Plant-Based chili
Hominy chili topped with plant based cheese, sour cream, and cilantro
Ingredients
Chili
15 oz hominy, drained
2 tbsp vegetable oil
4 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 star anise (or 1/2 tsp ground star anise or cinnamon)
1 tbsp salt
1 yellow onion diced
14.5 oz diced tomatoes (without calcium chloride)
14.5oz stewed tomatoes (no salt added) roughly chopped
15 oz red beans drained
Additional salt and pepper to taste
Toppings
1/2 bunch cilantro leaves chopped
Plant based sour cream
Plant based cheese
Instructions
In a large pot heat the vegetable oil over medium high heat. Add in the onions and cook for about 4-5 minutes until they are becoming translucent. Add in the garlic and cook for about two minutes more.
Add in these ingredients one component at a time. Mix it to combine and allow it to cook about 2-4 minutes per component
Add in the spices
Add in the stewed tomatoes
Add in the hominy, beans, and diced tomatoes
Allow it to come up to a boil, stir, cover, and allow it to simmer for 15-20 minutes - stirring occasionally
Check for any extra salt and pepper and plate. Add on the cheese, sour cream, and cilantro on to taste.
About This dish
Hominy isn’t something typically found in variations of chili. The reason I used it, is because we had a giant can of hominy and a lot of leftover. I had frozen the extra into portioned bags for later use. When the weather is colder or you just want a nice hearty stew-type dish; chili is where it’s at! I had made this with ground beef before, but it seemed a bit too much given how hearty hominy is. I challenged myself to think of a concept with the hominy, while keeping it plant based.
Most chilis only get better and better with longer cooking times. In this case, we are able to pack in a lot of flavor during a short cooking time with the spices. Star anise gives the chili a really complex flavor that you don’t typically encounter in chili. That gives some compliment to the spice included in the dish. If it was just for me, I would throw in a whole diced serrano chili with the onions to give it even more of a kick. As for the tomatoes, the two different types lend different texture to the dish. Stewed tomatoes have other vegetables in the can for some extra flavor, but they break down really well when cooked. These thicken up the chili. The diced tomatoes also help thicken up the dish and give it some brightness. I do recommend diced tomatoes (or any canned/ jarred vegetables) without calcium chloride. Fun fact, that is often added during processing to keep vegetables in the shape they were canned/jarred in. In this case we want the tomatoes to break down in cooking.
Last is the toppings, as with any recipe these are totally optional and customizable. I went with the classic toppings and even used some hot sauce. The plant based cheese and sour cream are not quite like traditional dairy, but once it’s combined with everything it has those flavors and textures pretty close!
