Ninja Foodi Easy Vegan Chili with Cornbread Crumble
Even though I really, really do not enjoy watching sports, I do get really, really excited about football season every year. For me, it’s all about the snacks! Any excuse to get a bunch of people together and eat guacamole and cute vegetable trays shaped like stadiums is OK in my book.
I’m always up for an excuse to veganize a traditional dish, and football season comes with some really fun food. Since I’m married to someone who does enjoy watching sports, I’ve learned to embrace the season’s cuisine, from anything with barbecue sauce, to cauliflower “wings”, 7-layer dip and of course, chili!
Today I’m really excited to share an all-in-one chili dinner recipe that is guaranteed to knock your football-watching (or non-football-watching) socks off: Ninja Foodi Easy Vegan Chili with Cornbread Crumble.
Let me tell you- I am BEYOND excited about this recipe! Of course, it’s super appropriate for football season, but it’s also just an overall great hearty fall dinner because it couldn’t be easier to make. It’s made in the Ninja Foodi (just like this delish cauliflower recipe), which is a pressure cooker that’s also able to make things crispy thanks to its TenderCrisp™ Technology. Basically the Foodi is magic, and I’m truly enamored with this device. Hopefully you purchased one after my first rave review and you can whip this chili up for dinner tonight!
Ok, back to the recipe. With black beans, kidney beans and a bunch of veggies, it’s hearty, warming and the kind of meal that will make omnivores say “I can’t believe it’s vegan!” It’s also extra easy to make because basically all you have to do is throw everything in the Foodi, press a few buttons and VOILA- dinner is ready in one pot! Both Ross and Baby V went back for seconds (Baby V also woke up the next day asking for more cornbread, so you know it’s a toddler win!), and the recipe made enough to feed our very hungry family a full meal of leftovers the next night.
Let’s chat about the true magic of this dish- how easy it is to make. First you use the Foodi’s pressure cooking setting to whip up a batch of chili in just 15 minutes (hello!). Then you spoon the cornbread batter over the chili, and use the crisping lid to bake a crispy cornbread crumble layer on top. Serve it hot out of the pot with a little vegan sour cream and fresh cilantro, and you’ve got a super easy, healthful dinner packed with a range of textures and flavors on the table in under an hour.
A quick note about the cornbread crumble. I used my Vegan Cornbread Mini Muffin recipe (which you’ll see below) for the crumble batter. I found that I only needed about half of the batter for the cornbread crumble, so I used the remaining half to bake 12 mini muffins (which you’ll also see the directions for below!).
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 4 large carrots, chopped (about 2 cups)
- 5 stalks celery, chopped (about 2 cups)
- 3 medium russet potatoes, chopped (about 3 cups)
- 1½ cups cooked (1 15-ounce can rinsed and drained) kidney beans
- 1½ cup cooked (1 15-ounce can rinsed and drained) black beans
- 1 cup corn kernels
- 1 tablespoon tamari
- 1-3 tbs chili powder, added to taste
- salt and black pepper to taste
- *optional- cayenne powder, added to taste for spicy chili
- 1 batch Vegan Cornbread Mini Muffin batter (see recipe below)
- vegan sour cream
- fresh cilantro
- On the Foodi, select SEAR/SAUTE and set to MD:HI. Preheat for 5 minutes.
- Add the olive oil, onion and garlic to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes, until lightly browned.
- Add the rest of the ingredients (except the cornbread batter) to the pot.
- Assemble the pressure lid, making sure the release valve is in the SEAL position. Select PRESSURE and set to HIGH. Set the time to 15 minutes and select START/STOP to begin.
- When the pressure cooking is finished, quick release the valve by moving the pressure release valve to the VENT position. Carefully remove the lid when the unit has finished releasing pressure.
- Give the chili a quick stir. Use a spoon to dollop about half of the Vegan Cornbread Mini Muffin batter over the top of the chili (see note in Vegan Cornbread recipe about what to do with leftover batter).
- Close the crisping lid. Select BAKE/ROAST, set the temperature to 375°F, and set the time to12 minutes. Select START/STOP to begin.
- When the cornbread is finished cooking (it should be golden brown and slightly crispy on top), use a ladle to transfer to bowls and top with vegan sour cream and fresh cilantro.
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
- 3 tablespoons warm water
- 2 cups cornmeal
- 1 cup spelt flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup nondairy milk
- ¼ cup coconut oil, melted
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup corn kernels
- Preheat the oven to 375°. Grease a mini muffin tray.
- Prepare the flax "egg' by stirring ground flaxseed together with warm water in a small bowl. Let sit 10 minutes before using.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt.
- In a small bowl, stir together the nondairy milk, coconut oil, maple syrup, and apple cider vinegar.
- Add the contents of the small bowl to the large and mix thoroughly. Fold in the corn kernels.
- Spoon the batter into the mini muffin wells, until they are just full. Bake for 15 minutes, until the tops are crisp and you're able to stick a wooden toothpick in and it comes out clean.
This post was sponsored by Ninja. All opinions expressed are my own.
Where can you find vegan sour cream? I’ve been looking everywhere for some!
I usually find Tofutti or Follow Your Heart brands at Whole Foods!
This is such a creative mix of cornbread and chili! two comforting favourites ! Thanks for sharing
kindly,
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