Vegan Chili

I served this vegan chili at our Super Bowl party last night (Go Rams!) as part of a Frito pie buffet and three people asked for the recipe so I figured as long as I was writing it down, I’d put it up here, too. I was kind of surprised I hadn’t posted this yet, actually, since it’s something I first made in the early days of Covid lockdowns, back when we were all baking our own bread and cooking with pantry staples like lentils and toilet paper.

This is a fine-textured vegan chili that is perfect for Frito pie or spooning on top of a veggie dog (as opposed to my vegetable chili recipe which is more like a chunky stew with some chili powder in it.) The combination of mushrooms, lentils and walnuts give it a dense, chewy texture without trying too hard to “be like meat”. I season it heavily with chili powder, smoked paprika and cumin but the real secret to why this vegan chili is so good is the masa harina. Masa harina is the nixtamalized corn flour used for tortillas, tamales, gorditas and many other delicious foods which are fun to make if you have a little time one weekend.

I sort of learned that trick from my dad. He would always put a torn-up corn tortilla in his Texas-style chili to thicken it. I prefer the smoother texture that masa harina provides but I know not everyone keeps that on hand. (Though it’s worth a try if you have any interest at all in making your own corn tortillas.) Unfortunately, there is no real substitute in the world of flours (cornmeal won’t do it) but like I said, a plain corn tortilla torn and simmered in your chili will work just fine.

Anyway, I’m off to heat up some leftover chili for lunch. Later, tater!