Diced portobello mushroom stands in for beans here, giving this bowl a meaty, slightly tender bite once coated in the blended chili base. This base is made entirely in the blender: tomatoes, golden raisins, onion, garlic and dried chipotle peppers, blended with chili powder, cumin, oregano and a splash of cider vinegar — so the smoky heat and gentle sweetness are built in from the start rather than added afterwards. The raisins easily go unnoticed on the ingredient list, but they soften the chipotle's kick and give the sauce a slightly fruity roundness once blended. As the mushroom, pepper and red onion stay diced rather than blended, the bowl keeps real texture instead of turning into a smooth soup — closer to a proper thick, traditional chili than most raw dishes. A stint in the dehydrator or a very low oven takes off the chill if you prefer it warm, but it's just as good served fresh straight from the bowl. Sliced avocado on top adds a creamy, refreshing contrast to this smoky chipotle base, and a watermelon, cucumber and lemon juice on the side makes for a refreshing pairing if you're serving it as part of a larger meal.
Raw Portobello Mushroom Chili
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Ingredients
- 1 large portobello mushroom cap
- ½ red pepper
- 2 tablespoons diced red onion
- 2 large, juicy tomatoes
- 1 handful of soft golden raisins (Cape gooseberries or dried mulberries also work)
- ¼ white onion
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 to 2 dried chipotle peppers (adjust to taste for spiciness)
- 2 pinches of smoked salt
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Sliced avocado, to serve
Method
- Dice the portobello mushroom and the pepper, then mix them in a bowl with the diced red onion.
- Roughly chop the tomatoes, golden raisins, white onion, garlic and chipotle peppers, then transfer everything to a powerful blender with the smoked salt, chili powder, vinegar, cumin and oregano. Blend until smooth.
- Pour the blended mixture over the diced vegetables and mix well.
- If you like, warm it gently in the dehydrator or in the oven set to its lowest setting before serving.
- Top with sliced avocado and serve. For a heartier bowl, add extra avocado or a few soaked, diced almonds.
Pairs well with a simple watermelon, cucumber and whole lemon juice.
Tip
Adjust the amount of dried chipotle to taste before blending the sauce: one pepper gives a mild heat, while two tip it into a properly spicy version. For a heartier, more filling bowl, add extra diced avocado or a handful of soaked, chopped almonds, on top of the avocado garnish.
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FAQ: your questions about raw mushroom chili
What can replace meat in a chili?
Mushroom is the most common substitute in French chili sin carne recipes: button mushroom or, as here, diced portobello, to recreate a meaty texture once coated in sauce. That's exactly the principle behind this raw recipe, where the portobello is never blended so it keeps its bite.
How do you use dried chipotle pepper?
Dried chipotle is used to flavour chilis, kidney beans, sweet potatoes or guacamole-style sauces — it's traditionally found in chili sin carne and Latin American dishes. In this recipe, it's blended directly with the tomatoes and raisins to build the sauce base, with no cooking step.
Can a dried chipotle pepper be ground into powder?
Yes, once fully dried, a chipotle pepper can be ground into a homemade smoky powder. Here, it's blended whole with the other sauce ingredients rather than turned into a separate powder, which gives a rounder base that isn't as sharply spicy all at once.
Which spices are classically used in a chili sin carne?
Cumin, chili powder and oregano appear in almost all French chili sin carne recipes, often paired with sautéed pepper and onion or, as here, simply blended raw into the sauce.
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