I made vegan chitlins. They were good.

If you don't know what chitlins are in the first place, this post may not be for you. They are pig intestines and are not uncommon among people who eat other soil foods or southern cuisine.

Fun fact: I have actually never had regular chitlins, but when I saw a woman making these online, I figure I'd give it a shot!

You could have this with collard greens and cornbread as your sides. You might also want it over rice. Since I'm just experimenting, I ate them alone.

Ingredients

6 oz dried bean curd sticks (yuba)

1 medium onion, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

2 ribs celery, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced (I forgot to get garlic So I went heavy with garlic powder instead)

2 Tbsp grape seed oil

4 cups vegetable broth

2 Tbsp soy sauce (or tamari)

1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tsp smoked paprika (I forgot this)

½ tsp liquid smoke (I used Worcestershire sauce instead)

½ tsp black pepper (oops I used a lot more(

¼ tsp cayenne pepper (I used red pepper flakes and a very small amount of jalapeno flakes instead)

Some people use a bay leaf, I did not

Salt, to taste

Preparation

1. Soak the dried bean curd

Break the sticks into 3–4 inch lengths.

Cover with hot water and soak for at least 2 hours (overnight is best) until pliable.

Drain and rinse well. Slice lengthwise into thin strips to resemble chitlins.

1. Build the flavor base

Heat oil in a large pot.

Add onion, celery, and bell pepper. Sauté 5–7 minutes until softened.

Stir in garlic, smoked paprika, and cayenne; cook 1 more minute.

1. Simmer the “chitlins”

Add the rehydrated bean curd strips, vegetable broth, soy sauce, vinegar, liquid smoke, black pepper, and bay leaf.

Bring to a boil, then reduce to low and simmer 45–60 minutes, stirring occasionally.

1. Taste & adjust

Remove bay leaf.

Add more salt, vinegar, or spice to suit your taste.