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This Vegan Hawaiian Style Chili is inspired by the famous Zippy’s Chili. It’s super ‘ono (delicious), and healthy!

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Zippy’s chili is a staple in Hawai’i. It’s brought to parties, potlucks, and always sells out as a fundraiser. It’s thick and delicious, and often eaten with rice, mac salad, fried chicken and/or hot dogs.

This Hawaiian Style Vegan Chili is Zippy’s inspired. While it can’t fully replicate the original taste (because of the ground beef and Portuguese sausage that’s used), it is ‘ono (delicious) in it’s own right. Serve it alongside some rice, mac salad and vegan hot dog, and you’ve got yourself a vegan Hawaiian style chili frank plate lunch!

Serve this chili with…

I always add a few dashes of Tabasco to my chili. And here are some typical local Hawaiian ways to eat it:

topped with (vegan) cheddar cheese and raw onions
in a bowl with steamed rice and/or Hawaiian style mac salad
plate lunch style with rice, mac salad and vegan hot dog (my favorite is Field Roast Frankfurters)

How do you make Vegan Hawaiian Style Chili?

This recipe was adapted from Mochi Mommy.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons of olive oil
3 cups of cauliflower
1 cup of walnuts
4 cloves of garlic
1 medium onion
4 stalks of celery
1 green bell pepper
3 tablespoons of chili powder
1 tablespoon of cumin
1 tablespoon of oregano
1 can of tomato paste
1/4 cup of flour
1 tablespoon of vegan Worcestershire sauce
2 cans of kidney beans
4 cups of vegetable broth
3 tablespoons of vegan mayonnaise
1 tablespoon of sugar
salt to taste

Step 1: Add the cauliflower to a food processor and pulse until it is in small pieces. It should resemble the texture of ground beef. Do the same with the walnuts and set both of them aside.

Step 2: Cut the bell pepper, onions and celery into large chunks and add it to a food processor along with the garlic and puree until smooth. (I like to use a vegetable peeler to peel the outer layer of the celery to prevent a stringy texture in the chili, but this is optional.)

Step 3: Heat oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the pureed vegetables and saute for about 5 minutes, until it is translucent and most of the liquid has cooked off.

Step 4: Add the spices and tomato paste and saute for another minute. Add the flour and cook for one more minute, stirring constantly so it doesn’t burn.

Step 5: Add the vegetable broth to the pot and whisk until smooth. Then, add the rest of the ingredients and bring it to a simmer. Turn the heat down to low, and cook covered for 30 minutes. Make sure to stir it occasionally so that the bottom doesn’t burn.

Step 5: Serve immediately with rice and mac salad, or store in the fridge for up to 5 days or freezer for up to 6 months. Enjoy!

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