Vegan chili with beans, lentils and edamame floods the protein zone

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Recently, I started a diet and exercise program that came with a big challenge: Increase my protein intake to about 135 grams a day. As anyone who has played with the balance of macros knows, the strategy to control the ratio of protein, carbohydrates and fat, along with a weightlifting regimen, aims to result in the loss of pounds without the loss of muscle.

I’ve long preached that the obsession with protein was overblown, and that for vegetarian and even vegan eaters, the world of vegetables, legumes, grains, seeds and nuts offers plenty of protein-rich options.

But 135 grams, especially while sticking to a calorie limit? I’ll admit that I initially had trouble hitting the mark, especially since I’m close to the vegan end of the spectrum, meaning I don’t want to rely on dairy and eggs to take me over the finish line. So I challenged myself to develop a vegan recipe that stacked various protein-heavy ingredients to get me close to the goal of 30 percent of calories from protein, 40 percent from carbs and 30 percent from fat. It wouldn’t be my only solution – this is just one recipe, far from a day or week’s worth – but it’s a start, and I hope that by showing you how I came up with it, you might pick up some helpful strategies of your own.

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At first, I went for an all-purpose topping, something akin to a savory granola that I could fold into tacos and sprinkle on salads, pasta, baked potatoes and the like. In addition to using higher-protein quinoa in place of the typical oats, I played around with other vegan protein all-stars – beans, tofu and tempeh – and supplemented with nuts and seeds. I crumbled and chopped, roasted and panfried, trying to see what would get me the most crunch. With smoked paprika, ground chipotle and other spices, I went for one of my favorite flavor profiles: vaguely Southwestern.

All along, I kept analyzing the nutritional breakdown, swapping ingredients and playing with proportions to nudge the numbers in the right direction. I used beans in triplicate: Red kidneys, lentils and edamame each added something to the pot. Hemp seeds and sunflower seeds did, too. I was excited to realize that one of my pantry standbys, nutritional yeast, boasts 5 grams of protein per tablespoon.

I got pretty close, but not close enough, until I realized that the quinoa was a little too carb-heavy for the mixture, so it had to go. And the macros fell into line.

Then the weather had other ideas. We had a cold spell, and when I looked at my crumble, I couldn’t help but want to turn it into something more warming, something stewy, something like … chili. Adding a large can of diced tomatoes and some water did the trick, while keeping each of the macros within 2 grams of the goal.

I’ve given you the instructions for making the topping, too, but for me the chili wins out, partly because it’s so satisfying, but also because it’s an all-in-one dish, with no salad or taco or baked potato needed as a base. I do suggest that it’s perfect to eat with saltines, but I’ve been skipping them myself because – you guessed it – they mess with the macros, and I worked too hard on these numbers for that.

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Kidney Bean, Lentil and Tempeh Chili

This vegan chili is packed with protein-rich ingredients, including red kidney beans, lentils, tempeh and seeds. Serve with saltine crackers. If you’d like, you can adapt this into an all-purpose vegan crumble to use on grain bowls and salads, in tacos and more places; see Variations.

Servings: 8 (makes about 12 cups)

Active time: 30 minutes. Total time: 45 minutes.

Storage: Refrigerate for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.

Substitutions: Tempeh >> extra-firm tofu. Sunflower seeds >> pumpkin seeds. Canned beans and/or lentils >> home-cooked beans and/or lentils. Red kidney beans >> pinto beans or black beans. Edamame >> green peas or frozen lima beans. Red onion >> white or yellow onion.

Variations: To make an all-purpose high-protein crumble instead of chili, omit the tomatoes and water. Roughly chop the red kidney beans and edamame. Follow the recipe as written, up through the point of adding the spices, then stir in the beans and edamame. Spread onto a large sheet pan and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, or until lightly browned and dry on top. Stir, spread out again and continue baking for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until the mixture is crisp around the edges. Use on salads, pasta, baked potatoes, in tacos and wraps, and more.

Notes: To make sure this is gluten-free, use a gluten-free tempeh.

INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium red onion (8 ounces), chopped

4 garlic cloves, chopped

12 ounces tempeh, crumbled (see Notes)

1/4 cup tomato paste, preferably double-concentrated

2 teaspoons fine salt, plus more to taste

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons ground chipotle

2 teaspoons garlic powder

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

1/2 cup hulled hemp seeds

1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds

One (28-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes

2 cups water

Two (15.5-ounce) cans no-salt-added red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

One (15-ounce) can no-salt-added black lentils or brown lentils, drained and rinsed

1 cup frozen shelled edamame

Vegan cheese shreds (optional), for serving

Thinly sliced scallions (optional), for serving

DIRECTIONS

In a large Dutch oven or heavy, deep skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and lightly browned, 4 to 6 minutes.

Add the tempeh and cook, stirring frequently, until browned, about 6 minutes. Add the tomato paste, salt, cumin, chipotle, garlic powder, smoked paprika, black pepper and nutritional yeast, stir to combine, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the hemp seeds and sunflower seeds, and stir to coat in the spices. Add the tomatoes, water, beans, lentils and edamame, stir to combine and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the flavors meld and the chili is thick, 15 to 20 minutes. Taste, and season with more salt, if needed.

Divide among individual bowls, top with vegan cheese and scallions, if using, and serve hot.

Nutritional information per serving (1 1/2 cups): 435 calories, 19 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 43 g carbohydrates, 496 mg sodium, 0 mg cholesterol, 29 g protein, 14 g fiber, 7 g sugar.

This analysis is an estimate based on available ingredients and this preparation. It should not substitute for a dietitian’s or nutritionist’s advice.

From Food and Dining editor Joe Yonan.

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