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Chilli Non Carne (Vegan & Gluten Free)

This chilli is hearty, warming, and meaty - despite having no meat at all!
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Keyword: beans, comforting, lentils, tofu
Servings: 10

Ingredients

Chilli Paste

  • 2 Dried Pasilla Chillies
  • 3 Dried Arbol Chillies
  • 3 Dried Guajillo Chillies
  • 3 Dried Ancho Chillies
  • 2 Large Dried Shitake Mushrooms
  • 500 ml Boiling Water
  • 1 tsp Miso Paste

Chilli Non Carne

  • 3 Green Peppers
  • 2 Jalapenos
  • 400 grams Medium Firm Tofu pressed for at least 15 minutes
  • 2 Large Onions finely chopped
  • 3 Carrots finely chopped
  • 2 Celery Ribs finely chopped
  • 6 Garlic Cloves finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp Tomato Puree
  • 3 Bay Leaves
  • 800 grams Tinned Tomatoes
  • 250 grams Kidney Beans (cooked or tinned)
  • 150 grams Red Lentils
  • 750 ml Vegetable Stock
  • 2 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
  • 1 tsp Gluten Free Soy Sauce
  • 1 tbsp Nutritional Yeast
  • 3 tsp Ground Cumin
  • 2 tsp Oregano
  • 1 tsp Paprika
  • 1 tsp Ground Coriander
  • ½ tsp Ground Cinnamon
  • Salt & Pepper to taste
  • Oil, for cooking

Instructions

For the Chilli Paste

  • Using a pair of scissors, cut open the dried chillies lengthways and remove the seeds before cutting up into halves or thirds. Warm up a dry pan and toast the chillies on a medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes, or until fragrant.
    2 Dried Pasilla Chillies, 3 Dried Arbol Chillies, 3 Dried Ancho Chillies, 3 Dried Guajillo Chillies
  • Place the chillies into a bowl along with the dried mushrooms and cover with the boiling water. Cover and allow to steep for at least 15 minutes.
    2 Large Dried Shitake Mushrooms, 500 ml Boiling Water
  • Pour the chillies, mushrooms, and water into a high speed blender with the miso paste and blend into a smooth paste. Put to one side while you start on the Chilli.
    1 tsp Miso Paste

For the Chilli Non Carne

  • Halve the peppers, removing the stems and seeds, and place onto a baking tray along with the jalapenos. Heat up your grill on high (or broiler for our American friends) and put the tray underneath. Cook until the skin of the peppers has charred and blackened, turning the jalapenos half way through so they blacken evenly.
    3 Green Peppers, 2 Jalapenos
  • Wrap tightly in foil and allow them to steam in their own heat for at least 10 minutes. Remove the skin from both the peppers and jalapenos before roughly chopping and setting them to one side.
  • Heat up a frying pan with a touch of oil. Crumble up the tofu into the pan and fry off until browned on all sides. Place to one side.
    400 grams Medium Firm Tofu
  • Bring out your biggest pan and place on a medium heat with a touch of oil. Saute the onions, carrots, and celery until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and continue to cook until the onions are lightly browned.
    2 Large Onions, 3 Carrots, 2 Celery Ribs, 6 Garlic Cloves
  • Add the peppers and jalapeno mix along with the tomato puree and cook until the puree has roasted and darkened. Deglaze the pan with the balsamic vinegar.
    2 tbsp Tomato Puree, 2 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
  • Finally, add the remaining ingredients, including the chilli paste and browned tofu that you prepared earlier. Stir very well and bring up to a boil. Lower the heat, partly cover, and gently simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom.
    3 Bay Leaves, 800 grams Tinned Tomatoes, 250 grams Kidney Beans (cooked or tinned), 150 grams Red Lentils, 750 ml Vegetable Stock, 1 tsp Gluten Free Soy Sauce, 1 tbsp Nutritional Yeast, 3 tsp Ground Cumin, 2 tsp Oregano, 1 tsp Paprika, 1 tsp Ground Coriander, ½ tsp Ground Cinnamon
  • When cooked, the lentils should be soft and the chilli should have thickened. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed, depending on your tomatoes you might also need to add a touch of sugar.
  • Serve for a crowd with baked potatoes or rice.

Notes

Allergy Notes; This recipe is vegan, gluten free, and nut free. Please do be careful particularly of the miso and make sure you've pickup gluten free options.
If you have any allergies to the ingredients in this dish or have questions on substitutions, leave me a comment below.