Black Bean-Chipotle Chili with Seitan
Vegan black bean chili with smoky chipotle and chewy seitan stand-in for meat. A 45-minute one-pot chili that delivers serious depth and heat without animal protein.
YIELD
12 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
25 minREADY
60 minThis vegan black bean chipotle chili makes the case that meatless chili can be just as satisfying as the carnivorous version. Diced seitan (wheat-meat) brings the chewy, almost beefy texture that vegan chilis usually lack, while a single chipotle chile in adobo (or rehydrated dried chipotle) delivers smoky heat that lingers without overwhelming.
The smart move is using just one chipotle. These dried, smoked jalapenos are concentrated heat bombs, and one is enough to perfume the entire pot. Add more if you like serious burn, but start small. The smoky note is the entire point.
A standard mirepoix (onion, celery, bell pepper) plus garlic builds the savory base. Then crushed tomatoes, two cans worth of black beans, the seitan, the chipotle, and a tablespoon of chili powder simmer together for just 25 minutes, faster than most bean chilis because the canned beans and seitan are already cooked.
The 10-minute rest off the heat is critical. The flavors marry, the seitan absorbs the broth, and the chili thickens to its proper texture.
Chef Tips
- Toast whole dried chipotle briefly in a dry skillet before rehydrating, the recipe note describes this. Toasting wakes up the smoky oils and produces a deeper, more complex flavor than canned.
- Brown the seitan separately in a hot pan for 2 minutes before adding to the chili. Caramelized seitan tastes meatier than seitan thrown straight in.
- Bloom the chili powder and cumin in the oil for 30 seconds with the saute. Toasting the spices in fat releases more flavor than dumping into the wet ingredients.
- Don’t skip the 10-minute rest. Chili improves dramatically with even a brief sit, and overnight in the fridge is even better.
Variations
- Use crumbled tempeh or extra-firm tofu instead of seitan for a gluten-free version.
- Add a tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder for extra depth, the classic mole-style trick.
- Stir in a cup of corn kernels (frozen or fresh) in the last 5 minutes for sweetness and color contrast against the dark beans.
Ingredients
Directions
Heat oil in large saucepan.
Add onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic; sauté 5 to 7 minutes.
Stir in crushed tomatoes, beans, water, seitan, chipotle chiles and seasonings.
Cook uncovered over low heat, stirring occasionally, about 25 minutes.
Add water if necessary during cooking.
Remove chili from heat; let stand 10 minutes before serving.
Serve with warm bread and a dollop of low-fat yogurt if desired.
Makes 6 servings.
Note: Chipotle chilies, or smoked jalapenos, are available dried or canned in adobo sauce, a pickling brine of tomato, vinegar and spices.
To use dried chipotles, stem, seed and toast in a dry cast-iron skillet or on a baking sheet in a 250 degree oven 2 to 3 Transfer chilies to bowl; cover with hot water. Let stand until rehydrated, about 20 minutes. Mince or purée with soaking liquid. Canned chipotles in adobo sauce can be seeded, and minced or puréed as desired. Seitan: A chewy, meat-like, high protein food made from boiled or baked wheat gluten.
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