Recipe: World's Greatest Vegan Chili

Ok, so this is a superb superlative recipe name and I didn't even make it up!!  But, I agree with it!  I got this recipe from a friend whose son has many food allergies so she is no stranger to modifying and changing things up in the kitchen.  This chili is filling and rich enough to warm you up on cold days (with a little gluten-free cornbread, if you like), but is also light enough to be eaten during the summer months without that really heavy beefy feeling that regular Texas chili gives you.  And, it is a FANTASTIC way to get in a serving of beans without even thinking about it!

As a side note to Clara's post on the flatulence associated with beans, there are several things you can do besides eating more of them to reduce the digestive worry beans can cause (for those of you who missed the note at the bottom of my incredible hummus recipe):

• If you are using dried beans:
• Soak your beans well--overnight is best--with a few inches of kombu (Japanese edible kelp) which will help break down whatever it is that is hard for our bodies to break down.  Changing the soaking water several times during the process can help too.
• Rinse your beans well (throw out the soaking water) and cook in fresh water, adding another piece of kombu, if desired.
• As beans are cooking, skim off the foam that forms on the surface of the cooking water.
• Let beans cook slowly for a longer period of time and be sure to cook your beans until completely done--underdone beans can cause mild stomach discomfort.  Every bean has a different cooking time, so you need to know your bean!
• Don't add salt or salty things (miso, soy sauce) until near the end of the cooking process.  This can inhibit full cooking and leave beans tough.
• Cook your beans with cumin, ginger, or fennel--these help reduce the sugar in the beans which our bodies cannot digest.

• If you are using canned beans:
• Buy Eden Organics brand beans.  They use kombu in the preparation of all their beans (you'll see it on the label) AND they've committed to using a BPA-free lining on all of their cans so you are not ingesting any of that harmful substance when you eat their canned food.  
• Again, be sure to rinse canned beans well (several times if possible)--until all of those bubbles around the beans dissipate (you know what I'm talking about, right??).

(Some of the above information was confirmed by or gotten from the good people at kitchentablemedicine.com

Now, for the World's Greatest Vegan Chili...
Ingredients:
2 T olive oil
1 1/2 c chopped onions
1 c chopped bell pepper
2 T minced garlic
2-3 serrano or jalapeno peppers, stemmed, seeded, and minced
1-2 medium zucchini, stem ends trimmed and diced
2 c fresh corn kernels (about 3 ears)
1 1/2 pounds portobello mushrooms (about 5 large), stemmed, wiped clean and cubed
2 T chili powder (could be a mix of paprika and ancho)
1 T ground cumin
1 1/4 t salt
1/4 t cayenne (or more, to taste)
4 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
3-4 c cooked beans or canned beans, rinsed and drained (I used mix of black and kidney beans)
1 15-oz can tomato sauce
1 c veggie stock
1/4 c chopped cilantro leaves

Directions:
[I suggest that you start by prepping all the vegetables so that they are ready to go when you need them, because there is not much time cooking time between adding each of the veggies.  You can separate them out into groups of when you'll need to add them.  Put the onions, bell pepper, hot pepper, and garlic in the food processer and chop.  Set aside.  Cut ends off zucchini and dice.  Cut kernels from ears of corn and add to zucchini.  Clean and chop mushrooms and set aside with zucchini and corn.  Peel, seed, and chop tomatoes and set aside in a third area.  If using cans of beans, open these and drain and rinse.  I used canned corn instead of fresh, so I added the corn at this point (not with the zucchini).  Open can of tomato sauce.  Now that everything is ready to go, you can begin cooking your chili!]

In a large, heavy pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat.  Add the onions, bell peppers, garlic, and hot peppers, and cook, stirring, until soft (about 3 minutes).  Add the zucchini, corn, and mushrooms, and cook, stirring, until soft and the vegetables give off their liquid and start to brown around edges (about 6 minutes).  Add the chili powder, cumin, salt, and cayenne, and cook, stirring, until fragrant (about 30 seconds).  Add the tomatoes and stir well.  Add the beans, tomato sauce, and vegetable stock, stir well, and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in cilantro.  Adjust seasoning to taste.

If you can't live without it, a sprinkle of goat's milk cheddar cheese (I couldn't) is delicious on top of the chili!