That Chili with the Mushrooms

March 31, 2009 · Filed Under dairy free, easy, entree, gluten free, recipe, soup, vegan, vegetarian · 36 Comments

My husband is most content as a carnivore, so when I made this vegetarian chili for us the first time, I simply said it was a new chili recipe that I wanted to try. Then I added that it called for a lot of mushrooms (which he absolutely loves). I used portabello mushrooms, which always add that nice “meaty” flavor. He ended up giving the chili high ratings, and so did I. Now when I make it, I just say I’m making “that chili with the mushrooms.” Oh, I did eventually tell him that it was a vegetarian recipe, but he didn’t care because it’s really good chili. It’s packed full of nutritious ingredients, extremely flavorful, and while it’s filling, it’s not “heavy” as meat-based chili recipes often are.

I found the original recipe when I was looking for a vegetarian recipe online that didn’t contain gluten to make for a friend. A lot of main dishes that are vegetarian contain gluten and I don’t cook with gluten (even for someone else—it’s just not safe). I was pleased when I found the recipe on allrecipes.com because it had many reviews, all of which were excellent. Just like those of us who are gluten free, vegetarians sometimes have to settle for salads or mediocre vegetable side dishes for their meals, but with this chili my friend didn’t have to “settle” at all. She loved this chili and I was really surprised at how much I enjoyed it as well. So much so, that it’s now on the regular menu “rotation” at our house. I’ve come to actually prefer this recipe to my meat-based chili.

I made it on a recent Sunday, with plans to feed both of us and then have plenty left for our support group on Tuesday.

The recipe below perfectly fills a 4-qt crockpot. However, when I was ready to serve this chili to our support group (they’ve also become big fans!), I wanted to balance out the flavor from the fresh tomatoes (a little too many as it turned out) and re-fill my 6-qt Rival Smart-Pot. So, I added another can of kidney beans, another can of chickpeas, and another half jar of salsa to start. I wanted to add another can of black beans, but since I had already used my last can, I decided to added a can of black-eyed peas. So ”that chili with the mushrooms” take two is shown below. The results were just as delicious as ever, so obviously this recipe is the best kind—adaptable to what you have on hand, naturally gluten free, and easy to make … so gluten free easily—GFE! By the way, I’m not normally one to eat chili year round, but this recipe is an exception.

My flat and firm cornbread was the perfect complement to this chili. Because we have some members who are gluten free and dairy free, I made two versions—one with milk and butter and another using olive oil and rice milk. (See olive oil to butter substitution guide here.) The latter version was a little crumbly, but still had the same great flavor. Next time I make the dairy-free version, I am going to decrease the amount of rice milk slightly and add a little xanthan gum. (When I get just the right mix, I’ll update the cornbread recipe to show the best adjustments for the non-dairy version.)

That chili with the mushrooms and flat and firm cornbread … quite a nice combination. What’s your perfect chili combination? Do you make vegetarian chili?

Shirley
Not just GF, but GFE!

That Chili with the Mushrooms (Vegetarian Chili)
(Click here for a print version of this recipe.)

Ingredients

· 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (I used olive oil)
· 1 cup chopped onions
· 3/4 cup chopped carrots (optional, I didn’t use)
· 3 cloves garlic, minced
· 1 cup chopped green bell pepper
· 1 cup chopped red bell pepper
· 3/4 cup chopped celery (optional, I didn’t use)
· 2 tablespoons chili powder
· 1 1/2 cups chopped fresh mushrooms (I used portabella)
· 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes with liquid, chopped (I used a combination of fresh tomatoes and canned diced petite tomatoes)
· 1 jar salsa (or 1 tbsp tomato paste and do not drain/rinse kidney beans and add additional chili powder to taste)
· 2 (19 ounce) can kidney beans drained and rinsed
· 1 can chick peas, drained and rinsed
· 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
· 1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained and rinsed, or equivalent amount of frozen corn (I used Bird’s Eye baby gold and white corn, which is excellent)
· 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
· 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
· 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil

Directions
1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Saute onions, carrots (optional), and garlic until tender. Stir in green pepper, red pepper, celery (optional), and chili powder. Cook until vegetables are tender, about 6 minutes.

2. Stir in mushrooms, and cook 4 minutes. Transfer ingredients to your crockpot. Stir in tomatoes, kidney beans, chick peas, black beans, and corn. Season with cumin, oregano, and basil. Cook for 7 to 8 hours on low.

Shirley’s Notes: Although I like carrots and celery, the first time I made this recipe I didn’t have any on hand, so I think you can consider those as optional. Next time, I am going to be sure to have some carrots and celery on hand and give them a try though. Again, this recipe is flexible according to what one has on hand or if you are doubling it. I generally prepare everything in the crockpot the night before, so I don’t have to rush in the morning and so it is not overcooked by the time I get home from work. (My 4-qt crockpot does not have an automatic shutoff.) The cold ingredients guarantee a slightly slower start. I generally follow this approach even with my crockpot that switches from cooking to warming just so I’ll have the ingredients ready to go in the morning. I’ve also cooked this and other crockpot recipes overnight before.

Adapted from a recipe on allrecipes.com

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Tags: beans, chili, cornbread, dairy free, easy, gluten free, healthy, mushrooms, slow cooker, soup, vegan, vegetarian

About Me

Shirley Braden Gluten free since June 2003, I lead a celiac/gluten intolerance group in Virginia. My passion is educating folks on gluten issues and showing how eating gluten free can be easy if you focus on “real” foods versus processed and specialty foods.

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GFE's Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional, but rather a volunteer sharing my experiences. Consult your physician for medical guidance. To the best of my knowledge, all ingredients/products that I use are gluten-free (even if I do not indicate that each and every time I mention them; e.g., if I refer to "soy sauce," it's a gluten-free soy sauce). However, I take no responsibility for the accuracy of that information. Always read labels and verify the gluten-free status of any ingredients/products to your own comfort level.

Not just gf, but gfe!