Serves a Party of 6
Who doesn’t love a giant bowl of comforting chili? My chili recipe is pretty average for a plant-based version, but I did my best to add my own personal touch to make it the most fulfilling dish to enjoy in the colder months we are all currently embracing.
Even though I have never been huge on sour cream, after trying a few different vegan alternatives it has begun to grow on me. Little did I know you could make it from scratch right in your own kitchen with just a few simple ingredients. I found the recipe out of an old vegan cookbook I’ve had laying around called DIY Vegan by Nicole Axworthy and and Lisa Pitman that presents over 100 different DIY recipes to transform your kitchen to a cruelty-free environment. For the sour cream, they used cashews, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, water, and salt – but being a huge fan of oat milk – I wanted to spice things up and use that in replacement of the water. It worked in my favorite as it added a creamier texture and even had an oat induced aftertaste.
As for the chili itself, I used a few cans of tomatoes, red onion, red bell pepper, garlic, carrots, red kidney beans, pinto beans, cannellini beans, tri-colored quinoa, and a bit of finely chopped cilantro. These flavors worked absolutely perfect together, especially after adding the classic chili spices like cumin, paprika, cayenne pepper, dried oregano, salt and pepper. Typically I would go out and buy fresh tomatoes, but this time around I tried to use what I had laying around in my kitchen to create a delightful and satisfying dinner to be enjoyed with my favorite person.
Ingredients:
- 2 Cans of Diced Tomatoes
- 1 Can of Fire Roasted Tomatoes
- 1 Can of Red Kidney Beans
- 1 Can of Pinto Beans
- 1 Can of Cannellini Beans
- 1 Cup of Tri-Colored Quinoa
- 4 Chopped Carrots
- 1 Cup of Yellow Corn
- 1 Diced Red Bell Pepper
- 1 Diced Red Onion
- 6 Cloves of Garlic (peeled and minced)
- 1/4 Cup of Chopped Cilantro
- 2 Teaspoons of Cumin
- 2 Teaspoons of Paprika
- 1 Teaspoon of Dried Oregano
- 1/2 Teaspoon of Cayenne Pepper
- 3 Tablespoons of Avocado Oil
- Few Pinches of Salt/Pepper (to taste)
- 2 Diced Russet Potatoes (optional)
- 1 Avocado (optional)
Ingredients for the Sour Cream:
- 1/2 Cup of Raw Cashews (soaked in water overnight or boiled for 15 minutes)
- 3/4 Cup of Plain Oat Milk
- 2 Teaspoons of Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 Squeezed Lemon (or about 1 Tablespoon of Lemon Juice)
- Few Pinches of Salt
If you haven’t already soaked your cashews, leave them in a jar with water for at least 8 hours before you start this recipe. If you’d rather not wait, toss your cashews in a few cups of water and boil them for 10 to 15 minutes until they start to look super white.
Next, set a large saucepan on medium heat allow the avocado oil to heat up.
Drop down the diced onion, diced red bell pepper, and minced garlic and let them saute for at least 5 minutes.
Add in the 2 cans of diced tomatoes, 1 can of the fire roasted tomatoes, and chopped carrots.
Spice it up by throwing in the cumin, paprika, dried oregano, cayenne, salt and pepper.
Give them all a good stir, cover it, and let simmer for 10 minutes or so.
While the chili mixture is simmering, begin to boil your quinoa in about 2 and 1/2 cups of water.
If you decide to top your chili over diced and boiled russet potatoes, now would be a great time to chop them up and boil them in a few cups of water.
By now, the cashews should be just about good to go if you boiled them, so while the quinoa and chili are finishing up, gather the ingredients for the sour cream.
In a high speed blender, add the cashews, oat milk, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, and few inches of salt, and pulse them until you have a creamy and chunk-free mixture.
Set the sour cream aside, and get ready to plate it all together.
For each serving, grab a large serving bowl and drop in about 1/2 cup of boiled potatoes, followed by a cup or so of chili.
Carefully drizzle down the homemade sour cream, and dash on a pinch of the chopped cilantro.
If you decide to use an avocado, diced it up and lay it down before you drizzle on the sour cream. (I used an avocado, but completely forgot to add it before taking the pictures below)
Plant Sugar Kitchen 