Easy One Pot Tofu Chili Made in 30 Minutes

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So, today, we’re talking about how to make spicy tofu chili at home. I asked on Instagram what you all would like to see, and one of my friends asked for meat-free weeknight meals. This one is for you! Spicy tofu chili takes about half an hour to make and has no meat in it.

Once upon a time, when we used to go out to eat, we would go to Chipotle for a healthy, cheap date night. My favorite thing was getting sofritas with grilled veggies and pinto beans. Basically, it’s like ordering vegan chili that’s high in protein and fiber. And, lately, I’ve been missing that.

Pick the Right Tofu for Your Chili

Any time I’m using tofu as a main dish protein, I use Extra Firm. In something like this, we’re relying on the tofu to hold its structure. It’s going to be mimicking ground meat, so it’s important that it has some chew to it.

In the past, I’m tried using firm, and it just kind of falls apart a little more easily than I want it to. Don’t even try if you have silken tofu. It will pretty much melt into the liquid and be soup. Not what we’re going for.

Preparing the Tofu

Most times, I’ll tell you that tofu needs to be pressed in a towel to suck out the moisture. Not today. This chili is easy and quick, and pressing takes a while. So, all you’re going to do is drain the liquid that came in the package, and start breaking it up with your hands.

Over your chili pot with the heat off, break the tofu into crumbles that resemble cooked ground meat. You want some nuggets to bit into, so don’t overdo it. Think chunky!

Then, turn on heat to medium-high, and sauté your tofu to dry it out. Stir occasionally. After about 5 minutes, it might start to take on color and start sticking to the bottom. It’s about to smell like burnt popcorn so be ready to add in your vegetables.

The Vegetable Team for Tofu Chili

We’re really keeping it easy here, so if you want to buy your veggies pre-chopped, that’s up to you. I know Kroger has frozen diced bell pepper and onion mix for $1, and that’s a life saver some nights.

Otherwise, you’ll want to dice one green bell pepper and half of a yellow onion. I like to do that before I start cooking the tofu so it’s ready to go when I need it.

As I mentioned above, when the tofu starts to get a little brown and sticks to the pan, it’s time for vegetables. Add those in and give it a little splash of olive oil, too. This will help to add slip to the ingredients to prevent additional sticking. Keep stirring.

How to Add Flavor to Tofu Chili

Once the veggies start to soften, the bell peppers will look brighter, and the onion will look a bit translucent. Now’s where we start adding flavor. The tofu is dried out a bit, so it’s ready to take flavor. And honestly, it’s starting to suck in that onion and pepper juice a bit. Yum!

So, here’s where I add a glug of soy sauce, another glug of maple syrup, half a can of Herdez Ranchero Sauce, a little bit of lemon juice (you can use lime if you have it), and a bit of Liquid Smoke. Stir it up and enjoy the smell! Seriously, it’s gorgeous.

Now, you can add in a large can of diced tomatoes and one can of pinto beans WITH the liquid. Stir this all together, season with garlic powder, turmeric, salt, and pepper. Taste it to see what you might want to add.

Let Your Tofu Chili Simmer!

We’re at about the 10 minute mark now, so it’s time to take a step back and let it simmer. It needs 15 to 20 minutes to simmer and mingle and marry. The tofu is going to soak up those salty, smoky flavors, and the beans need to heat through and get a little flavorful, too.

I leave the lid off because I actually like my chili a bit thick with less liquid in it. You can cover if you prefer soupier chili. Totally up to you.

Now Serving: Easy, Spicy Meat-Free Chili

Now, whether you scoop a couple of ladles plain into a bowl or serve it up over some elbow macaroni, that’s up to you. I love a good bowl of chili mac! But I also love topping my bowl with a little bit of cheese and crushed up crackers.

As kids, my sister and I loved eating our chili with Bugles. Obviously, there’s no wrong way to eat your tofu chili. But if you’re looking for something to go with this easy weeknight vegetarian dinner, I’d recommend some easy cheddar chili or cheddar garlic biscuits.

There you have it! A straightforward, easy to make, meat-free Monday recipe that comes together in about 30 minutes. The whole family is going to love this one, and you can feel good about what they’re eating, too!

Tools You’ll Need for Chili

Here’s what you’ll need to make your tofu chili:

• Non-stick dutch oven
• Wooden spoon

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Tofu Chili

Spice up Meatless Monday with a steaming bowl of Tofu Chili that comes together in just about 30 minutes. Perfect for an easy weeknight meal.

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Course Main Course, Soup

Cuisine American

Servings 4 people

Equipment

• Dutch Oven

Ingredients

  

• 1 block extra firm tofu drained
• 1 large green bell pepper
• ½ large yellow onion
• 1 Tbsp olive oil extra virgin
• 2 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp maple syrup
• ½ tsp Liquid Smoke
• 3.5 ounces canned Herdez Salsa Ranchero
• 28 ounce can canned diced tomatoes with liquid
• 15 ounce can canned pinto beans with liquid
• 1 tsp pink himalayan sea salt
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp turmeric
• ½ tsp ground black pepper

Instructions

 

• Dice your green pepper and onion and set aside.
• In your large pot, crumble in your extra firm tofu with your hands. Turn the heat on to medium-high, and sauté for about 5 minutes until it starts to pick up a little color.
• Add in the diced pepper and onion, and stir to incorporate. Once the pepper is brighter green and the onion starts to look translucent, add in olive oil, soy sauce, maple syrup, Liquid Smoke, and Salsa Ranchera. Stir to coat your tofu, and let that cook together for about 5 minutes.
• Add in the canned diced tomato and beans with the liquid they are packed in. Sprinkle in the salt, pepper, garlic powder, and turmeric. Stir, and simmer for 15-20 minutes, uncovered, until you are satisfied with the level of liquid in your chili, and happy with the flavor.

Keyword Chili, Tofu, Vegan, Vegetarian

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