Vegetarian Bacon Chili

I cook by intuition and my intuition led me to this amazing chili that is presented for you here. It's quick, super-easy, and delicious! Wear gloves when handling serrano peppers. Save the seeds; you can use them in a pepper oil. Also, you don't want to taste the oregano. The goal is for it to just sit atop the tomato flavor. Similarly with the cinnamon. The curry was a lucky accident, but it worked! Don't add too much of it though or it will turn your chili an unappetizing orange. Like any chili, this one is great with shredded cheese and sour cream.

• Preparation Time: 25 mins
• Cooking Time: 5 hr
• Total Time: 5 hr 25 mins
• Calories: 196 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon curry powder, or to taste
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano, or to taste
• ½ large white onion, chopped
• 2 (15 ounce) cans red kidney beans with liquid
• 1 (12 ounce) package vegetarian ground beef crumbles
• 4 cloves elephant garlic, crushed
• 6 ⅔ tablespoons vegetarian bacon bits
• 1 lime, peeled
• 1 serrano pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
• 5 teaspoons chili powder, or to taste
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, or to taste

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Pour kidney beans with liquid, crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, vegetarian beef crumbles, and garlic into a slow cooker.

Step 2

Grind vegetarian bacon bits into a fine powder using a mortar and pestle or food processor.

Step 3

Blend onion, lime, and serrano pepper together in a blender until a paste forms. Stir paste and ground bacon bits into kidney bean mixture.

Step 4

Cook on Low until heated through, about 1 hour. Add chili powder, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, oregano, curry powder, and salt. Cook on Low for 4 hours.