Is Chili A Soup?

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Are we still talking abut chili? Chili isn't soup, it's chili!! I like either crackers or corn bread with it, and sometimes corn chips, but then it becomes frito pie!!! ;)
 
It depends on what kind of chili. A really rich hearty chilli isn't a soup, but a chili thats mostly beans and sauce, maybe. I would say the kind from Wendy's is borderline being a soup.
 
BB, actually, there are many types of 'chili' that have no beans in them at all. In fact, our Texas friends would gasp at the thought of bean in the chili itself; they're served as a side. If you peruse the 'chili' forum a bit more, I'm sure you'll find lots of ideas and recipes for chili, both with and without beans.
 
IMHO, if your chili looks like soup, you made it wrong.

To me, chili is a dish that contains meat, vegetables (pepper, onion, tomato) and a thick broth resulting from a combination of added liquids and the natural juices of the foods included in the recipe. In other words, a stew.

My chili tends to be thicker rather than thinner. Since I'm not a Texan, I put beans in my chili.
 
Banana Brain said:
It depends on what kind of chili. A really rich hearty chilli isn't a soup, but a chili thats mostly beans and sauce, maybe. I would say the kind from Wendy's is borderline being a soup.

Chili from Wendy's isn't real chili.

I LOVE Texas style chili with chunks of beef as opposed to ground beef.
 
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ironchef said:
Chili from Wendy's isn't real chili.

I LOVE Texas style chili with chunks of beef as opposed to ground beef.
How is it not a real chilli? Do you know the secret recipe?
 
Banana Brain said:
How is it not a real chilli? Do you know the secret recipe?

Have you ever tried real chili as opposed to one made from a fast food joint? You bring a pot of Wendy's chili to a chili cook-off as your entry and you'll get laughed out of the competition.

Comparing Wendy's chili to real chili is like comparing pasta al pomodoro from Olive Garden to pasta al pomodoro from a good Italian restaurant.
 
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Chili from Wendy's isn't my FAVORITE chili, but I eat it probably more often than I make my own. My chili is very good, but probably wouldn't measure up to a cook off, but then I'm not making it for a cook off. Just because we make something at home doesn't mean it isn't good. Also, I like Olive Garden foods, most of them and eating in a fancy restaurant isn't what I'm about. If someone gets their kicks from that, fine, but not everyone has the time, the money or even cares about that. I've eaten in some fancy restaurants where the fancy food isn't that great. I suppose it has to do with that "cultivated" taste. Most of us live in the real world where even if we go to a fancy restaurant, it is a now and then thing, not our life. I like good food, but a meal doesn't always have to be an event. Sometimes it is only to satisfy hunger.
 
ironchef said:
Have you ever tried real chili as opposed to one made from a fast food joint? You bring a pot of Wendy's chili to a chili cook-off as your entry and you'll get laughed out of the competition.

Comparing Wendy's chili to real chili is like comparing pasta al pomodoro from Olive Garden to pasta al pomodoro from a good Italian restaurant.
Yes I've had better-tasting chilli from homemade corockpots, and usually it isn't anything like Wendy's. But Wendy's is still chilli, it doesn't matter if it was mad ate a fast food joint. Healthy chilli, too. And there are better burgers out there than Wendy's, there's no WAY I would submit one of their square thaw-and-serve patties in a barbecue cook-off. But they're still burgers.
 
My 2 cents

Competition chili is to good home made chili as:

Haute cuisine is to good home cooking;
Haute couture is to sensible clothing;

No offense intended to anyone; I just think they're different things, but that's only my opinion. Don't understand what Wendy's has to do with it.
 
skilletlicker said:
Competition chili is to good home made chili as:

Haute cuisine is to good home cooking;
Haute couture is to sensible clothing;

No offense intended to anyone; I just think they're different things, but that's only my opinion. Don't understand what Wendy's has to do with it.


I've had some really poor chili at competitions. Soupy, overloaded with tomato and flat.
 
in my opinion, a chili is more akin to a stew, and you should have little difficulty standing a spoon up in pot of it.
I must admit I`m somewhat envious of you americans, esp Texans with your chili cookoffs, we have no such thing here that I`m aware of :(
 
I like Wendy's chili. If I were to make my own chili, it would cost me 99 cents just to buy the first ingredient. If I can buy the finished product for that price and it isn't bad, then why not? :chef:
 
it's a stew. btw, try lamb ... some good chops or a small leg section. It grills well, takes to garlic and rosemary nicely, does well in full flavored dishes...excellent with beer of course (think Irish stew).
 
skilletlicker said:
Competition chili is to good home made chili as:

Haute cuisine is to good home cooking;
Haute couture is to sensible clothing;

No offense intended to anyone; I just think they're different things, but that's only my opinion. Don't understand what Wendy's has to do with it.
I'd rather have good home cooking over haute cuisine any day. And I certainly wouldn't wear haute couture.

The thing about chili competitions ~ anyone can enter. It's like American Idol, you only have to think you are good.
 
My ex was from Southern Illinois, and to his family, chili was ground beef, onions, lots of tomatoes, and beans, very thin and soupy. If his mom was feeling very frisky, maybe a tablespoon of chili powder. Eaten with oyster crackers.

I found the same sort of recipe in southern Indiana, and they called it "chili soup".
 
licia said:
I didn't see it mentioned here, but sometimes if my chili is a bit more watery than I like, I add some refried beans to reach the consistency I want.

If my chili is too watery, some cornbread or crackers will take care of that!
 
Chili

Love It, All Types. Try White Chili It Is Very Good
Go To The Foodnetwork Website There Is A Recipe
Called White Chili Surprise, It Does Take Time But Man
It Is Good. I Do Prefer Red Chili But The White Chili
Surprise Recipe Is Very Good. Sometimes I Will Make Both
Just Becuase I Want A Bowl Of Each. Chili Also Freezes
Well.


Can't Wait Until It Gets Cold Out
 
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