Vegetarian Chili & Home Cooked Pinto Beans

Danella’s Vegetarian Chili 

Sauté:

           1-2      Tbsp. olive oil

         1       onion, chopped   

              1       20 oz. can WORTHINGTON Vegetarian Burger *

             2       Tbsp. taco seasoning 

    Sometimes I add chili powder and/or black pepper. It just depends on how hot I want it. I generally prefer my food very mild, so be sure to adjust the heat to your liking. 

Add and heat through (all are 15½ oz. cans) :

      

         1       can tomatoes, chopped

         1-2   cans tomato sauce

         1       can garbanzo beans

         1       can kidney beans

         1       can black beans

         1       can pinto beans

I mix in the tomato sauce and tomatoes to the meat before I add the beans. This helps it to mix together better. 

I sometimes switch up the types of beans. They can be any assortment that you wish. Sometimes I use mainly pinto and black beans and at other times I add garbanzos or kidney beans. It is more a matter of what I have on hand at the time. If I have a pot of home cooked pinto beans I often use so of those. I will add that recipe on for you.

Serve topped with your choice of: 

  Cheddar cheese              Green onions                 Red onions 

  Corn, canned                  Chopped tomatoes        Sour cream  

* A note about WORTHINGTON Vegetarian Burger - This product is my first choice for my vegetarian chili, but there are a lot of other options too. Basically many types of veggie meat proteins can be chopped up fine and used. It really is up to you, This type of veggie meat can be expensive so making your own is a good option, if you have the time. I love using fresh homemade gluten chopped up real small. Here is a link to my recipe for  Old Fashioned Gluten. Making gluten takes a long time so I would plan this well in advance (at least a day). I prefer to freeze some of my homemade gluten in small freezer Ziplocs, and grab them out as needed to make other recipes. Try any type of vegetarian meat you want. Chili is pretty forgiving.   

Danella’s Home Cooked Pinto Beans

Put into large pressure cooker and cook with rocker rocking for ~15 minutes*:

         3       cups dry pinto beans - rinsed

         3       quarts water

Turn off the heat. Leave pressure cooker lid sealed and let temperature drop naturally until safety latch opens ~1 hour. Open and stir. Repeat if necessary until beans are soft. 

Once beans are soft add and stir in:

         2       tsp. salt

         3       tsp. garlic granules

         3       tsp. onion granules

       1-3     tsp. taco seasoning 

Cook with rocker rocking for an additional 5-10 minutes.

Cool under cold water before opening cooker.

       *Warning!!! Take all precautions necessary when cooking with a pressure cooker and follow manufacturers instructions.

I sometimes add a can of V-8 juice to the beans. I like the flavor that it adds, but I only do it if I have a can of it handy.