Acorn Chili Recipe

Acorn chili is a favorite in our house—thankfully, because I’ve been making a ton of it lately to test this recipe. This hearty vegan chili is delicious on its own, but we’ve been enjoying it on a twice-baked potato smothered in vegan cheese sauce. It’s extremely satisfying, and also healthy. The acorn bits give it texture, while the tahini brings the rich, fatty mouthfeel you’d expect from a meat-based chili. Of course, you could always add ground beef.

Ingredients

• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 celery rib, chopped
• 1 Tbsp olive oil (or a splash of broth)
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 cup acorn bits (rough-ground, cold-leached acorn meal)
• 1 small can diced tomatoes, including the liquid
• 2 cups fresh Roma tomatoes, chopped
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1 cup vegetable broth or water
• 1 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 3/4 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp dried wild bee balm (Monarda fistulosa, substitute oregano)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
• 2 cans kidney beans (or other bean), drained and rinsed
• 1 tsp sherry vinegar, red wine vinegar, or lime juice, to taste
• 1/4 tsp salt, to taste (optional)
• 2 tsp date sugar (substitute 1 tsp sugar), to taste
• 2-3 Tbsp tahini, to taste
• Optional garnishes: cilantro, avocado, cashew cream, sour cream, vegan cheese sauce

Instant Pot Instructions

1. Set Instant Pot to Sauté. Add a splash of broth or olive oil, then onion, bell pepper, carrot, and celery. Sauté 4–5 minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds more. Cancel Sauté. Make sure nothing is stuck to the bottom or you’ll get a “burn” error later. Clean base if needed.
2. Add acorn bits, diced tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, tomato sauce, broth, spices, and bay leaf. Stir well.
3. Lock lid. Cook on High Pressure for 35 minutes, and let pressure release naturally.
4. Open lid and sample acorn bits. They should have a good texture, somewhat soft. Cook longer if not.
5. Stir in beans, vinegar or lime juice, salt, date sugar (or sugar), and tahini. Taste and adjust.
6. Garnish and serve with rice, potatoes, cornbread, polenta, or tortillas. For acorn chili cheese fries, I do the fries in an air-fryer, with or without oil. I also like the chili over salad with chunks of sweet potato.

Slow Cooker Instructions

1. In a separate pan, sauté onion, bell pepper, carrot, and celery in a splash of broth or olive oil for 4-5 minutes until softened.
2. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds more.
3. Put sautéed vegetables in crock pot. Stir in acorn bits, diced tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, tomato sauce, broth, spices, and bay leaf.
4. Cook on high for approximately 4 hours, then sample it. The acorn bits should have a good texture, somewhat soft. Cook longer if not.
5. Stir in beans, vinegar or lime juice, salt, date sugar (or sugar), and tahini. Taste and adjust.
6. Garnish and serve.

Notes

• Acorn bits: This recipe uses rough-ground acorn bits (image below), not acorn flour. I make the bits by grinding fresh (or thawed) acorns in a food processor, then cold-leaching in a gallon jar in the refrigerator for as long as 2+ weeks, changing the water twice daily, until there is no longer a bitter/astringent taste. The resulting meal has bits to about 4 mm across with some finer ground meal mixed in, which works fine. Don’t use 100% flour, however, or you will get an inferior chili. For cold-leaching options, see Nature’s Garden (2014) by Samuel Thayer, or the jar method instructions by Ellen Zachos. I have tested this recipe several times using acorns collected in Connecticut from a species of white oak (leaves typically have rounded lobes). I’m leaching acorns from a species in the red oak group now (leaves with pointed lobes) and will report back!
• Vegan SOS-free: This is a vegan chili. I include tahini for a fatty element, which balances the acidity and gives it a fuller flavor. For SOS-free (free of salt, oil, and sugar), use broth instead of oil, skip the salt, and use date sugar or acceptable alternative.
• Meat-eaters: It’s easy enough to make a meaty version. Just cook up some ground beef first and throw it in with the sautéed veggies. Later, test to see if sweetener is necessary, and skip the tahini.