Cheesy Cauliflower Chili
I’m entering a new week on a very good note after what felt like a really special + relaxing week at home - even though nothing extraordinary happened. Just all of my time at home felt relaxing + rejuvenating, and kind of needed. We’ve just been go go go so much, and the lack of time at home in our “typical” routine kind of made me just miss being a homebody. And last week, all of our at-home meals felt fun + collaborative (we did a lot of cooking together, which is always my favorite), and it was just such enjoyable time reconnect. Also the most perfect day to wind down together from work. Together being the operative word. Just a solid week of date nights + fun at-home, which makes me so genuinely happy, and also makes for some real good at-home eating.
So a couple things to note about the trends of our at-home meals. First, our vegetarian cooking has become so much more frequent. I feel like almost all of our meals have been meatless….or our meals incorporate the most minute meaty add-in (like a light topping of prosciutto every now + then, because how could I not?). Second, vegetarian cooking has taken on a consistent theme of “what can I add cauliflower in to make it vegetarian?” So ya - almost all of our meals have cauliflower as a very main ingredient. This weeks challenge - vegetarian chili. I usually really don’t like vegetarian chili. Sometimes I feel like our vegetarian chilis just don’t turn out savory enough, and a good savory bite is what I’m looking for when it comes to chili. Savory + hearty + so much flavor while being the perfect base for some solid chili toppings loaded on top (all the avocado + cheese + cilantro I can handle!). This Cheesy Cauliflower Chili is literally everything my chili dreams are made of. & this is THE vegetarian chili I want to make year after year.
So - you should definitely melt cream cheese in your chili
One thing I’m taking away - melting cream cheese in chili goes a long way. It makes it the most creamy + queso-like consistency. And it’s damn good!
I was pretty skeptical to put a hunk of cream cheese just right in my chili. It just sounds so…..glutenous. A couple things to note that makes it feel not so crazy: First - using light cream cheese does the trick. Second- you really don’t have to use that much. Less than a brick, and it’s such a game changing ingredient.
The cream cheese just melts so perfectly. It’s smooth + makes the chili instantly a bit more velvety. Visibly you can see that it’s a creamy + cheesy chili, and that’s just part of the allure.
No meats!
Ironic because we used to have a running joke at my house that I like chili with “two meats” - because that’s exactly how I wanted chili to be made. Every-time I was asked what kind of chili I wanted, the answer was consistently “the kind with 2 meats.” But now, my 2021 self has become a freakin’ pro with adding cauliflower to almost any dish in substitution for the meat component. So when we’re talking chili, I’m using chunky cauliflower florets in place of ground beef. & let me tell ya - the cauliflower gets tender, it just absorbs all the flavor of the spices + fresh salsa you add in, and the chunky florets even feel a little meaty.
I loved eating this chili with a fresh flour tortilla. Specifically a flour tortilla because they’re so soft + light + just really good. Scooping up a hefty piece of cauliflower + the cheesy chili base, and wrapping it in a soft + pillowy tortilla. Sooooo good! I ate this meal with this tortilla dipper 3 nights in a row.
Go straight for the salsa
Skip the canned tomatoes or freshly roasted tomato, + jump immediately to salsa. Seasoned + flavorful + pre-made salsa. There is just so much power in throwing your favorite salsa in a chili. Like really put some thought in the salsa that is your favorite. I really love this TJ’s Organic Tomatillo + Roasted Yellow Chili Salsa - it just has such a pleasant, roasted flavor. And it’s a very smooth salsa with not too much texture, and I think picking your favorite smooth salsa is pretty key.
A new Winter staple, and something we looked forward to eating several nights in a row. Because hello chili leftovers! I was thankful to have this yummy meal to come home to post bartending, and having a warm bowl of chili + some quality time with Jordo made for some picture perfect evenings..
For the chili
2 tbsp olive oil
3 garlic cloves
3 bell peppers (whatever colors are your favorite)
2 jalapeños, halved + sliced
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
Salt + pepper
3 c. prepared salsa (favorite store bought salsa)
1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
1 can of corn, drained
1 can of black beans, drained
4 c. beef broth (plus more if needed or if you want a soupier broth)
6 ounces of light cream cheese (straight from the block)
1/2 c. Shredded pepper jack cheese
2-3 tbsp fresh cilantro
1 avocado, sliced
Flour tortillas for serving
Place a Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add in the EVOO + garlic, toasting for just a minute. Add in the peppers + penos. Stir to combine, and let cook for 8-10 minutes so the peppers tenderize. Just stir every 2-3 minutes. Add in the spices, stir, and cook for one minute. Add in the salsa and cauliflower, stir, & pour in the broth. Turn the heat to high + bring to a boil. Add in the beans + corn, and reduce the heat to low. Cover + cook for 10 minutes. Uncover, increase the heat to medium high, + stir in the cream cheese. Stir constantly until the cheese it completely melted. Once it is, cover + return the heat to low, letting the chili cook another 10-15 minutes before serving.
Right before you eat, stir in the pepper jack cheese. Ladle some of the chili into bowls, and top with a few slices of avocado + a sprinkle of fresh cilantro. Nestle a warmed flour tortilla right alongside the soup.