Name: Whole30 Vegan Chili Verde
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Cuisine: Paleo
Ingredients: 1 - 1.5 lbs tomatillos, huskds and stems removed, rinsed well and dried; 4 - 5 poblano chiles, stemmed, halved and seeded; 1 large onion, cut into 8 wedges; 5 garlic cloves, frozen; 1 jalapeno pepper, stemmed, seeded and halved; 1 tbsp olive oil; 1 tsp dried oregano; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon; pinch glround cloves; 2 bay leaves; 2 tsp coconut sugar (or date paste for Whole30); 2 tsp pepper; 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, plus extra for serving

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This Whole30 Vegan Chili Verde is easy to make and is the perfect "pegan" chili! By roasting tomatillos, poblanos, jalapenos, garlic and onions, this Whole30 Vegan chili Verde is healthy, hearty as well as low in calories. This is by far the healthiest and tastiest chili recipe.

Have you heard of the term "Pegan"?

For those of you who have not, Pegan is a term created by Dr. Marc Hyman and combines a vegan diet along with a Paleo diet.

According to its creator, Dr. Mark Hyman, the pegan diet promotes optimal health by reducing inflammation and balancing blood sugar. However, some components of this diet remain controversial.

Despite its name, the pegan diet is unique and has its own set of guidelines. In fact, it's less restrictive than either a paleo or vegan diet by itself.

Major emphasis is placed on vegetables and fruit, but the intake of small to moderate amounts of meat, certain fish, nuts, seeds, and some legumes is also allowed.

Heavily processed sugars, oils, and grains are discouraged — but still acceptable in very small amounts.

Table of Contents

Why did I decide to make a "pegan" chili

easily adaptable to be either paleo, vegan or pegan
simple ingredients
easy to modify the recipe with either beans or meat to suit your dietary needs

What ingredients do you need to make this Whole30 Vegan Chili Verde?

tomatillos - tangy and contain some pectin to help thicken the sauce
poblanos - moderately spicy and earthy
jalapenos - spicy with a mild grassy flavour
onions
garlic
seasoning (oregano, cumin, cinnamon, pepper, cloves, salt, bay leaves, sugar)
cilantro
OPTIONAL - black beans, kidney beans, cooked chicken, ground turkey

What are tomatillos?

Small, round fruits resembling little tomatoes bearing a papery outer covering.
They are members of the nightshade family, along with tomatoes, potatoes, and peppers.
Though they are usually green, they can ripen to be any number of other colours, including yellow, purple, and red.
They grow throughout the Western Hemisphere and are a popular staple food in Mexico, where they are often called “tomato verde” or “green tomatoes” (not to be confused with American “green tomatoes,” which are simply unripe tomatoes).
Other names include husk tomato, husk cherry, Mexican tomato, jamberry, and ground cherry.
Nutritionally, tomatillos are low in calories and rich in vitamin C, vitamin K, niacin, potassium, manganese, and healthy omega 6 fatty acids.
Green tomatillos usually have a slightly tart flavour, though other colours can be sweet enough to be used in jams.
They can be eaten raw, either whole or chopped into salads, and are most popularly used to make a spicy green salsa (salsa verde) and other sauces.

What are poblanos?

The poblano is an extremely popular Mexican chili pepper.
The pods typically grow 4 inches long, are very dark green in colour, ripening to dark red or brown.
They are mostly picked when green for general cooking.
They are mild peppers, quite large and are somewhat heart-shaped.
Their skins/walls are somewhat thick, making them perfect for stuffing as they’ll hold up in the oven quite nicely.
They are often roasted and peeled when cooking with them, or dried. When dried, they are called ancho chilis.

Taking half the chili and adding beans kept it vegan and was a simple addition

This is the Chili Verde with added beans for Mr. Grumbles.

How do I chop cilantro?

Hold the root ends of the cilantro with your non-cutting hand.
Use a large chef’s knife to scrape off the leaves in a downward motion.
Use your fingers to remove any large stems from the cilantro leaves; small tender stems are okay.
Holding the top of the blade with your non-cutting hand, rock the blade back and forth to chop the cilantro.
Pull the leaves back into a pile and go over them with the knife several times until the pieces are the size that you’re looking for.

*Check out this video from A Couple Cooks*

Cilantro and tomatillos make this a delicious pegan chili.

Serve it with a side of rice for a complete meal.

Do I have to use cilantro?

Absolutely not! If you are not a fan of cilantro, you do not have to add it in the mixture.

How to make this Whole30 Vegan Chili Verde?

char the tomatillos, poblanos, onion, garlic and jalapenos
place the ingredients in a food processor
pulse until mixture is roughly pureed, scraping down the sides as necessary
add olive oil to a large pot
add in spices and cook stirring constantly until fragrant (about 30 seconds)
Stir in tomatillo mixture, bay leaves, sugar, pepper and salt
Simmer for 30 minutes
allow to cool for 10 minutes and then stir in cilantro
season with salt and pepper to taste

Can I make this in a pressure cooker or in my InstantPot?

Absolutely!

Simply follow the same recipe but add the oil and spices to the pressure cooker.
Cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds)
Add in tomatillo mixture, bay leaves, salt, sugar and pepper
Seal pressure cooker
Pressure cook on "hi" for 10 minutes with a 10-minute natural release.
Allow chili to cool slightly before stirring in the cilantro.

This chili verde is easy to customize by simply adding cooked beans after the chili is done.

This chili can easily be customized by adding beans if desired.

How do you serve this Whole30 Vegan Chili Verde?

serve it over a bed of riced cauliflower or regular rice
stuff it in an Air Fryer Baked Potato
Serve it in a bowl with some Whole30 Gluten-Free Bread Recipe
Soak it up with some gluten-free, vegan Naan bread

What else can I add to this Chili Verde

Stir in some black beans, kidney beans or any other type of bean
Add in some cooked chicken or ground meat for some extra protein
Top it off with some sour cream or vegan nut cream
Add some Vegan shredded cheese
Stir in some diced tomatoes
Add in some chipotle peppers
Stir in 1 cup of pasta sauce to add a little tomato kick.

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