Chili Non Carne

Chili is great for meal prep and I love making a big batch and freezing some portions for easy future work lunches on busy days. This chili is similar to the one in my first book, but with more veggies and a larger portion size. This version has a bit more protein and net carbs than the one in my book, but a similar amount of fat and calories. And, of course, like the one in my book, it's full of flavor.

Chili is easy to adapt to a vegan keto diet by using soybeans and TVP. I prefer to use pea-based TVP because it has more protein and little to no net carbs. I also like that the size of the crumbles tends to be larger. If you can't get pea-based TVP, you can use a soy-based one and it will still be keto-friendly. For folks who wish to make this soy-free, I have given the macros for using kidney and black beans, instead of soybeans, below the recipe. This will be higher in carbs, but can still fit in a keto diet for those with a higher carb limit. Happy meal prepping!
Yield: 9 servings of about 1½  cups (365g) each, totaling 13½ cups (4,930g)
Macros: 305 calories | 25g protein | 16g fat | 10g net carbs
Prep: 30 minutes | Cook: 1 hour and 15 minutes
Requires: a heat-safe blender (optional)
Storage: refrigerated for up to 5 days. Can be frozen.
Ingredients:​
  • ⅓ cup (53ml) light olive oil or neutral-flavored oil of choice​
  • 1 medium onion, diced (110g)
  • 3 cloves garlic, crushed (6g | equals 1½ teaspoons)
  • 1 pound (454g) chopped mushrooms
  • 2 cups (202g) diced celery (about 5 medium stalks)
  • 2 medium carrots, diced (122g | about 1 cup)
  • 6 medium jalapeno peppers or 1 medium green bell pepper, deseeded and diced (120g | about 1 cup)​
  • 4 cups (960ml) vegetable or "beef" broth or equivalent in bouillon cubes and water ✎
  • 1 can (425g) tomato sauce or passata
  • 1 can (411g) diced tomatoes (or canned whole tomatoes, chopped)
  • 3 Tbsp (49g) tomato paste
  • 2 tsp liquid smoke (optional)
  • ¼ cup (20g) nutritional yeast flakes
  • 2-4 Tbsp (24-48g) allulose or equivalent in sweetener of choice (optional or to taste)
  • 2 Tbsp chili powder ✎​
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
  • 1 bay leaf (optional)
  • 3 cups (516g) cooked soybeans
  • 4 ounces (113g) TVP crumbles, unhydrated, preferably pea-based ✎
Directions:
  1. Heat the oil in a large pot on medium-low heat.
  2. When the oil is hot, add the onion and garlic and saute for 4-5 minutes, or until onions are soft but not browned. Stir frequently and adjust heat if necessary to prevent browning. If you're using oil-based bouillon cubes, you can add them alongside the onions/garlic to melt.
  3. Add the mushrooms, celery, carrot, and pepper(s). Increase heat to medium and cook for 5-7 minutes. Stir frequently.
  4. Add the broth, canned tomatoes, tomato paste, liquid smoke, nutritional yeast, allulose, and all seasonings (including the bay leaf). The amount of sweetener and salt you wish to use may vary depending on the acidity of your tomatoes and amount of sodium in your broth, so you could add some now and add more at the end, once the flavors have fully developed.
  5. Cover with a well-fitted lid, bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes.
  6. Remove the bay leaf.
  7. Transfer 3-4 cups (720-960g) of the mixture from the pot to a heat-safe blender and blend to smooth. Return to the pot. This step is optional, but makes for a richer and more flavorful chili with a creamier broth.
  8. Add the beans and TVP, mix, cover, bring back to a simmer on medium heat, reduce heat to low, and simmer for another 30 minutes.
  9. Divide into 9 servings of roughly 1½ cups (365g) each, top as desired, and enjoy hot.
Soy-Free (Carb-Booster): replace the soybeans with a 15-ounce (425g) can of drained and rinsed kidney beans (about 1½ cups [266g]) and a 15-ounce (425g) can of drained and rinsed black beans (about 1½ cups [258g]) 
Macros: 280 calories | 20g protein | 11g fat | 18g net carbs
✎ Notes:
  • Vegetable broth and bouillon cubes can be quite high in net carbs, so check your labels. If you can't find an option low in carbs, you could instead use water and add 2-3 tablespoons (30-45ml) of tamari, soy sauce, or aminos.
  • Chili powder refers to the spice blend, not just ground dried chilis. If you're sensitive to spice, you could replace some of the chili powder with smoked paprika. The spiciness of chili powders can vary by brand.
  • I prefer pea-based TVP because the crumbles tend to be bigger and the macros better. You can use soy-based TVP if that's what's available to you. The chili will have a bit less protein and a bit more carbs.
  • Macros for this recipes are calculated with American national nutritional data (i.e. NCCDB & USDA entries in Cronometer) for all ingredients apart from the broth (Edward & Sons bouillon cubes), diced tomatoes (Hunts), liquid smoke (Stubbs), nutritional yeast flakes (a mixture of Bob's Redmill & Foods Alive unfortified), and the TVP (Noble Plate).
  • Macro numbers are rounded. Numbers equal to or greater than 10g are rounded to the nearest whole number (e.g. 10g, 11g, 12g, etc.) and numbers below 10g are rounded to the nearest 0.5g (0.5g, 1g, 1.5g ... 9g, 9.5g). Any numbers below 0.5g are given as is (e.g. 0.1g, 0.2g, etc.). Calories are rounded to the nearest multiple of 5.