jmcquown wrote:

> On 6/3/2021 1:03 AM, Michael Trew wrote:
> > I made my typically chili con carne from my pre-war Better
> > Homes/Gardens cook book, but I decided to nix half of the cost of
> > the dish and make it without ground beef this time; vegetarian if
> > you will.Â* Substituted butter/olive oil for the fat and started
> > off frying garlic/onions, then adding crushed tomatoes, green
> > pepper and seasoning; finally lots of kidney/pinto/black beans.
> >
> > Honestly, I didn't feel that it was missing much of anything
> > without the ground beef... it maybe halved the cost, which was a
> > nice bonus.Â* Other than adding a lot of beans, does anyone have
> > useful tips on "vegetarian chili"?
>
> Not chili and not "vegetarian", although you could make it so. I
> make a nice spicy bean soup using black beans, red kidney, garbanzos,
> great northern, navy, pinto and cut green beans. If you want it to
> be vegetarian use vegetable stock/broth rather than beef. Can't
> guarantee how good it will taste if you use just water or vegetable
> "stock".
>
> I do sautee the onion and garlic in butter/oil. This quick fix soup
> uses canned versions of all the beans. One can of each type of bean,
> e water and stock to cover. Add all the herbs and spicse. Simmer on
> low heat for about 2 hours.nd the
>
> You could add canned crushed tomatoes at some point if you like.
>
> This bean soup is nicely spiced, seasoned with ground chili
> seasoning, 1 tps. gruond thyme. A little ground ancho pepper and a
> Tbs. of liquid Tabasco or some other hot sauce.
>
> I thicken the soup with 1/4 cup of pearled barley added in the last
> 20 minutes of cooking. The soup is quite nicely spiced and filling.
> I nearly always bake a skillet of cornbread to go with it. If I'm
> feeling adventurous, cornmeal griddle cakes cooked on the stove top
> to go with.
>
> Jill

The butter is close enough for most vegetarians. Only the seriously
strict ones omit all dairy.