It's wet and chilly here in the Pacific Northwest, perfect for a big steaming bowl of chili. But on spaghetti?! It's a big deal in Cincinnati, Ohio, and they serve it up several different ways, so if you're ready for your first 3-way..... you GOTTA try this Vegan Cincinnati Chili.
If you know me, you know I LOVE chili.
I have my award-winning Texas Chili, my Steak n Shake Chili, I even have a Sweet Potato Chili. But truth be told, I'm not sure I ever TRIED Cincinnati Chili, until today that is, which is precisely why I had to make it.
Maybe it's because of the ingredients? I mean Chocolate? Cloves? Allspice? Who in the world adds THAT to chili? Apparently, 2 Macedonian brothers did in the early 1920's when they opened a little Greek Restaurant in Cincy. They added their traditional spices to an American dish, and the rest is history.
Cincinnati Chili has become as famous as its Texas cousin, and it's THE unofficial grub of Cincinnati with 100's of "chili parlors" dotted throughout the city, with Skyline and Gold Star being two of the most popular.
It's served up several WAYS. You can have it
- Regular - chili on spaghetti
- 3 Way - chili spaghetti, cheese
- 4 Way - chili, spaghetti, cheese, with beans OR onions
- 5 Way - chili, spaghetti, cheese, beans AND onions
I made my recipe with beans in the recipe, so my apologies to true Cincinnatians. And of course, I used bulgar instead of hamburger. And for the cheese, I simply used my own Vegan Cheese Sauce but you could use your favorite Vegan Shredded Cheese as well (but it won't be fat-free).
So what was the final verdict? It WAS different, I'll say that for sure. The flavors are totally different than any chili I have ever tried before, but it was GOOD. The addition of spaghetti, the cheese, and the onions on top....made for a very filling meal that I totally enjoyed.
Reminded me of my dad, who always used to get a 5-way at Steak n Shake. Miss you dad, I think you would've enjoyed this.
Vegan Cincinnati Chili
The beauty of this recipe is you just add everything to a pot and let it go for an hour. I did saute my onions first, just to get a little color, then I tossed in the garlic and gave it a stir for a few seconds.
I guess we should talk about the different components of this chili...
The 'Meat'
I chose to use Bulgar as it makes a very nice hamburger-like texture. BTW - brilliant suggestion FB Group - I love it. But if you are gluten-free I suppose you can use something else. If you opt for any of those pre-packaged fake meat crumbles on the market, that's up to you, but I like the bulgar as it is fat-free. Whatever you use, you'll need something to imitate about a pound of hamburger. Soy curls or tempeh are two I might try, but as I said, it's up to you.
The Chocolate
I used 1 square of unsweetened Baker's Chocolate. They are available in the baking aisle of just about every grocery store, but you can use unsweetened Cocoa Powder too if you choose...see the recipe notes for details.
The Pasta
I chose my favorite Brown Rice Spaghetti as it is definitely healthier than our traditional, refined spaghetti. Whole wheat pasta would be another good alternative. Choose whatever pasta you like, we just happen to like Brown Rice.
The Cheese
This is another one of those, choose whatever you want but I went with the healthier version. There are many brands of shredded Vegan Cheese now but I chose my own Vegan Cheese Sauce because it's fat-free. You do need to make it beforehand though, so it is a bit more work.
The Broth
As far as the liquids go, both apple cider vinegar and Worcestershire sauce are traditional. Thankfully, there are several brands of vegan Worcestershire on the market now, sans the anchovies of course. As far as the broth, you could go with all water, or all veg broth, although that will add a bit more salt. I did half and half and it came out perfect.
The Crackers
And before I get spanked for using oyster crackers (which are processed and have oil), I used them in the picture because they are a traditional garnish to true Cincinnati Chili (along with Tabasco Sauce.)
I stopped by a Wendy's and asked if I could have a tiny package of oyster crackers and they laughed at me and gave me a few.
So now that you know the options, saute those onions and then simply follow the recipe. It's pretty straightforward and easy. One pot, little mess. If you want to use my cheese sauce, make it first and have it standing by.
Here's one tip: Mix all the spices beforehand in a little cup or bowl. Makes for a more uniform flavor.
Then we assemble: Spaghetti goes down on the plate first, topped by this wonderful chili, then a good covering of cheese, then some chopped onions go on top for garnish. And don't forget the hot sauce - it adds just the right finish to this wonderful dish.
Enjoy
Vegan Cincinnati Chili
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Soups, Stews, Chili
- Cuisine: American
Description
Chili is a BIG deal in Cincinnati, Ohio, and they serve it up several different ways, so if you're ready for your first 3-way..... you GOTTA try this Vegan Cincinnati Chili.
Ingredients
- 2 cups chopped yellow onion (plus extra for garnish)
- 2 tsp garlic
- 2 cups low sodium vegetable broth
- 2 cups water
- 6 oz can tomato paste
- 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons vegan worcestershire sauce
- ½ oz unsweetened baker's chocolate (1 square)
- 3 Tablespoons chili powder
- 1 Tablespoon brown sugar (or maple syrup)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup bulgar
- 15 oz can kidney beans
- 1 package of your favorite spaghetti (I use brown rice spaghetti)
- Your favorite vegan shredded cheese ([or use my cheese sauce here])
Instructions
- If using my cheese sauce - make it first
- Otherwise, add diced onion to a 6qt dutch oven
- Saute onion in a few tbs of water or veg broth until softened & slightly browned
- Stir in garlic
- Add water and veg broth
- Stir in tomato paste, vinegar, and worcestershire sauce, mix well
- Add chocolate and stir
- In a small bowl, whisk all remaining spices together, then stir them into the chili
- Add bay leaf
- Add bulgar, mix well, and increase heat to a low boil
- Reduce heat to low and let it simmer 30-45 minutes, stirring often
- During the last 15 minutes, add the rinsed beans
- Serve on top of spaghetti (see notes)
Notes
- 2 Way - chili on spaghetti
- 3 Way - chili, spaghetti, cheese
- 4 Way - chili, spaghetti, cheese, beans, OR diced onion
- 5 Way - chili, spaghetti, cheese, beans, AND diced onion
- Traditional garnishes are hot sauce and oyster crackers
meow
I didn't like this 🙁 the bulgur wheat sucks up EVERYTHING and it's just a huge pot of slightly bland bulgur wheat. i think i'd substitute some kind of vegan soy crumbles/ground beef substitute type stuff, or maybe just add some pinto beans along with the kidney beans. it's just WAY too much bulgur wheat 🙁
Doris Wolfinbarger
The best Vegan Cincinnati Chili I have tried!
JD
Hi Chuck! Where is the recipe notes for unsweetened cocoa powder?
Mark
We're just across the river in NKY and there a 3 chili parlors within 2 - 3 miles of our house. We just tried this and it was quite tasty although we left out the chocolate. I don't know how it got started, but it's a myth that there's chocolate in Cincinnati style chili. Now if I can just figure out a WFPB recipe for goetta.
John
Btw one of the vendors at Findley market (Cincinnati) does sell a vegan version of geotta. I believe it is made with Tofu
Kevin
Chuck, my kids preferences:
Red beans, instead of generic kidney beans
8oz of tempeh, pulsed in a food processor to get a ground beef texture, instead of bulgur.
I’ve been making fake Skyline for 20+ years for them. As for spices, I usually cheat and get them from Skyline’s factory in Cinci, sold in groceries around here (and on Amazon) as “Cincinnati Recipe chili mix.” Your recipe is certainly healthier!
restaurantthatdeliversnearme.website
Thanks for the vegan cincinnati chili recipe.
http://www.fooddoz.com
Wendy
We're going to try Rizopia brown rice pasta with this. Chuck, after cooking, do you rinse in a bowl of cold water and then pour boiling water from a kettle on it like the instructions say?!
Sandy
Oh I loved this chili! I didn’t have any pasta but I had just baked a spaghetti squash so I had it over the spaghetti squash with some of your cheese sauce. I will be eating this again and again, thank you so much for such a delicious recipe.
Trisha
This is an amazing recipe Chuck! My husband and I loved it! It’s definitely going into our regular meal rotation. Thank you for sharing it!
Kathy
I will definitely try this. I'm fromthT area and preferred the little know Dixie Chili. Also one must not forget a smear of yellow mustard on the chili dog bun.
Annie Peterson
Thanks for this recipe, Chuck, it's delish! I used a can of organic tri-color beans (kidney, pinto and black) and I had just made a batch of your cauliflower taco meat so I used cup or so of that instead of bulgar. The texture was perfect. I don't have any Yukons right now so I found a cashew based cheese sauce which worked well. I'll be making this again, for sure!
Ellen R
Thanks, Chuck! I tried this last night and enjoyed over angel hair. I think it may be worth trying a long simmer to deepen the flavors further. The bulgar really produced the texture of ground beef. Next time I may try the slow cooker, and add a bit more liquid as it burned slightly - even on EXTRA LOW - on the stovetop.
Stephanie
If I were to sub Soy Curls, how much do you think I would need? I haven't made Cincinnati Chili in a very long time, and I'm looking forward to it.
Luci
I omitted the bulgar and substituted green lentils and finely chopped mushrooms. The spices give a unique delicious flavor in a very easy to prepare recipe.
Leanne
Chuck this looks absolutely delicious but I’m celiac and can’t use bulgar. Can you please suggest a gluten free alternative? I can hardly wait to try this
Catt
Numerous things Leanne can be used - cracked buckwheat (per Shawn above comment) soy curls, lentils, fake meat. Give what you can use a try!
Maisey Humphrey
I've found that oat groats are a good substitute for ground beef in chili. I got the idea from "Krocks in the Kitchen."
Wendy C
Sounds delicious! Any ideas how to make this in an Instant Pot? I'm new to the IP thing!
Karen
Hi Wendy C, I made this tonight and used the IP. I put all the chili ingredients in the pot except for the beans. I used a split farro grain that I had on hand. I put 1 cup of farro and 1 3/4 cups water. Looking at the pot, though, it didn't seem like enough water so I went back and added one more 1/4 cup for a total of 2 cups. (The directions for cooking my grain on stovetop were to use 2 1/2 cups water to 1 cup split emmer farro.) I set the IP for 22 minutes and let it have a natural pressure release. RESULT: The grains were cooked, but with the tomato paste and cocoa powder, the bottom scorched a bit. If I were to make this again, I would omit the tomato paste at this stage and just get the grains cooked with the onion and spices. Once these were cooked, I added the beans. I had some cooked purple hulled peas (similar to blackeyed peas) so I used those instead. Next time I will add the tomato paste with the beans at that stage. The dish was delicious! The chili is very flavorful. My husband liked it a lot. I served it over whole wheat spaghetti with Chuck's cheese sauce and some chopped green onions. It goes well with a green vegetable, such as broccoli or bok choy. It's very filling. I omitted the salt in the cheese sauce since we are trying to keep blood pressure down. It was still very flavorful because the chili has lots of tasty spices in it. Good luck!
nina
I really want to try this recipe. I love the combination. Reminds me of chili-mac, which I love !
But Chuck, it's hard to read the printed out recipe from my computer. Can you bump up the size of the type font on the recipes for senior eyes please ?
Linda
You can actually go into your Chrome browser settings and find the Zoom option and click the + sign to enlarge everything on the page. I do this and it works great! I hope it works for you.
Shawn Betchley
One of my favorite memories of visiting my grandmother in Louisville was eating her Cincinnati Chili - can’t wait to have some again! Also, I have found that cracked buckwheat makes a good gluten-free substitute for bulgar wheat in soups and casserole dishes.
Catt
thank you for the insight Shawn!
cathy
Thank you for sharing that. Gluten-free is our life so anyway tp make it work is so appreciated!
Jayne Papadakis Loo
I'm new to cooking with bulgar. I noticed there are different coarse-ness types... Does it make a difference in this recipe? Thank you.