Easy Vegan Cauliflower Chili
Some homophones just belong together—like chilly days and chili. Hearty, easy to customize, flavor-packed, and forgiving, chili makes a solid case for being the ultimate comfort food. Go classic or creative, a little sweet, or fierce with heat, there’s really nothing average about it. Welcoming of just about whatever you have in the fridge, it’s a perfect pre-groceries clear-out meal, and easy one-pot coziness to boot.
Chili is pretty much a weeknight staple in our house, so imagine my surprise when I realized I hadn’t included ANY chili recipes here on this blog. Obviously, something to be rectified! And actually, this is as ideal a time to do so as any.
We had a cold, mercurial kind of weather Valentine’s/President’s Day weekend, running the gamut from frigid fog and freezing rain to skies filled with proper, lacy-white snow; we had bright sunshine that defied the cold temps, and then a dip right back into freezing fog. PERFECT chili weather!
As much as the weather has called for cozy meals, so does the general atmosphere require a little extra comfort where we can find it. With so much turmoil in the world, it’s been feeling a lot like we’re stuck on a runaway train careening toward a cliff. While it’s not lost on us that we’re very lucky to be situated where we are in the world, we’re also always anxious, waking up each day wondering, what terrible news awaits us this morning? Sometimes being overwhelmed amounts to inertia. We just don’t know what to do. And then, because I am one of those people who always seems to ground with food analogies, I think about chili.
Chili is adaptable, comforting, and bold, all at once. It is a hug in a bowl and a big old fiery kick. Chili doesn’t do nothing—it says something, in its own way, tailored to you.
Chili is the kind of dish that doesn’t really need a recipe, like most weeknight dishes when you get to know them. Mine tend to follow the same template with small but significant variations. For this one, my usual cocoa powder gets swapped for a tablespoon of blackstrap molasses, adding a touch of sweet to balance heat. I love how grated cauliflower works here—it’s both a sub for meat and rice, although we quite like to add a dollop of steamed rice on top, anyway. At our house, just a little bit of cooked plant-based sausage slices (our favorite is Field Roast) really enhances the savory flavor, but you don’t need it. As always, you do you, be you, trust you, and thanks for bearing with me. Stay warm! xo
Cosy, meatless comfort food!
Cauliflower Chili
Ingredients
- 1 medium yellow online, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tablespoon chili powder
- 2 Teaspoons ground cumin
- Pinach red pepper flakes
- 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced fine
- 1 bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- 1 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 1 15-ounce can fire roasted tomatoes (or use diced tomatoes with chilies)
- 1 15-ounce can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 15-ounce can pinto beans (or sub more kidney or other beans), drained and rinsed
- 1 Cup vegetable stock or water
- 1 Tablespoon blackstrap molasses
- 1/4 Cup chopped cilantro
- 1/2 medium head cauliflower, grated
- 2 plantbased sausage links, such as Field Roast, sliced and cooked, optional
- Garnishes of choice, such as additional cilantro, parsley, lime wedges, diced avocado
Instructions
- Heat a large stock pot with a small amount of water to form a thin layer at the bottom (about 1/2 Cup). Add the onion and cook about 3 minutes until softening.
- Add the garlic, spices, and peppers and continue to cook, stirring, about 1 minute.
- Add the canned tomatoes, beans, stock or water, and molasses and bring to a low boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook 20 minute, partially covered.
- Stir in the cauliflower and sausage links, if using. Cook until the cauliflower is tender, about 10-15 minutes. Serve with desired toppings, and enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
Calories
321Fat
5 gSat. Fat
1 gCarbs
57 gFiber
17 gNet carbs
41 gSugar
17 gProtein
17 gSodium
1228 mgCholesterol
7 mg