Vegan Cincinnati Chili|Recipes Spots

  • on January 9, 2023
Vegan Cincinnati Chili Served over a Platter of Pasta and Topped with Cheese and Onions


Vegan Cincinnati Chili Served over a Platter of Pasta and Topped with Cheese and Onions
Simply Recipes / Alison Bickel

Our Cincinnati chili recipe has a life of its own, with people all over North America sharing comments about how they make theirs–whether they are Queen City natives or have never set foot in a chili parlor before.

Cincinnati chili is one of my favorite comfort foods, and it’s easily veganized in this version with lentils and mushrooms standing in for the meat. It’s a reasonably healthful budget recipe with tons of leftovers. Serve it over spaghetti for a dinner that’ll stick to your ribs and leave you smiling. Now we’re talkin’!

Vegan Cincinnati Chili Served over a Platter of Pasta and Topped with Cheese and Onions
Simply Recipes / Alison Bickel

What Makes Cincinnati Chili Special?

In a word, meat and spices. Traditional Cincinnati chili is made with lots of ground beef and has no beans in the chili, though they are occasionally served on top. As for the spices, they go beyond chili powder and cumin, including allspice, cinnamon, and cloves. The combination of spices reflects the Greek and Macedonian background of the owners running the working-class diners where this highly regional recipe originated in the 1920s.  

This version stacks up admirably against its meaty predecessors. Cincinnati-based food historian Dan Woellert wrote a whole book called The Authentic History of Cincinnati Chili that’ll give you the inside scoop if you really want to know more.

Making It Vegan

To replace the beef, a mix of minced mushrooms and hearty lentils provides substance and flavor. You’ll also want to make sure your obligatory splash of Worcestershire sauce is vegan—many brands contain anchovies. 

For many, shredded cheese is an important topping (see more below). You can go cheeseless and this vegan chili will still be delicious, but if you go with plant-based cheddar, get the finest shreds you can for maximum authenticity. The thin strands of cheese melt yieldingly into the chili, mitigating the heavy-handedness of the spices. As far as vegan shreds go, I find Kroger’s Simple Truth Plant-Based Cheddar Style Shreds to be the closest thing. 

Now all we need is to develop a vegan goetta recipe and we’ll have all our bases covered.

Vegan Cincinnati Chili Served over a Platter of Pasta and Topped with Cheese and Onions
Simply Recipes / Alison Bickel

The “Ways” of Cincinnati Chili

If you walk into a chili parlor (as those in Cincinnati refer to independent restaurants that serve this chili), you’ll see combinations referred to as “ways.” Set toppings out when you serve your chili and, as Fleetwood Mac might say, you can go your own way. 

  • 2-Way: Chili + spaghetti
  • 3-Way: Chili + spaghetti + finely shredded cheddar cheese
  • 4-Way: Chili + spaghetti + diced onions + finely shredded cheddar cheese
  • 5-Way: Chili + spaghetti + red kidney beans + diced onions + finely shredded cheddar cheese

Other Ideas for Serving Cincinnati Chili

Cincinnatians have major opinions about their chili, but they also often approve of getting creative. Besides, chili police only exist in internet comments.

  • A Coney dog is chili over a hot dog with onions and cheese. Use your favorite plant-based hot dog and vegan cheddar shreds.
  • Wrap it in a burrito, which is not unheard of, as Cincinnati’s famous Skyline Chili has “chilitos” on its menu at all times.
  • Top a baked potato.
  • Make Cincinnati chili cheese fries.
  • Fill a chili-cheese omelet. Since eggs are not vegan, you can use a scramble-able egg replacer like Just Eggs.
Vegan Cincinnati Chili Served over a Platter of Pasta and Topped with Cheese and Onions
Simply Recipes / Alison Bickel

Vegan Beans and Lentils Galore

  • Easy Vegetarian Chili
  • Spicy Vegetarian Chili  
  • Vegan Sloppy Joes
  • Smoky Vegan Lentil Stew
  • Refried Black Beans

Mince the mushrooms:

In two batches, pulse the mushrooms in a food processor until they are finely minced. Be mindful not to go too far, or they’ll turn to mush. Alternatively, you may grind the mushrooms in a food grinder or mince them by hand with a knife and cutting board. Set the mushrooms aside.

Cook the tomato paste:

Heat a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the tomato paste to the dry pot and cook, constantly scraping the bottom with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula, until the tomato smells rich and toasty, and you start to see browned, but not burned patches in the bottom of the pot. This should take 1 to 3 minutes.

Spatula Used to Stir Tomato Paste in a Dutch Oven for Vegan Cincinnati Chili Recipe
Simply Recipes / Alison Bickel

Add the spices, lentils, and mushrooms:

Add the water, which will help keep the tomato paste from scorching. Stir well, scraping the bottom to free any stuck-on paste.

Add the tomato sauce, onion, garlic, chili powder, cumin, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, cayenne pepper, salt, Worcestershire sauce, lentils, and minced mushrooms. Mix them together into a sludge.

Minced Mushrooms for Vegan Cincinnati Chili Boiling in a Dutch Oven over the Stove
Simply Recipes / Alison Bickel
Vegan Cincinnati Chili Ingredients (Lentils, Tomato Sauce, etc.) Stirred into Dutch Oven
Simply Recipes / Alison Bickel

Cook for at least 1 hour:

Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring frequently.

Reduce the heat and continue to gently simmer, uncovered, until the lentils are tender but not falling apart. How long this will take will depend on the type and age of the lentils you are using.

Stir the chili often. You want the volume to reduce, but add water if needed so the lentils can cook through. When the chili reaches its ideal consistency, there will be bubbles slowly gurgling up like lava, and a spoon will leave a trail when you drag it through the chili.

Add the vinegar and chocolate:

Add the vinegar and chocolate, if using. Let sit for 10 minutes, then taste and adjust seasonings if needed.

Pulse with an immersion blender: 

To break up the lentils and get a more convincing Cincinnati chili texture, stick an immersion blender in the pot and pulse it a few times.

Immersion Blender Used to Pulse Vegan Cincinnati Chili in a Dutch Oven
Simply Recipes / Alison Bickel

Serve:

Serve as desired: over spaghetti, over a Coney dog, or in a bowl. Top with the combo of toppings that speaks to you. 

Vegan Cincinnati chili will keep refrigerated for up to 1 week or frozen for up to 1 year.

Did you love the recipe? Leave us stars below!

Vegan Cincinnati Chili Served over a Platter of Pasta and Topped with Cheese and Onions
Simply Recipes / Alison Bickel
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