Before someone jumps in and gives me a language lesson: I know! “Carne” means meat, and therefore naming calling a recipe for chili con carne meatless is ridiculous. But if I had a problem with ridiculousness I’d never get anything done. Here’s the thing: this chili isn’t really meatless. Oh it’s totally vegan, but it has cauliflower walnut meat. So in one sense it’s kind of meatless, but also not. I got the idea for this from my cauliflower walnut meat sauce. (Another meatless meat recipe.) I loved that one, and it got so many great reviews that I decided I needed to do something else with the whole cauliflower walnut meat concept. And this chili was born. First you’ll chop up the cauliflower and walnuts in the food processor until they’re crumbly. Add some spices and bake. This is your vegan meat.
Cook the chili while the cauliflower walnut mixture bakes. Once the mixture is done add it to the chili and simmer a few minutes more, just to soften up the crumbles a bit and get the flavors to mingle.
I served mine with some scallions and a drizzle of tahini “cheese” (<– tahini + hot sauce + soy sauce + water).
Tips for Making Amazing Meatless Chili Con Carne
Be sure to season the chili to your liking. I went heavy on the spices, but light on the heat. For extra heat, add some extra cayenne pepper or hot sauce. Make this recipe gluten-free by using gluten-free tamari in place of soy sauce. This chili can be frozen for up to three months in a sealed container.
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