Spicy! PETA Picks the Top 10 Vegan Chili Dishes in the U.S.

For Immediate Release:
October 1, 2021

Contact:
Nicole Meyer 202-483-7382

To celebrate the start of fall, PETA has scoured the country for the best and heartiest vegan chili dishes—and now the group is spilling the beans on its findings. The top spot goes to iconic Ben’s Chili Bowl in Washington, D.C., for its unbeatable animal-free recipe—a hit with everyone from former President Barack Obama to Jimmy Fallon—which can be enjoyed on its own or on top of a vegan dog or Beyond Burger. Here are the other honorees:

• The Vegan Chili Queso Cheese Fries decked out with meat-free chili-spiced crumbles, dairy-free queso, green onions, and chopped tomatoes at The Social Vegan in Lexington, Kentucky
• The Hearty Chili made with sweet potatoes, butternut squash, and beans and served with a side of tortilla chips at The Lunch Room / Detroit Street Filling Station in Ann Arbor, Michigan
• The Chili Bowl stacked with veggies and served with jalapeño slices for an extra kick at FIREFLY in Charlottesville, Virginia
• The tofu-topped Vegan Chili Bowl served on a bed of super-tasty, spicy rice at House of Leaf & Bean in Jacksonville, Florida
• The Chili with house-made vegan beef and cilantro crema at Dirt Burger in Des Moines, Iowa
• The Black Bean Chili packed with bulgur, green peppers, carrots, cabbage, and zesty spices at The Grit in Athens, Georgia
• The Chili smothered with garlic vegan sour cream, pico de gallo, lime, and crispy chips at Arles & Boggs Vegan Eatery in Wallingford, Connecticut
• The protein-packed Vegan 5 Bean Chili at Webster’s Bookstore Café in State College, Pennsylvania
• The Charlie Bae Bowl heaped with black beans and sautéed mushrooms and served over a bowl of cilantro rice with vegan ranch and microgreens at Plant Bae in Montgomery, Alabama

“Chili is the ultimate comfort food, and these mouthwatering vegan versions come with the comforting thought that no animals were harmed to make them,” says PETA President Ingrid Newkirk. “PETA celebrates these special spots for helping people tuck into delicious meals without the cruelty or the cholesterol.”

PETA notes that vegan meat sales increased 148% in 2020 compared to the year before and that 47% of Americans want to incorporate more vegan foods into their meals in 2021.

Each eatery will receive a framed certificate from PETA, which offers many vegan chili recipes on its website.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow the group on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.