Laszlo's Eggplant-Soy Chili

Laszlo's tasty vegetarian chili with eggplant and texturized vegetable protein.

Recipe Ingredients:

12 ounces dried red beans
3 bay leaves
8 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
3 large onions, diced
3 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
3 eggplants, unpeeled and diced into 1-inch cubes
2 cups dry red wine
2 cups vegetable stock
2 cups tomato paste
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup ground cumin
1/4 cup liquid smoke
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup hot pepper sauce
2 cups texturized vegetable protein (TVP)

Cooking Directions:

1. Combine beans and bay leaves in enough water to cover beans. Soak overnight in refrigerator. Drain and add fresh water to cover. Cook beans for 45 minutes; remove from heat and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, sauté one-third of the garlic, one-third of the onion and one-third of the tomato over high heat. As tomato softens, add one-third of the eggplant. Stir gently, then cover and cook on medium heat for 5 minutes. Next add one-third of the wine and one-third of the stock. Simmer until eggplant is soft, then transfer to a large stockpot; keep warm. Repeat previous steps until all garlic, onion, tomatoes, eggplant, wine and stock are added to stockpot.
3. Remove bay leaves from beans; add beans to stockpot. Add any remaining bean liquid along with tomato paste. Stir well and cook chili on medium heat.
4. Pour oil into a small saucepan and heat on medium-high. Mix in cumin and quickly fry into a paste. Add to chili, stirring well.
5. Add liquid smoke, soy sauce, hot pepper sauce and TVP; stir well, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring frequently. Add water as needed. Serve over rice, if desired.

Makes 12 servings.