We love chili, plain and simple. Anna's chili was one of our first vegan staples so finding a way to adapt it for the trail was a high priority. While we haven't figured out the cornbread part of the equation yet, this chili was our first attmpt to incorporate dedicated dehydrated ingredients primarily due to the fact that regular old dry beans can take hours boiling to become edible.

The flavor keys to the recipe are the smoky and spicy flavor of the chipotle powder (adjust quantity to suit your spice tolerance and substitute in smoked paprika to lower the spice level), the substle sweetness of the tomato powder, the tang from the true lime and the creamy awesomeness of coconut milk powder on top of the savory base from Sazon Goya.

The preparation and cooking processes are incredibly simple, but do involve sourcing some pricy and relatively hard to find dehydrated beans. We're working on dehydrating our own and will update on how that goes! One way to save some cash would be to substitute in instant rice for some of the beans which would maintain most of the flavor profile and maybe even enhance the texture for those who prefer to eat their chili with rice.

To make, simply assemble the dry ingredients in a plastic bag or other storage container. Rehydration will depend on which beans you use, but typically will be ~20 minutes so make sure you have good insulation on your container to maintain heat.