By Lucia Rivera, VRG Intern

Chilies can be roasted, ground, stuffed, or used as toppings, but they always add to a dish in one way or another. This remains true for chilies used in vegan recipes, whether it be in a red salsa, salad, or any other dish.

     There is also a wide variety of chili types, and while some are often served stuffed, others are more commonly used cooked and ground. Here is one example of how to use jalapeño peppers in a vegan dish:

Chilies Stuffed with Beans

(4 servings)

Recipe provided by Odette Olivares Sanchez, VRG Intern

Ingredients:

4 jalapeño peppers, with veins removed (without seeds)

1/2 onion, sliced

2 cups water

3 Tablespoons of vinegar

2 cups of refried beans

1 cup of cooked and seasoned brown rice

1 Laurel leaf (bay leaf)

Vegan shredded cheese to taste

Salt to taste

Recipe instructions:

Fry chilies and onions for 5 minutes. Later, add water and vinegar. Add Bay leaf and salt to taste. Boil everything until it softens.

     Mix beans and rice and set aside.

     Once chilies are ready, drain and fill them with the mixture of beans and rice.  Serve with onions used to cook the chilies and sprinkle with vegan cheese.

Meanwhile, this recipe from Dora’s Table makes use of chile chilhuacle negro, chile chilhuacle rojo, chile Mulato, and chile Pasilla in order to pull off a great vegan Oxacan mole negro!

Here are some more great vegan recipes that include chilies!

In salsa: https://dorastable.com/acuna-in-the-summer/

Stuffed: https://dorastable.com/vegan-chiles-rellenos/

In soups and stews: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2020issue1/2020_issue1_soup_stews.php

In salad: https://milkfreemom.com/vegan-spicy-salad/#wprm-recipe-container-5883

When using chilies it is important, however, to pay attention to the recipe to make sure that the planned flavor comes through! Many recipes require cutting out the seeds of dried or fresh chilies prior to grinding or chopping.

More chile pepper recipes can be found here.

https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2012issue1/2012_issue1_soups_southamerica.php

https://www.vrg.org/recipes/vjnewmex.htm

https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2014issue3/2014_issue3_vegan_mexican.php

https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2010issue2/2010_issue2_vegan_cowboy_cuisine.php