbsp cocoa powder
  • 1 chipotle chile in adobo
  • 2 Tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 tsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp vegemite/marmite
  • 1/4 cup tortilla chips crumbled

Aromatics and base

  • 1 Tbsp oil
  • 1 stick cinnamon
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 onion diced
  • 1 package Impossible Beef 12 oz
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 serrano chile minced
  • 1 Tbsp dried oregano
  • 1 28 oz can crushed or diced tomatoes
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • salt & pepper

Instructions

Prep the beans

  • If using dried beans:
    - Brine soak and stove top: soak them 6+ hours in 15g salt and 5g baking soda in 4c water, rinse and then cook in 4c water for ~40 mins or until tender to your liking.
    - Instant Pot/pressure cooker: soak them 6+ hours in 4c water or quick soak and discard soaking water way. Then pressure cook per instant pot or pressure cooker directions in 4c water.
  • If using canned beans, just open the cans and set aside.

Make the chili paste

  • Heat dry pan on medium heat and toast dried chiles until aromatic and starting to change color; remove from heat before they burn and start to blacken
  • Add toasted chiles to blender along with all other chili paste ingredients and blend until you get a smooth paste. Add a little water if needed to help to blend.

Cooking the vegan chili

  • Heat oil in pot on medium-high until shimmering and add cinnamon, bay leaves, onions, and salt & pepper, stirring occasionally until softened, about 5-8 minutes
  • Add impossible beef and break up into crumbles and cook until nice and browned and crispy on the edges, about 5 minutes
  • Add garlic, serrano, and dried oregano and stir for a minute or two
  • Add tomatoes and beans and cook, partially covered for about a half hour, until reduced a bit. Then remove and discard bay leaves and cinnamon.
  • Add vinegar, stir and check the flavor. Firstly, add more salt if needed. If the tomatoes were a bit dull you may want to add a bit of sugar too.
  • Garnish with any of the following: cilantro, sour cream/crema, minced onions, fritos, cheese (shredded cheddar/jack/oaxaca, crumbled cotija or feta), frank’s red hot sauce, chopped avocado

Notes

  • Use canned beans to save time; you can make the whole thing in under an hour
  • If using canned beans, you can keep the soaking liquid to create an extra luxurious consistency.  I usually rinse the beans because the chili is already so thick and complex.