As I began the process of clearing out my mother’s home after she died earlier this year, I discovered a treasure trove of old cookbooks dating back to the 1940s. One from the early ’80s caught my eye. “Food Editors’ Hometown Favorites Cookbook” is a compilation of recipes from newspaper food editors across the country, each highlighting their city’s regional and local specialties.
I was delighted to discover two recipes from former Cincinnati Post food editor Joyce Rosencrans, and while this vegetarian won’t be making the goetta recipe anytime soon, I decided to try my hand at making a vegetarian/vegan version of our beloved Cincinnati-style chili.
The first few times I made it, I swapped lentils in place of the ground beef that Rosencrans’ recipe called for, and it was delicious. While the lentils provided a different mouth feel, the spice base is pure Cincinnati-style chili parlor. Later, when I picked up some Impossible Burger (plant-based meat substitute) on sale at the grocery, I decided to give it a whirl. Wow. What a game-changer! I might have actually wept a little after that first bite because it was so reminiscent of the chili parlor versions I ate as a carnivorous teenager. My non-veg husband declared it his “favorite dish ever” and admitted that he wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between a meat-based chili parlor version and the Impossible version.
Want to give it a try yourself? Here’s the vegan-adapted version of Rosencrans’ Cincinnati Chili recipe. I’ve included instructions for my lentil version at the end of the recipe.
Vegan Cincinnati-style Chili
- 2 pounds ground Impossible Burger
- 2 medium onions, finely diced
- 1 quart water
- 1 (14-16 oz.) can diced tomatoes
- 1 1/2 tsp. cider vinegar
- 1 tsp. vegan Worcestershire sauce (I use Annie’s)
- 1 Tbsp. chili powder
- 2 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 1/2 tsp. ground allspice
- 1 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. cayenne
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 2 bay leaves
Instructions:
- Combine Impossible Burger, onions and water in a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Simmer until burger turns brown.
- Add tomatoes with juice, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce and spice ingredients. Stir to combine.
- Cover and simmer for three hours.
- To serve “basic three-way chili,” ladle chili over cooked spaghetti and top with vegan cheese.
Makes 6 servings.
Lentil version: Step 1: heat water to boiling and add 4 tsp. McKay’s chicken-style seasoning (or other vegan bouillon of choice). Stir until dissolved. Add onions and 2 cups dried brown or green lentils instead of Impossible Burger. Return to boil, then reduce heat and let simmer 15-20 minutes. Step 2: No changes. Step 3: Simmer 90 minutes, stirring occasionally.
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