Vegan Chorizo Hominy Chili

Autumn can’t get here fast enough for me.  I’ve enjoyed the Summer, I really did.  But I’m ready for cooler temperatures, sweaters, chili, soups, and stews.  Oh yeah, and for the bugs to GO AWAY.  But seriously, I couldn’t wait until next week.  I made a chili last night that I’ve been thinking about making for a while.  It was soooo good.  I can’t wait to have another bowl for lunch today.

One of the reasons I love to make soups and stews and such, is that you can just grab what you have on hand, throw it all in a pot and have some warm, delicious comfort in bowl.  Or you can do what I sometimes do, and plan a new take on an old favorite.

This chili came about because I was dreaming of a delicious Posole I used to eat growing up in New Mexico.  This was back before I was a vegetarian, so it had meat in it which means I can’t have the EXACT posole of my childhood anymore. So I decided to try to make something vegan that would satisfy my craving instead.  I have to say, this came pretty darn close.  I will admit I am still questioning the addition of the tomatoes.  While they taste great in this, it does take away from the ‘authentic’ posole flavor.  I added them because my idea was to blend posole and chili together, which this dish does perfectly.  It’s just a personal preference, and if you don’t want them in there, don’t add them.  If you do, add as much as you like.  Another great thing about soups and stews is that they can easily be adjusted to your own taste.

So, here is how I made my Chorizo Hominy Chili last night.  Give it a try and then make any adjustments you’d like to make it your own.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Vegan Chorizo Hominy Chili

Ingredients
1 pkg Tofurky Chorizo Style grounds
1 box vegetable broth
2 cans white hominy, drained
1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 large yellow onion, diced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 cup New Mexico red chile powder
2 Tbsp Mexican oregano
2 Tbsp chopped fresh Cilantro
2 tsp ground Corriander
2 tsp ground Cumin (or to taste)
Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions
1. Heat olive oil in large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, a pinch of salt, and stir to coat with oil. Let onion cook (without stirring) until it’s turning brown and beginning to stick to the bottom of the pot. Add garlic and stir, cooking for about two minutes.

2. Deglaze the pot with a little (about a cup) of the vegetable broth, scraping all the lovely brown bits from the bottom.

3. Add the chorizo grounds, tomatoes, red chile, oregano, corriander, and cumin. Stir to combine. Add the remainder of the broth, the cilantro, salt and pepper, and allow to cook for about 15 minutes.

4. Add hominy and turn off the heat. Allow hominy to sit in broth for about 5 – 10 minutes before serving.

Serve topped with shredded vegan cheese and warm tortillas on the side. Or you can make it a-ma-zing and make cheese quesadillas to dunk in the yummy chili broth. Just sayin’. Enjoy!