Vegan Soyrizo Chili

Going into this Face Off I truly did not have an idea of what I wanted my main chili ingredient to be (well, other than Chili Powder and Cumin of course). I was going to make a 6 bean chili at first, but decided I should experiment with some kind of Seitan or Tofu to make my chili more “meaty”. I decided to go with a Soyrizo based chili (Melissa’s Vegan Chorizo) because I had recently heard someone raving about a Chorizo Chili they tried which ended up winning a chili cook off. I figured that Soyrizo might give my chili the kick I was looking for.

As Morgan eluded to, we typically just start throwing any ingredients we have on hand into our chili’s and rarely write down a recipe. It was actually a challenge to go back and remember all the ingredients I used for this Face Off. I had alot of beans on hand the day of the Face Off, so along with the Soyrizo main ingredient I ended up using 3 different kinds of beans – Red Kidney, Navy and Black.

As for the spices, there is nothing secret to what I use, but encourage you to adjust the amounts of each to your liking. The amounts listed in my recipe below will leave you with a Medium-Hot chili. If you don’t like as much spice, cut out the serrano seeds or the serrano’s all together.

Quinoa is not a common item found in chili, however I tried a chili recently with this and I liked the texture it added, so naturally I added it to mine.  For some reason I always end up with enough chili to feed a family of 30 (I think I just keep throwing more and more stuff into it until it tastes right), so beware that this recipe will give you enough chili to feed you for a week.

Vegan Soyrizo Chili

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Large White Onion, chopped (about 1 1/2 Cups)
3 Cloves Garlic, Minced
2 Serrano Peppers, finely chopped (seeds included)
2 packages Melissa’s Soyrizo, Vegan Chorizo
3 (14.5 ounce) Cans Diced Tomatoes, with liquid
2 (14.5 ounce) Cans Red Kidney Beans, strained
2 (14.5 ounce) Cans Navy Beans, strained
1 (14.5 ounce) Can Black Beans, strained
Warm Water
1 Cup Quinoa, cooked

Spices
2 Tablespoons Cumin
1 Tablespoon Chili Powder
1-2 teaspoons Red Chili Flakes
2 teaspoons Smoked Paprika
Salt & Pepper to taste

1. In a large stock pan, over medium heat, sauté onion, serranos and garlic in olive oil until onion is translucent.
2. Add Soyrizo and cook for 5 minutes.
3. Add Tomatoes and beans, stir to combine. Add warm water if you feel the consistency is too thick. Add all spices except for S&P, stir to combine.
4. Bring chili to a simmer and cook for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Add water periodically if you feel the chili is getting too thick.
5. I prefer my chili to be more of a “thick soup” consistency, so to accomplish this I always finish off with some pulses from my immersion blender.
6. Add Salt & Pepper to taste.
7. Add cooked quinoa and serve warm.

Enjoy your chili with your favorite toppings, mine include Daiya Cheddar or Pepper Jack, Green Onion, Vegan Sour Cream, Avocado and Oyster Crackers.