These Cajun Chili Cups, submitted by Anne Tegtmeier of Apron Strings and published in our Meatless Monday Chili Cookbook, are just what I’ll need to wow my guests. I’m sure the charming presentation and spicy Cajun flavors will have football fanatics coming back for more without suspecting that the dish is meatless. Until they read this recipe, of course…and in that case all I have to say is, “If you think chili needs meat, you don’t know beans!” Check out the free Meatless Monday Chili Cookbook for more party-worthy meatless recipes! Serves 8 Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil1 large onion, peeled and diced1 green bell pepper, diced2 stalks celery, diced3 cloves garlic, minced1 teaspoon chili powder1 tablespoon ground cumin2 teaspoons thyme½ teaspoon cayenne hot sauce1 bay leaf2 15 ounce cans diced tomatoes1 pound Andouille style tofu sausage, sliced10 ounce box frozen cut okra, defrosted2 15 ounce cans kidney or adzuki beans, drainedsalt, to taste18 eggroll wrappers, cut down to 5 square inchesGreek yogurt, for garnish (optional)
What to do:
Place the oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the onions, celery and bell pepper to the stockpot and sauté for 5-7 minutes, or until the veggies have softened considerably and are on the edge of browning. Add garlic and cook 2-3 minutes more.Add the diced tomatoes to the pot and season with the chili powder, cumin, thyme, hot sauce and the bay leaf. Bring the mixture to a boil and add the sausage, red beans and okra.Adjust seasoning to taste and reduce heat to low. Simmer for at least 45 minutes. The longer the chili simmers the better the flavors will meld.Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a muffin tin with a light coating of nonstick cooking spray or oil. Trim the eggroll wrappers so that they will fit inside the muffin tines. Spray or brush the eggroll wrappers with another light coating of olive or canola oil.Place the eggroll wrappers in the muffin tins, pleating the wrappers up the sides of the greased tins so each wrapper forms a bowl. Place any extra wonton pieces on a baking sheet to make dipping crisps with the leftover strips.Bake the wonton wrapper cups and crisps for 8-10 minutes, or until the cups have browned. Serve the chili into the wrapper cups. Garnish with dollops of Greek yogurt and extra hot sauce, if desired.Enjoy, using the extra crisps for dipping in the chili.
