
Tempeh, black bean, and veggie chili
This vegetarian chili is so satiating and flavorful, you won’t miss the meat. Tempeh, a protein source made from organic soybeans and often combined with millet, brown rice, and barley, is a traditional ingredient in Indonesian and Japanese cuisine. To serve this dish as a family meal, top with cheddar cheese, sour cream, and sliced scallions. You can find this recipe and 100 more delicious and safe recipes designed for busy caregivers in Cooking for Dysphagia and Other Swallowing Disorders by Diane Wolff.
Servings: 6
Serving Size: 1 cup

Nutritional Information Per Serving
- 165 calories
- 4 g total fat
- 1 g saturated fat
- 214 mg sodium
- 27 g total carbohydrate
- 6 g dietary fiber
- 6 g total sugars
- 10 g protein
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 6 ounces tempeh, cut into ½-inch cubes
- 2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
- red onion, finely diced
- 1 garlic clove, sliced
- ½ jalapeno pepper, stemmed, seeded, and finely diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 2 cups kabocha squash, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 3 large portobello mushrooms, cut into 2-inch pieces
- leeks, white parts only, cleaned and sliced
- 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons red wine (optional)
- 1 teaspoon chili powder (optional)
Directions
- Warm the oil in a pot over medium heat or in a slow cooker with a sauté function. Add the tempeh and sauté, stirring occasionally, until lightly golden. Season with the soy sauce and stir to coat. Transfer the tempeh to a plate.
- Add the onion, garlic, jalapeno, bell pepper, kabocha, portobellos, and leeks to the pot. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly caramelized, about 10 minutes. Add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, beans, Worcestershire, red wine, and chili powder, if using.
- Return the tempeh to the pot and stir. If using a stove, bring to a boil, lower to a simmer, and cook, covered, with the lid ajar, about 1 hour. If using a slow cooker, cook on high for 1 hour. Set aside any servings for family meals
- For the puree, blend chili in batches, filling the pitcher only two-thirds full and venting the lid. Blend until you achieve the desired texture, transferring each batch to a large bowl.
- Test as you go and at time of serving to see if a thickening agent, thickened sauce, or thickened stock is needed; use IDDSI Testing Methods (iddsi.org) to help achieve the desired IDDSI level. See pages 42-47.
- Serve immediately or divide into servings for storage or freezing, following the directions for Serving, page 77.
Notes:
The dishes shown in the photos accompanying the recipes that follow are IDDSI Level 7. Please use the IDDSI instructions (pages 42-47) to modify the texture of each dish to the individual IDDSI level prescribed by your healthcare provider. Please refer to Andrew Cullum’s section (pages 74-75) on piping to create a beautiful plate.
The recipes that follow allow for serving right away to yourself, to the person with dysphagia, or to family and friends. Generally, if not serving immediately, divide the extra servings (the beauty of the batch-cooking method!) between freezer- and oven-safe glass storage dishes. Allow to cool completely, cover, and refrigerate for up to 48 hours or freeze for up to 3 months (exceptions noted in individual recipes).
An excerpt from Cooking for Dysphagia and Other Swallowing Disorders by Diane Wolff.
