I am really, really giddy about this recipe. For two years now I have dreamt of a tomato free chili and finally, FINALLY… I have a recipe that will become a staple in our house! I am confident all chili lovers (whether you can have tomatoes or not) will enjoy this recipe. You don’t even notice the tomatoes are missing!
TOMATO FREE CHILI WITH FIRE ROASTED POBLANOS & TOPPED WITH DAIYA VEGAN CHEESE
Tomato Free Chili with Fire Roasted Poblanos Recipe:
2 poblano peppers, roasted, peeled, and chopped (directions below)
**2 tablespoons bacon grease (make sure it’s from GF bacon!)
1 lbs. organic ground pork
1 lbs. organic ground beef
1 large yellow onion, chopped
5 garlic cloves, minced
4 teaspoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon Mexican oregano (if you don’t have Mexican oregano, you can use regular oregano)
1 can organic black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can organic pinto beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups GF beef broth
salt & pepper to taste
To fire roast the poblanos:
Roast the poblano peppers directly on your grill or on top of your gas stove top burner (directly over the flame) until they are black and charred all the way around. Place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap to steam (this will sweat the skin and make peeling the peppers easier). Set aside for at least 10 minutes.
Hold the top of the pepper and use a large kitchen knife to scrape off the blackened skin. Cut the peppers open and remove the stem and seeds. Then spread the peppers out on cutting board and chop.
To make the chili:
In a large Dutch oven, warm the bacon grease over medium-high heat. Brown the pork and beef with the onion and garlic and lightly season with salt and pepper. Stir in the chili powder, cumin, and oregano, and cook for 2 minutes. Add the chopped poblanos, black beans, pinto beans, and beef broth. Bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered for 30 – 50 minutes, depending on how thick you like your chili. The longer it simmers, the thicker it will become. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
**The use of bacon grease in this recipe is optional, but it does add to the flavor of the chili.
Enjoy!
Megan
This post is linked to Gluten Free Wednesdays and Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays.
This sounds amazing. I’ve been trying to come up with a tomato-free tomato soup and a tomato-free chili, however, I can’t do peppers, either. Any ideas on a replacement? I was toying with the idea of a bit of roasted sweet potato, roasted onions, and….?
http://aminerecipes.com
The poblanos do help flavor the chili quite a bit… maybe you could add a bit of ground coriander? I’m sure sweet potatoes would be good too though!
That’s a great suggestion! I will give it a try. Been dying to recreate more tomato dishes (sans tomato, of course). My ultimate challenge? I want to make a tomato-free tomato soup, and a cheddarless grilled cheese sandwich. O_O
Now THAT would be difficult, but “where there’s a will, there’s a way!!”
Hope you have a great weekend! 
Okay, just one (really dumb sounding I know) question. What in the HECK is a poblano (sp) pepper? Is that like a hot pepper or is it just like a regular bell pepper or what? Yes, I am produce inept *laugh*.
Erika,
Megan
The poblano is… well… Wikipedia probably has the best explanation! Try this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poblano
Can you eat goat cheese or feta on the anti-inflammatory diet?
Hi Laura!
Megan
I do eat goat and sheep milk cheeses. Are you on the anti-inflammatory diet too?
Yup, I am. I feel much better but I am still tempted by s good cheese steak sandwich!
Oh I hear ya!!
Glad you are also feeling better on the diet. It makes all the difference in the world for me, and I’m glad to hear others also are finding relief!
Hope you have a great Sunday!
Megan
Tomato is also an allergen for my daughter. I have been working on a line of tomato free products and have done just about everything that we normally eat that includes tomato. This sounds like it is really tasty and will definitely give it a try. It will be interesting to see the difference in taste
We can eat tomatoes here, but since the last two recipes of yours I tried were fabulous, I thought I would partake in making this. YUM! It is great, and you don’t miss the tomatoes one bit. I did have to alter it a bit, as we can’t get organic ground pork here, but WOW! It is excellent! Thank you for the great recipes!! We are gluten and dairy free here, and trying to avoid soy. You make it truly easy!
Aww… thank you so much, Kallyn!! What a HUGE compliment!
xo
Megan
Hi Megan! First of all, THANK YOU!!! After a bout of reflux-type symptoms, my husband has been avoiding tomatoes and we have really missed chili. I am so excited to try this recipe! One question though. I cannot find anywhere a beef broth that is free of all corn products & derivatives (citric acid, dextrose, dextrins, etc). Do you know of any, or do you think chicken or veg broth will substitute okay? Thanks!
Hi Angie!
I use the Pacific Natural Food brand of beef broth – you can generally find it in the organic/natural food section of Fred Meyers here locally. However, it contains yeast extract (I think I remember you telling me your hubby couldn’t have yeast either). You can try vegetable broth. I don’t think the vegetable broth will give it that depth of flavor the beef broth does though. I’d suggest adding another poblano or two… just to give it a bit more flavor? Just a thought. You’ll have to let me know how it turns out!
Hugs,
Megan
Could you make this in a slow cooker if you, say, put all the ingredients in after browning the beef and pork?