bean,
bean chili,
chickpea,
garbanzo,
Indian,
The Cheeze Factory,
vegan chili,
vegan comfort food
Chickpea Chili with Cashew Sour Cream
November 09, 2017
Recipes adopted from The Cheeze Factory Restaurant Vegan Cookbook and Oh She Glows. [Recipe makes roughly 11 cups chili and 2 cups sour cream].
As you might have guessed, we love to do most of our cooking at home. But once in a while, we all have to treat ourselves to someone else's cooking, right? Although we've traveled to quite a list of vegan restaurants across the country, one of our very favorites is (and will always be) The Cheeze Factory. We love the freshness in each of the dishes, and have yet to be disappointed.
Of all of the dishes on the menu, their chickpea chili (which is conveniently in their cookbook) is at the top of our list for us. Unlike traditional chili, which is tomato-based and uses chili powder and cumin, they use a blend of Indian spices and coconut milk for their flavor profile. Amazing! We decided to top it with some cashew sour cream, too, since we're currently addicted to the stuff.
Two things to keep in mind before making this dish is to (1) have your cashews soaked for several hours, as well as to (2) have your chickpeas cooked and ready to go if you're starting with dried beans. This usually requires you to soak the beans overnight before boiling/simmering them in water. Yes, it takes a bit of planning, but it couldn't be easier, and it'll save you some money compared to buying pre-cooked beans.
INGREDIENTS:
Cashew sour cream:
225 grams (~2 cups minus 2 tablespoons) raw cashews, soaked in warm water for several hours, then drained
3/4 cup water
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
(up to) 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Chickpea chili:
1/4 cup coconut oil
2 cups finely diced onions
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1/4 cup minced ginger
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon tumeric
2 (14 ounce) cans coconut milk
2 cups low-sodium tomato juice
8 cups cooked garbanzo beans
1/4 cup organic cane sugar
(up to) 2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 1/2 cups chopped fresh cilantro
DIRECTIONS:
Since it'll need some time to set up in the fridge, begin with the cashew sour cream. Add the raw cashews, water, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, and salt to a high-speed blender. Gradually increase the speed from low to high. Purée on high for one minute, or until smooth. Transfer to a container, and let cool and thicken in the fridge until the chili is ready.
For the chili, heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven. Add the onions and cook on medium heat for a few minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic, ginger, garam masala, and tumeric, and stir and cook for another minute. Deglaze the pan with the addition of coconut milk and tomato juice. Lastly, stir in the garbanzo beans, sugar, salt, and vinegar. Bring to a boil, and then simmer for an hour. Transfer three cups of soup to a high-speed blender along with the chopped cilantro. Blend until smooth, and then return the puréed soup to the rest of the chili. If the chili is too thick for your liking, thin it out with some water. Check the seasonings, and serve with a dollop of cashew sour cream.
Of all of the dishes on the menu, their chickpea chili (which is conveniently in their cookbook) is at the top of our list for us. Unlike traditional chili, which is tomato-based and uses chili powder and cumin, they use a blend of Indian spices and coconut milk for their flavor profile. Amazing! We decided to top it with some cashew sour cream, too, since we're currently addicted to the stuff.
Two things to keep in mind before making this dish is to (1) have your cashews soaked for several hours, as well as to (2) have your chickpeas cooked and ready to go if you're starting with dried beans. This usually requires you to soak the beans overnight before boiling/simmering them in water. Yes, it takes a bit of planning, but it couldn't be easier, and it'll save you some money compared to buying pre-cooked beans.
INGREDIENTS:
Cashew sour cream:
225 grams (~2 cups minus 2 tablespoons) raw cashews, soaked in warm water for several hours, then drained
3/4 cup water
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
(up to) 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Chickpea chili:
1/4 cup coconut oil
2 cups finely diced onions
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1/4 cup minced ginger
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon tumeric
2 (14 ounce) cans coconut milk
2 cups low-sodium tomato juice
8 cups cooked garbanzo beans
1/4 cup organic cane sugar
(up to) 2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 1/2 cups chopped fresh cilantro
DIRECTIONS:
Since it'll need some time to set up in the fridge, begin with the cashew sour cream. Add the raw cashews, water, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, and salt to a high-speed blender. Gradually increase the speed from low to high. Purée on high for one minute, or until smooth. Transfer to a container, and let cool and thicken in the fridge until the chili is ready.
For the chili, heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven. Add the onions and cook on medium heat for a few minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic, ginger, garam masala, and tumeric, and stir and cook for another minute. Deglaze the pan with the addition of coconut milk and tomato juice. Lastly, stir in the garbanzo beans, sugar, salt, and vinegar. Bring to a boil, and then simmer for an hour. Transfer three cups of soup to a high-speed blender along with the chopped cilantro. Blend until smooth, and then return the puréed soup to the rest of the chili. If the chili is too thick for your liking, thin it out with some water. Check the seasonings, and serve with a dollop of cashew sour cream.
