Smoky Vegan Cowboy Beans

When you're in quarantine, you sometimes have to get creative with those pantry ingredients. That's how a half bag of Soy Curls and 15 Bean Soup Mix turned into this wonderful Smoky Vegan Cowboy Beans.

This is Day 11 of our quarantine, thanks to the global pandemic that is happening right now.

And while supplies are starting to run low, I was still able to find a few things in the pantry to provide a healthy and tasty dinner for my family to enjoy.

The last time I went to the store, I was able to grab several bags of Hurst's 15 Bean Soup mix. I have worked with Hurst's before so I knew their products were good (and vegan).

And a half bag of Soy Curls was just the thing to get this soup mix a bit of a 'meaty' texture. For a little more flavor, I whipped up some of my Smoky Maple Tofu Bacon Marinade to rehydrate the soy curls.

To tie it all together, I found a package of Hatch Green Chile in my freezer.

The flavor was rich and smoky, with just a bit of heat from the chiles. My daughter actually had 2 bowls.

I realize everyone may not have the exact ingredients, but I just wanted to encourage you to explore your pantry and see what exciting things you can come up with.

Smoky Vegan Cowboy Beans

This is an Instant Pot Recipe.

Let's start with the Soy Curls as we want to rehydrate them first. Dump half an 8oz bag of Soy Curls into a bowl and cover with my Smoky Maple Tofu Bacon Marinade. It probably won't cover all the soy curls, so it's ok to add ¼ cup of water or so to cover them. Mix it all together and set aside.

Add a diced Onion to your Instant Pot, along with a diced Red Bell Pepper and a splash of veg broth or water to keep it from sticking.

If you using canned, chopped Green Chile, go ahead and add that too.

If using fresh Green Chiles: go ahead and clean your chiles now and chop them. Remove any blackened skin, the stem, and as many seeds as you can. I used about ¾ cup of fresh, Hatch Green Chiles.

Note: If you're not washing your hands because of this Covid-19 Virus, you WILL want to wash your hands after handling fresh Green Chiles, especially Hatch. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Add your chiles to the pot and turn it on SAUTE mode to soften the veggies. As the onions begin to turn translucent - add 2-3 teaspoon of minced garlic.

Finally, add your soy curls and stir. Saute everything for another minute or so and then turn your Instant Pot OFF.

As I mentioned, I used a 20 oz bag of Hurst's 15 Bean Soup Mix. Dump the beans into a colander and rinse thoroughly, then add them to your pot. Add 4 cups of low-sodium veg broth, 4 cups of water, 2 Tbs Chili Powder, and the seasoning packet that came with your beans. Stir.

Add your lid, set it to SEALING, and cook on MANUAL for 45 minutes.

After it beeps, let it naturally vent for 10 minutes before CAREFULLY releasing any remaining pressure.

Remove the lid and stir in a 14oz can of Fire-Roasted Tomatoes and a good handful or three of your favorite greens. I used up the last of my Kale but you could also use Spinach, Collards, whatever you have handy.

Stir to mix and so the greens begin to wilt.

Serve with your favorite hot sauce, jalapenos, cilantro, etc. Maybe a big hunk of fresh Cornbread too.

That's it for this week. As my grocery supply gets lower I'm sure I'll have to get even more creative - so stay tuned.

Stay safe my friends - stay home if you can and WASH THOSE HANDS!

Peace

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