Need some help from vegans, please.

[Seasider]

I am serving a group and had planned chili and a baked potato bar with green salad. I learned there will be some vegans attending and want to be sure to have appropriate offerings. I'm thinking I can do another separate batch of chili.

 

So, anyone have a good vegan chili recipe? I'd rather not throw anything too unusual in it - I found a recipe that included bulgar but since I've never cooked with that, I hate to experiment when I'll be feeding it to guests. Besides, if I can keep it both vegan and gf, that would make me happy, too!

 

Also, tater toppings would include butter, cheese, sour cream.... I'd appreciate some other topping ideas that a vegan might find appealing.

 

Thanks for the help!

[UCF612]

Earth Balance makes a vegan butter for the potatoes. It is what we buy our dairy free son (package says vegan).

[Chalex]

Could you use your regular chili recipe, but substitute the meat with Yves Veggie Ground, or another brand of Textured Veggie Protein?

 

edit to add: My DH has no problem eating the Yves Veggie Ground in a spaghetti sauce and he's a true meat eater.  :)

[catz]

Lentil chili is good! 

 

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/87873/lentil-chili-ii/

 

For baked potatoes?  carmelized onions, roasted garlic, olive oil in a drizzler bottle?  Roasted red peppers?

[3sapphires]

I have a vegan dd. I would go with a regular 3 bean chili, and I am sorry I don't have a recipe, DD usually cooks her own food and is at college now. I know she gets her recipes from the popular vegan cooking blogs. I would say that if the seasonings look like what you were going to use, but there are beans instead of the meat, you are good to go.

 

For Baked Potato toppings, don't overlook the Chili itself! My family likes it. . .

[Kim in Appalachia]

Best recipe!

 

Vegan pumpkin mushroom chili

 

 

I made it several times last year, and I'll be making it again soon.

[Btervet]

I'd just do a regular chili with beans instead of beef. So tomatoes, bell peppers, hot peppers, onion, spices, and beans.

[Tanaqui]

Potatoes:

 

I'd get a vegan butter for sure. Do NOT assume margarine is vegan! It usually is not. Get something labelled as "vegan". There is also such a thing as vegan sour cream, though I cannot recommend any brands.

 

I'd also pick up some nutritional yeast. Red Star brand is fairly mild in taste, and I'm starting to put it in, lol, everything. We got another brand recently that's much more "yeasty", I've found it goes great in my chili, actually.

 

You might also try roasted broccoli for a potato topping. I always like broccoli with my potatoes.  And chives, and garlic powder.

 

Or how about salsa? Or hummus? A little different, but yummy.

 

I'll tell you something else. I like to have baked sweet potatoes with either a squeeze of lime or some cinnamon and brown sugar. You can easily add some of those to the table as well.

 

Chili:

 

I'd make your regular chili, but increase the beans and sub in the meat for half textured protein and half lentils, and some vegetarian Better Than Bouillon. And, of course... nutritional yeast. (SERIOUSLY DO NOT KNOCK THIS UNTIL YOU TRY IT.) If you use Worcestershire sauce in your chili then you should know that's not vegan. Sub in coconut aminos or vegan worcestershire sauce instead.

 

And this is gonna sound weird, but I like to put peanut butter in my chili instead of or in addition to sour cream. It's delish that way. So unless there are nut allergies, you may consider putting some peanut butter on the table for people to add their own if they want.

[zoobie]

Salsa is a good non-dairy potato topper.

[milovany]

I'd just do a regular chili with beans instead of beef. So tomatoes, bell peppers, hot peppers, onion, spices, and beans.

 

Same.  Use your same recipe -- don't make an already busy time more difficult than it needs to be.  Same recipe, used beans (canned or ones you've soaked) instead of meat. 

[cjzimmer1]

For potato topping we use sauteed peppers, onions, mushrooms, or zucchini.  I also steam broccoli.  Black beans, corn, salsa and cilantro are all good for a mexican flair.

 

Put just having the chili(vegan and regular) , raw onions and cheese would be enough in my book to satisfy both crowds.

[reign]

I agree with making your regular chili but with more beans instead of meat. Add some corn if you want.

 

For toppings I'd do sautéed or grilled veggies for sure. Salsa and a nice olive oil. Lots of vegans do not eat the VEgan Products so I wouldn't rely too heavily on them.

[IfIOnly]

Best recipe!

 

Vegan pumpkin mushroom chili

 

 

I made it several times last year, and I'll be making it again soon.

 

Thank you. Can't wait to try it.

[Seasider]

You gals are the best! I think I will do as suggested and start the chili with spices, then divide and add meat to half or two thirds and extra beans to the other.

Do  you think I could add cauliflower?

 

Thanks for the tater topping suggestions, I can pick up some vegan butter. I will also roast some sweet potatoes, I have some crystallized ginger, I'll have to check if that's vegan. If no one eats the sweet potatoes, I will have a delicious mash next week.

[Tanaqui]

Cauliflower to the chili? I don't see why not, though I'd grind it in the food processor first.

 

As for the crystallized ginger, most sugar is not vegan*. However, in my experience, some veg*ns, especially newbies, don't know about this and thus don't really care. It might be wiser to simply ask "If I include something with sugar, does any brand work, or...?" rather than assuming here.

 

* It's bleached using bone char.

[Seasider]

Cauliflower to the chili? I don't see why not, though I'd grind it in the food processor first.

 

As for the crystallized ginger, most sugar is not vegan*. However, in my experience, some veg*ns, especially newbies, don't know about this and thus don't really care. It might be wiser to simply ask "If I include something with sugar, does any brand work, or...?" rather than assuming here.

 

* It's bleached using bone char.

Wow, I did not know that about sugar! I will set it out as an optional topping and "warn" accordingly.

[Tanaqui]

Lots of people have no idea about sugar. I only know because I happened to be in the store one day and I saw "vegan sugar" on the shelf. The question naturally asked itself - how can sugar not be vegan?

 

Answer: Because animal products sneak in all over the place.

[Kerileanne99]

Best recipe!

 

Vegan pumpkin mushroom chili

 

 

I made it several times last year, and I'll be making it again soon.

I am totally making this next week! Thanks:)

[Tsuga]

ON a thread a long ways back, someone said she made her chili thicker by removing some of the beans partway through and putting them in the blender, then re-adding them to the chili. She said her family said they liked it because it was "meatier" but she hadn't added any more meat.

 

I remember being shocked to find her husband whining about the lack of meat, but amazed to learn that her trick worked. Anyone know where that thread went?

[Kim in Appalachia]

Cauliflower to the chili? I don't see why not, though I'd grind it in the food processor first.

 

As for the crystallized ginger, most sugar is not vegan*. However, in my experience, some veg*ns, especially newbies, don't know about this and thus don't really care. It might be wiser to simply ask "If I include something with sugar, does any brand work, or...?" rather than assuming here.

 

* It's bleached using bone char.

 

OMG, I did not know that.  I'm not vegan, I try to aim for at least 2 vegan meals a day, but I'm not strict. But I had no idea about sugar.  Why can't sugar just be sugar.  Blah.

[reign]

Super suprised about the sugar. Husband will be mad lol he's the vegan in the house.

[vickjul]

To clarify on the sugar issue, cane sugar is typically filtered through bone char. Beet sugar is not. Also, turbinado, raw sugar, or any sugar labeled as 100% organic should be safe.

Black bean and corn chili with chipotle peppers is the vegan favorite here.

[Carol in Cal.]

For the next such meal--do you have a good tomato based spaghetti sauce recipe? 

If so, you can replace the sauteeing butter with olive oil, and replace any ground meat with raisins.  You add them about 10-15 minutes before you are finished, during the simmer stage.  The tomato sauce removes all of their sweetness, and they just seem like little chewy lumps of meat.  I learned this from a vegetarian roommate, thought it was unbelievable but it really does work and it's very good.

[marbel]

Here's another chili recipe to add to the pile.   We eat this frequently; it's called "vegetarian chili" but it looks vegan to me.

 

I can't imagine adding cauliflower to chili.  Even finely grated, it seems like it would add a taste that doesn't go well.  And, why?   (I don't mean that in a snarky way.

[mommaduck]

Did not know that about sugar! Going to start taking my own to work.

[Seasider]

Thanks for all the suggestions!

 

I did a chili like I normally do; then in a second pot made one that subbed a different sort of bean for the meat, veggie broth in place of beef broth, and a bit extra on the crushed tomatoes in the vegan pot.

 

I also made a cut raw veggie platter (bell pepper, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, carrots, cherry tomato, olives) and a roasted veggie platter (portobello mushrooms, zucchini, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts). I roasted sweet potatoes and Idaho potatoes and set out a variety of toppings including the suggested earth balance butter substitute. I also had hummus for dipping veggies, salsa and chips (including vegan chips from Aldi, which were really appreciated, go figure how much goodwill a dollar-fifty can buy!)

 

Everyone was very pleased and had plenty to eat. Thanks for all your helpful info sharing, it ended up being much less intimidating that I thought and actually pretty yummy and healthy!