You won't miss the meat in this Cincinnati-style chili recipe ????

As I began the process of clearing out my mother's home after she died earlier this year, I discovered a treasure trove of old cookbooks dating back to the 1940s. One from the early '80s caught my eye. "Food Editors' Hometown Favorites Cookbook" is a compilation of recipes from newspaper food editors across the country, each highlighting their city's regional and local specialties.

I was delighted to discover two recipes from former Cincinnati Post food editor Joyce Rosencrans, and while this vegetarian won't be making the goetta recipe anytime soon, I decided to try my hand at making a vegetarian/vegan version of our beloved Cincinnati-style chili.

The first few times I made it, I swapped lentils in place of the ground beef that Rosencrans' recipe called for, and it was delicious. While the lentils provided a different mouth feel, the spice base is pure Cincinnati-style chili parlor. Later, when I picked up some Impossible Burger (plant-based meat substitute) on sale at the grocery, I decided to give it a whirl. Wow. What a game-changer! I might have actually wept a little after that first bite because it was so reminiscent of the chili parlor versions I ate as a carnivorous teenager. My non-veg husband declared it his "favorite dish ever" and admitted that he wouldn't be able to tell the difference between a meat-based chili parlor version and the Impossible version.

Want to give it a try yourself? Here's the vegan-adapted version of Rosencrans' Cincinnati Chili recipe. I've included instructions for my lentil version at the end of the recipe.

Vegan Cincinnati-style Chili

• 2 pounds ground Impossible Burger

• 2 medium onions, finely diced

• 1 quart water

• 1 (14-16 oz.) can diced tomatoes

• 1 1/2 tsp. cider vinegar

• 1 tsp. vegan Worcestershire sauce (I use Annie's)

• 1 Tbsp. chili powder

• 2 tsp. ground cumin

• 1 1/2 tsp. ground allspice

• 1 1/2 tsp. salt

• 1 tsp. cayenne

• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon

• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder

• 2 bay leaves

Instructions:

1. Combine Impossible Burger, onions and water in a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Simmer until burger turns brown.

2. Add tomatoes with juice, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce and spice ingredients. Stir to combine.

3. Cover and simmer for three hours.

4. To serve "basic three-way chili," ladle chili over cooked spaghetti and top with vegan cheese.

Makes 6 servings.

Lentil version: Step 1: heat water to boiling and add 4 tsp. McKay's chicken-style seasoning (or other vegan bouillon of choice). Stir until dissolved. Add onions and 2 cups dried brown or green lentils instead of Impossible Burger. Return to boil, then reduce heat and let simmer 15-20 minutes. Step 2: No changes. Step 3: Simmer 90 minutes, stirring occasionally.

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This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Vegan Cincinnati-style chili recipe you have to try