Tofu Chili Con Queso

About

Enjoy this vegetarian chili con queso recipe when you need a filling Keto snack or are looking to add some fat macros to your food log. The final dish is even yummy enough for sharing with others! If you’re in a group, a variety of Keto vegetables cut into sticks is a simple and easy dipping idea. Carb Manager has many recipes for low carb and more filling options, like crackers and chips, too. Easily prepare the recipe in less than an hour, or you can choose to make the ground tofu in advance for a quicker time making the final queso later. For storage, you can keep the tofu chili con queso in an airtight container in your refrigerator for up to 5 days. Either microwave the queso or reheat it on the stove when you’re ready to enjoy.

What To Dip In Queso

There are many Keto-friendly things you can dip into your tofu chili con queso that’s also vegetarian. Sliced green and red bell peppers, broccoli florets, mushroom caps, and celery sticks are all acceptable vegetables you can scoop up queso with. If you want something more like a tortilla chip, search the term “cracker” in the Carb Manager recipe library. There are many options to choose from like Keto cheese crackers, almond crackers, walnut and pumpkin seed crackers, and rosemary sea salt crackers.

I Don’t Like Spicy

If you love cheese dip but don’t like spicy foods, don’t worry! To make this tofu chili con queso less spicy, omit the jalapeno and chili powder. You’ll be missing out on some classic queso flavor, so you’ll need to add some seasonings to the cheese sauce. Replace the chili powder with a blend of cumin, onion powder, and garlic powder to keep the Tex-Mex flavor strong. If you only want to tone down the spice, omit the jalapeno and chili powder, and substitute the Mexican cheese blend with shredded cheddar and pepper jack cheese!

Ingredients

14 oz tofu, raw (not silken), not cooked, extra firm, not drained
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon cumin, ground
¼ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon paprika
2 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon olive or extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoon butter, unsalted
2 oz cream cheese
1 cup almond milk
1 large – approx 4" – 6" long jalapeno peppers, raw
¼ teaspoon chili powder
¾ cup, grated mexican blend cheese

Instructions

Start with a full block of tofu, and remove as much excess water as you can from it without breaking it. Use paper towels to absorb liquid from the sides and top. Gently press down on the top of the tofu to continue releasing liquid until most of it is gone. Then, use your fingers to break the tofu up into crumbly pieces that resemble “ground beef” in a large mixing bowl. If excess liquid pools at the bottom of the bowl, drain it off when you’re done crumbling the tofu.
Season the ground tofu with salt, pepper, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, and worcestershire sauce. For the rest of the recipe, you can use a utensil to mix the tofu in the bowl. At your discretion, you can cover and store the tofu in your refrigerator to marinate, but you may continue on immediately to cook it. Heat the olive oil in a wide pan over high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the seasoned tofu to the pan, and stir it around briefly in the oil.
Let the tofu cook on one side until it starts to char and crisp up to mimic grilled ground beef. Once it’s cooked, start stirring and rotating the ground tofu around in the pan as it continues cooking on high heat. If you like the crispy texture, you can continue the process of letting it cook for longer before stirring it. Adjust the heat as necessary to complete cooking the ground tofu to your liking – about 10 minutes. Leave the finished tofu aside in the pan to rest.
Melt the butter in a medium-sized pot over low heat. Once the butter is melted, add the cream cheese to the pot. You may briefly soften the cream cheese in your microwave for no more than 10 seconds on high heat before adding it to your pot. Stir the cream cheese around the pot until it breaks down, melts, and starts emulsifying with the melted butter. Pour half the almond milk into the pot and stir it with the butter and cream cheese.
Pour the remaining almond milk into the pot and stir the ingredients together. Bring the pot to a simmer. Then, scoop all the ground tofu from the pan into the pot followed by a minced jalapeno and the chili powder. Continue stirring as the ingredients heat through and return to a simmer. With the pot bubbling, stir the shredded cheese into the queso until it’s melted. Let the queso continue bubbling until you have a thick consistency for dipping. Enjoy warm.