On 6/4/2021 12:17 PM, 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. 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.
>> 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

That sounds good! I made the chili without meat for a vegetarian friend
visiting, but it got me to wondering if I can just save money on the
meat in the future. Personally, I think meat 2-3 meals per day is too
much, and I'd like to cut back some. I'm not opposed to a meat broth,
so as long as it isn't out of a bottle from the store.