Impossible Cincinnati Chili

Cincinnati Chili is a regional dish based on a spaghetti pasta, smothered in chili. You can order it different ways (2 to 5) depending on the toppings and ingredients. This is a 5 way, which means including beans, cheese, and chopped onions. Feel free to add crackers and hot sauce.

Ingredients:

  • Block of Impossible Beef, thawed (note, you can use tofu instead)
  • 1 15 oz can od kidney beans (optional)
  • Oil as needed
  • Onion, diced. 1/2 onion for cooking and 1/2 onion for garnishing.
  • 2 cups water
  • 6 oz can tomato paste or 1 cup tomato sauce
  • 1 TBLS apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tsp vegan worstershire sauce (optional)
  • 2 tsp cocoa powder (or use equiv amount of vegan dark chocolate)
  • 1 and 1/2 TBLS chili powder
  • 1 TBLS brown sugar (or sub maple or agave syrup)
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp allspice
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 2 bay leafs
  • 16 oz spaghetti pasta
  • vegan chedddar cheese
  • Salt and pepper to taste

If using tofu, press for 20-30 minutes and then crumble. Add crumbled tofu to a cast iron skillet (or a larger pot) with some oil and cook over medium heat. Add salt and pepper. Break up crumbles as you cook until the tofu is slightly browned.

In a larger pot, add some oil and cook the diced 1/2 onion over low-medium heat until translucent.

Add Impossible Beef and break up using a spatula. As the Impossible Beef cooks, it will stick together, so use the spatula to break it up into smaller bits. Cook until beef is browned.

Add in apple cider vinegar, water, and tomato sauce or paste. Stir to mix well.

Add in all seasonings. Worstershire sauce, cocoa powder, chili powder, brown sugar, cumin, cinnamon, allspice, cayenne, garlic powder, and bay leafs. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for an hour or more. Check and stir occasionally. It will thicken.

Add rinsed beans (optional) and cook for 15 more minutes.

Taste and add salt if needed.

Cook pasta noodles.

Serve chili over pasta.

Add chopped onion and shredded cheddar cheese on top and serve with crackers and hot sauce.