Backyard Barbecue Chili

This recipe is another old favorite from the Vegan Planet cookbook. I can't give enough emphasis to how much I value this cookbook - nothing has ever been anything but great that I have tried from it. Perhaps since I give it such accolades I could go ahead and copy a recipe from it in this blog.

Backyard Barbecue Chili

1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 small red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 28-oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup water
1/2 cup bottled spicy barbecue sauce
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp light brown sugar or natural sweetener
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups vegetarian burger crumbles
3 cups cooked or two 15-oz cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and bell pepper, cover, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and juice, water, barbecue sauce, tomato paste, chili powder, brown sugar, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Stir in the burger crumbles and beans and cook for 15 minutes to blend the flavors. Add a little water if the mixture becomes too dry. Serve hot.

Serves 4

Jenny's notes: The flavor of this chili depends highly on the type and freshness of chili powder you are using, as well as the barbecue sauce. Try to find a local barbecue sauce, it has made all the difference in the flavor of this dish.

Categories: Beans, Chili, Soup, Spicy, Tomato, Vegan