White Bean Chili, Vegetarian with Soy Crumbles

My favorite chili used to be one served with ground beef crumbled throughout. I loved the texture and taste with the beans. Since I try not to eat beef often anymore, our family needed a recipe that did not have meat. That is how this yummy recipe came about.

It’s totally vegetarian, yet filled with the same taste of ground meat. Soy crumbles make it possible, and make it delicious. The white beans make a change from the traditional spicy red chili.

The next best thing about this meal is that you get to use your slow cooker. It simmers the day away while you work or do whatever. You will need to saute the onions and garlic first, but then simply mix all the ingredients except the soy crumbs into the pot. When it’s close to dinner time, add the soy meat to the crock pot, and let it heat through for 30 minutes to an hour.

The recipe here will show you just how it is done.

For this batch, I used a super easy spice packet especially for White Bean Chili, but I’ve include the spices used instead if you want to do your own.

Chili is another recipe you can adapt as you like. Add more soy meat if you prefer. Add more peppers and hot sauce if you like more of a bite.

A basic salad goes perfectly with the chili. Of course homemade cornbread is always a delight, or perhaps a roll you made in the bread machine! All complement the chili nicely.

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NEED A SLOW COOKER?

I highly recommend this one. Why? Because of the browning feature. To me slow cookers are work pretty much the same. You may like the programmable feature on many. You may feel it is unnecessary. But one thing most of them do NOT offer is the ability to brown in the same pan. I know, it isn’t that big a deal to have one more pan to wash, but if I can avoid it, I will. After all, that is a benefit of crock pot cooking: throw in the ingredients and it does the rest.

With this model, the ceramic coated interior pot can be used stovetop. You can brown the roast as many suggest. You can do the same with garlic and onion. When it’s finished, simply put it in the metal slow cooker and set it to high or low. Or program it start while you are at work. No mess to clean up. Easy is good.

Crock-Pot SCCPVI600-S Countdown Slow Cooker with Stove-Top Browning, Stainless Finish, 6-Quart

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Merry Citarella, often writing as Merrci, writes on a wide range of topics. Recently relocated to the Oregon Coast in the northwest United States, she frequently writes travel features on the beautiful Pacific Northwest. She specializes in health and aging, Alzheimer’s Disease, food, lifestyle, and book reviews. For more information you can see her on The Writers’Door. You can read more articles here or at her websites Alzheimers HQ and Simple Living Ideas