Christina Are you ready for The Best Vegan Chili con Carne that you’re ever going to have!? Most vegan chilis we have found so far were good but they were all missing that meaty texture, which we solved by seasoning and baking tofu bites. You need to try this recipe, as you’re going to love it! Believe us, even if you don’t like tofu, you will love this, as you can’t taste the tofu at all! Chewy, delicious, and tender chunks of homemade vegan meat and kidney beans, all enveloped in a spicy chili tomato sauce, this Vegan Chili con Carne is insanely satisfying and will blow your mind! Serve this delicious dish with a dollop of our homemade Thick and Creamy, Easy Vegan Sour Cream. This recipe is the main ingredient in our insanely delicious Vegan Chili Cheese Fries.
If you’re interested in a different kind of chili, Texas-style chili or a “Bowl o’ Red” without beans or tomato, be sure to check out The Best Ever Texas Style Vegan Chili. And if you like the method we use of seasoning and baking tofu bites to achieve that perfect meaty texture, you need to check out The Best Vegan Bolognese with Tagliatelle, as it’s incredibly delicious!
1 359 g serving provides you with 283.6 kcal, 40% of the protein, 32% of the dietary fibre, 41% of the vitamin C, 29% of the calcium, 141.9% of the thiamin, 124.4% of the riboflavin, 63% of the niacin, 112.7% of the vitamin B6, 27.7% of the vitamin B12, and 43.3% of the manganese recommended daily. See detailed nutrition facts below.
This recipe freezes perfectly once cooled. Store into air-tight containers, and freeze for up to 3 months. You can serve this chili with chili cheese fries (our favourite way ever!), tacos, burritos, rice, baked potatoes, etc.
If you liked this recipe, check out our Vegan Red Cabbage Soup w/ Chunky Bratwurst Style Tofu Bites, our Swedish Style Vegan Christmas Ham, our So Delicious & Healthy Lentil Loaf made Entirely of Whole Foods, our Homemade Celebration Seitan Roast, our Mushroom Vegan Soup (Quick & Easy), our One Pot Tomato Vegan Soup with Basil Dressing, our Fluffy Homemade Vegan Bagels, our Sage&Rum Marinated Seitan Tenderloin, our Vegan Seitan Steaks (Wheat Meat), our Gluten-Free Vegan Mortadella, our Succulent Seitan Tenderloin, our Creamy Vegan Potato Gratin, and our The Best Gluten-Free and Vegan Fish & Chips. You’ll love them all!
And… in case you missed it, we are so excited to announce that we have published our very first cookbook ALL PLANTS: The Food You Love, The Vegan Way, which includes over 150 satisfying recipes to feed all the members of your household (including your dogs!). It’s available internationally as a hardcover on Book Depository (with free delivery worldwide), Walmart, and in many other bookstores! Yay! Click here to learn more. You can also purchase it as a downloadable e-book (pdf) in our Store (currently ON SALE!), and our Etsy Shop (also on sale there!).
The Best Ever Vegan Chili con Carne
Enjoy friends! If you make this recipe, please snap a photo and tag @veganvvocals and #veganvvocals on Instagram! We’d also love it if you would leave a comment below, and give the recipe a rating! Thanks so much!
Equipment
Ingredients
VEGAN MEAT "CARNE VEGANA"
- 1080 g extra-firm tofu, drained and dried with paper towels
- 3 tbsp canola oil
- 1/3 cup nutritional yeast
- 1/4 cup white miso paste
- 2 tbsp Japanese soy sauce, or tamari for gluten-free option
- 1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
CHILI SAUCE
- 3-6 chili peppers, a combination of different ones
- 1 tsp cumin, freshly ground
- 1 pinch black pepper, freshly ground
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 3/4 cup water
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
CHILI
- 2 tbsp canola oil
- 1 large red onion, finely chopped
- 3 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1600 g canned whole tomatoes, in tomato juice
- 750 g boiled kidney beans
- 1 tbsp Muscovado sugar
- 1 1/2 tbsp distilled white vinegar
- 1 small can sweet corn
Instructions
VEGAN MEAT "CARNE VEGANA"
- Preheat the oven to 356ºF/180ºC.
- In a large bowl, combine the canola oil, nutritional yeast, white miso paste, Japanese soy sauce, freshly ground black pepper, garlic powder, and tomato paste, until a smooth soft paste has formed.
- Crumble the drained and dried with paper towels tofu into bite-sized pieces (2 cm radius aprox) and place inside the large bowl.
- Mix well, using a sturdy spatula until all the tofu's been coated.
- Line two baking trays with sheets of parchment paper.
- Spread the coated tofu evenly over the lined baking trays. Bake in batches, on the middle rack of the oven for 45 minutes. Take out of the oven to stir through. Place back inside and bake again for 10-20 more minutes, or until it's looking chewy and dry. Be careful not to burn it!
CHILI SAUCE
- Gently toast the chilis in a skillet over low-medium heat until fragrant.
- Place the toasted chilis in a bowl and cover them with very hot water. Let them soak in the very hot water for 30 minutes.
- Drain, split, and remove the stems and seeds of the chilis.
- In a high-speed blender, combine the chilis, freshly ground cumin, freshly ground pepper, sea salt, cornstarch, and water, and blend until a very smooth sauce forms. Use a fine-mesh sieve to strain the chili mixture, and discard the solids.
CHILI
- In a large non-stick skillet, over medium-low heat, heat the canola oil, and sauté the chopped onion and minced garlic for 3-4 minutes. Stir in the canned whole tomatoes and chili sauce, and give it a mix.
- Stir in the boiled kidney beans and bring the skillet to a simmer. Reduce the heat to a low simmer and let simmer for about 45 min-1 hour.
- Stir in the Muscovado sugar, distilled white vinegar, sweet corn, and baked tofu bites, and let simmer for 10 more minutes.
- Turn off the heat and let it rest for 30 minutes before serving.
- Enjoy this yummy and full of protein dish! And remember, a little goes a long way, this dish is SO filling!
- Serve hot, in small amounts, in bowls, accompanied by avocado, bread, and a dollop of our delicious Vegan Sour Cream.
Notes
- Store in a sealed container, in the refrigerator, for up to a week.
Nutrition
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The best vegan chili there is. So glad we found this recipe! It really tastes delicious and very very meaty!!!
This is a really great recipe! Whether you are a vegan or not (we aren’t), it is delicious. It is clear that you guys know what you’re doing. It was very fulfilling and meaty. So far, this is the best vegan chili we’ve had.
I use this recipe at least 2-3 times a month. Thanks for sharing! Very very good! 🙂
This chili is criminally good. Please make this. You will thank me later.