Add This Ingredient To Vegetarian Chili To Win Over Every Meat Eater

If you're looking for a big bowl of plant-based protein, look no further than vegetarian chili. This high-fiber, nutrient-dense, protein-packed dish, when made thoughtfully, is delicious enough to win over any meat eater. To make sure your veggie chili is more than memorable to the omnivores in your life, reach for chipotle peppers packed in adobo sauce. This fiery, smoky ingredient adds deep umami flavor and heat.

To refresh your memory, chipotles are smoked jalapeño peppers. To make canned chipotles in adobo sauce, the chipotles are dried, then packed in the sauce, which reconstitutes them with deeper flavor. Mexican adobo is a vibrant red sauce made from a purée of tomatoes, onions, garlic, vinegar, and typically some sugar (though exact recipes vary). In short, it's one of the best additions to homemade chili that helps to bring a satisfying complexity without using meat.

Chipotles in adobo pack a serious punch in terms of smoke and heat, too. You need only to use one pepper in its sauce, finely chopped, per four servings of chili. Of course, you should taste as you go and adjust the amount of chipotle as needed, as you may prefer a spicier dish. The chopped chipotle can be added at the same time as other aromatics in the chili-making process, or you can dump them in along with the tomatoes and liquid ingredients.

Since chipotles in adobo bring intense smokiness and fiery heat to a vegetarian chili, they are nicely balanced by adding ingredients that bring a natural sweetness. Along with the typical vegetarian chili components like crushed tomatoes and a variety of beans, roasted butternut squash or canned (unsweetened) pumpkin purée pair perfectly with the flavors of the chipotle. You might also want to experiment with cacao powder or unsweetened dark chocolate, which complements the heat and smoke nicely.

If you happen to make your chili a little too spicy (it's easy to underestimate the power of the chipotles), add a generous squeeze or two of lime juice for some acidity to balance it out. Stirring in toppings like full-fat sour cream or Greek yogurt will also help temper the heat. Before serving your chili, prepare a spread of vegetarian-friendly toppings like shredded cheddar cheese, chopped cilantro, green onions, diced avocado, and crushed tortilla chips. While you're at it, chipotles in adobo are also a great way to spice up canned soups, or can be added to a turkey chili recipe for the dedicated carnivores in your life.