Rainy day vegan sage chili

I must admit that I thought of every possible pun using the word "chili" for this post's title. Then I decided most people like "chili" puns about as much as they like scrubbing out the bits of crusty spiced tomatoes and beans from the bottom of the chili pot after it's been left on the stove a couple of days. (Hopefully you, unlike my roommates and I, do not leave your chili pots out longer than necessary. It must be nice to have a dishwasher.)

Sunday evening, the members of my household and I hosted a dinner-and-game-night for the cast of A Chorus Line. One of my roommates (we'll call him "J") plays Don in the show. J made a meaty chili, and I made a vegetarian version. My thinking: lots of theatre people are vegetarian, right? My other roommate, C, is allergic to diary and chooses not to eat meat, a vegetarian by choice and a vegan by necessity. No, she isn't lactose intolerant. She is allergic to dairy, which mean she breaks out in red rashes when she consumes milk or cheese or yogurt. I call myself a pescatarian, or "fish-atarian," as my coworkers at the Retail Store like to call it. I eat fish and seafood but not pork, beef, or poultry. With some very politically incorrect exceptions, but I'll get to that in a later post. So I figured we would need a vegetarian option. I mean, this is Seattle. Vegetarians must run rampant here, right?

I was the only one who ate the vegetarian chili because of dietary choices (C couldn't be there). J ate it because he likes veggie food, and a couple of other people tried it, from the looks of the pot after dinner. It's not that it was bad. It was quite good, actually. Fake meat and sage make a delightful combination, and I will be putting sage in all batches of chili from now on. Next time, I'll try adding whole sage leaves and pulling them out before serving, like a bay leaf. The sage was a bit overwhelmed by the chili powder. Less chili powder and more sage next time.

To me, sage tastes just like autumn. Like warm and cool colors, seasonal food is inviting and welcoming. Cool colors in the summer go with the cool food; not temperature-cool necessarily, but summer-cool...basil and cilantro, gazpacho, caprese salads, cajun fish, and boiled shrimp. In the fall, warm autumn colors match the warm food: rosemary, thyme, and sage, stews, cornbread, smoked cheeses and meats, roasted vegetables, and of course, chili. Chili is the epitome of rainy day food: warm, filling, a little spicy, and a hint of warm autumn herbs. Who hasn't felt better after eating a warm bowl of chili and cornbread after traversing a wet, rainy sidewalk? I know I have.

No pictures for this one. I was too busy hosting to take any.

Easy Vegan Sage Chili

1 large onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (12 oz) package frozen soy crumbles
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 can each kidney beans, black beans, pinto beans
1 can diced tomatoes
2 (4 oz) cans diced green chiles
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
2 teaspoons salt

In a stockpot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and garlic. Saute until onions are translucent.

Add soy crumbles, chili powder, and cumin. Cook until heated through, stirring occasionally. Add beans, tomatoes, and chiles. Stir occasionally until hot. Add sage, thyme, and salt. Season to taste.

For best possible flavor, refrigerate overnight and reheat over medium heat.

This is my post for this week's Weekend Herb Blogging! This week's host is Vanessa from What Geeks Eat. Check out her recipe for the yummy-looking Black-Bottom Cupcakes while you're there!