Chili with chocolate in it is one of those things that sounds so wrong, it just has to be right. The first time I heard about Cincinnati chili, I thought it sounded gross. Chili with cocoa powder? And spaghetti?! But then I realized that mole sauce has some of the same flavors as Cincinnati chili and I love that, so maybe these crafty Ohioans were onto something after all.
We used to live near a restaurant that sold vegan Cincinnati chili and it was always something that we meant to try, but never got around to doing. And then the restaurant closed. I was disappointed, but then I kind of forgot about it until I saw a recipe for Cincinnati chili on There’s Always Thyme To Cook. Suddenly, I remembered that restaurant and how I still haven’t ever tried Cincinnati chili. I finally resolved to make my own vegan Cincinnati chili recipe.
The easy way take the meat out of this recipe would be to use those soy crumbles they sell in the freezer case at most grocery stores. When I first stopped eating meat, I heavily relied on all those frozen soy meat substitutes. But they’re highly processed using some questionable chemicals like hexane and they’re made with genetically-modified soy. And, to be honest, I don’t eat meat because I don’t like meat, so I don’t really feel the need to eat products that look, taste, and feel like meat, you know? (The only meat substitute I regularly use is Field Roast–I love yoooou, Field Roast! And if you ever need a recipe developer, call me!)
Anyway! Obviously soy crumbles are out of the question, so I decided to use lentils instead. I was a little bit nervous that they’d fall apart while cooking as lentils sometimes do, but they stayed intact. And wow, I wish I had started making this vegan Cincinnati chili recipe years ago–the spices and addition of cocoa powder make the sauce reminiscent of mole. It’s like mole with slightly less assertive flavors, I guess. And lentils, well, lentils are good in everything, right? They’re also way (way) cheaper than those frozen soy meat substitutes, making this recipe budget-friendly too.
A vegan Cincinnati chili recipe made with lentils. Adapted from There's Always Thyme To Cook's Cincinnati Four-Way Chili.
Ingredients
- 2 tsp. olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 1 tbsp. chili powder
- 1/4 tsp. allspice
- 1 tsp. cumin
- 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
- 3 tsp. unsweetened cocoa
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 tsp. paprika
- 1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
- 3 c. low-sodium vegetable broth
- 8 oz. can tomato sauce
- 8 oz. brown lentils, rinsed
- 8 oz. whole wheat spaghetti, cooked
- chopped onion, (vegan) cheese, and/or crackers for garnish
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook 3 minutes, or until softened, stirring often. Add chili powder through paprika; stir to coat and cook 1 minute.
- Add vinegar, broth, tomato sauce, and lentils. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer partially covered for 30 minutes (or until lentils are tender), stirring frequently. Serve over whole wheat spaghetti and garnish with onion, cheese, and crackers.
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Girl I wouldn’t DREAM of not using cocoa since I discovered that about a year ago. Anyone thinking it sounds gross…DO IT! It does give it such a depth of flavor that is perfect! Yum!
I KNOW! And you’re right, it gives the chili a depth of flavor, but not necessarily chocolateyness. Ooh, there I go making up words again.
Oh my goodness I would have never thought about doing that but will sure give it a try next time I make chili. Thanks so much for the tip!
I hope you like it! Lentils do work well in chili, believe it or not, and it’s nice because there’s no soaking involved, unlike with beans.
omg. again where you write this awesome foodie post and i’m all like ‘omg girl i want WANT that dish!!”
lol
Ha! Well, this one is from World Market. Do you have those up there? It was pretty cheap and they came in all different colors, so I spent about 20 minutes deciding which color I wanted.
I always make chili without meat and I feel it’s substantial enough that I don’t miss the protein. This sounds like a really yummy variation!
I agree–all those beans are definitely enough protein! Or, in this case, lentils.
Thanks for the shout out!I love mole, too, so Cincinnati chili was such a nice surprise. It looks delicious, I think I’ll try it with the lentils next time, no meat.
Well, thank you for reminding me that I still hadn’t gotten around to trying Cincinnati chili!
I had totally forgotten about it until I saw your post!
Hmm.. I’m an Ohio native and have not heard of Cincinatti Chili! I’m game!! I’ll give it a shot
REALLY!? Wow! You’re really going to have to make it then!
I’m so with you on the fake meat – it looks bad and tastes even worse! I seriously want to eat everything you make
It does! And I feel like it’s things like that that give vegetarian food a bad name–people think vegetarian = fake hot dogs, fake burgers, fake bacon. Sad!
I have never heard of a chili with spaghetti! I like that you use lentils. I love meat, but I don’t trust those faux meat products… I was once given some awful soy nuggets. I’d rather have this!
Yeah, I eat tofu, tempeh, and things like that, but the soy “meat” is so heavily processed–the lists of ingredients on them are so insane! And yes, many of them are pretty awful tasting.
I would rather eat real food!
I hear cocoa is fabulous in chili – I need to try it sometime! Great looking recipe!
It is! It doesn’t taste chocolatey, but it deepens the flavor of it.
I like the way you explained your feelings about fake meat products, I agree! And I’ve been wanting to make sometime with a mole sauce, I’m very intrigued by the idea of using chocolate in a savory sauce!
It’s really good! Since it’s not paired with much sweetness, it has a very different flavor than when it’s in a dessert–it gives the sauce a nice complexity.
OMG. This sounds delish! I must try it soon. We have perfect Chili weather today, but I don’t have all of the ingredients.
Thank you! Yeah, we had a day that was 80 last week and now it’s supposed to snow tonight & tomorrow morning–definitely good chili weather! I’m ready for it to be ice cream weather though.
I am going to try this on Friday. It looks yummy and I am sharing with my friend who has a corn allergy. Thanks so much! Looks yummy
Great! I hope you and your friend like it!
I was born and raised in Cincinnati and you people don’t know what you are missing! Cincinnati Chili is the best. Even though I do eat meat (Cincinnati used to be known as Porkopolis) this version sounds like a great version during Lent!
It really is the best! When it comes to chili, I can take it or leave it–I like it, but I’m not a huge fan. But I really love the flavors of Cincinnati chili!
Seriously your blog is amazing!!! So many simple and delicious recipes with ingredients I commonly have at home. As an Ohioan and a vegetarian this was a natural choice for dinner tonight! Banana fruit leather still in process, I don’t know where to stop!!
Thank you so much!
I hope it all turned out well. Since you’re from Ohio, I guess you will judge me harshly if my Cincinnati Chili isn’t perfect!
I was born and raised in Cincinnati, so I grew up eating this style of chili. I’ve since moved away from Ohio and have become vegetarian, but still crave that taste of home now and then. This recipe is fantastic. Very similar taste and texture to Skyline chili. The lentils taste even better than the traditional beef version, and by using low-sodium ingredients and wheat noodles, it’s much healthier than the real thing too! I added 1 large carrot when I made this, to add a little extra veggie — though I have to say adding it was a deviation from “true” Cincinnati chili (but it tasted great).
This recipe is for a “four-way”; make it a Cincinnati “five-way” by garnishing with kidney beans along with the cheese and onions.
Other ways Cincinnatians eat their chili: on top of a (veggie in this case) hot dog with mustard and onions and topped with cheese, wrapped up with cheese in a flour tortilla, on top of a baked potato, on top of french fries with cheese, or just straight out of a bowl with a dollop of sour cream. Quite versatile!
I can’t wait to make this recipe again and share with friends!
Thank you for your comment–I’m so glad you enjoyed it! And I love the idea of putting it on a baked potato or in a tortilla. I’m totally going to have to try that next time I make this.
Cincinnati chili ain’t Cincinnati chili unless it’s served with oyster crackers and hot sauce! So good!
I found this through your vegetarian remakes posts, and I have to try this. I actually grew up in Cincinnati, but I’ve only had the chili twice. As a child, I didn’t like the dish in general, and as an adult, I am put off by the grease and the sodium. (Of course, I haven’t really lived in Ohio for ten years, so that helps.) I think I would actually like this, and I’d love to introduce my vegetarian friends to the flavor of my hometown. And ditto on Caitlin’s comment about the oyster crackers and hot sauce–I’ve never seen a Cincinnati eat the chili without them!
The grease in chili always squicked me out too. That’s the nice thing about making it vegetarian–no oil slick floating around on the top of the pot.
I hope you like it if you make it!