Being new to the vegan world, I still have the hankern' for meat on my palate when I eat chili. So, I used baby portobello mushrooms to "beef" up the flavor. I think that's what gave it an odd earthy taste on the first bite. However, that quickly fades as I ate more and more. And I couldn't stop shoveling it in because this chili recipe is so satisfying with following a few of the reviewers' suggestions. As it stands, it was too weak for our spicey-lovin' palates. So, we added cayenne pepper and chili powders AND tabasco sauce to taste (I heated these spices in a pan to allow the flavors to blossom before I added it to the chili). I also added about a 1/2 tbsp. cocoa powder and it did round out and blend the flavors quite nicely, but not where you'd say, "Did someone put cocoa in here?" I added about 2 c. each of homemade black beans and chickpeas to really thicken it up. I gave it only 4 stars though just because of that funky earthy taste right at the beginning. If you're not ready for it, it could cause you to not allow yourself to dig further into the pot. But keep going - it's worth it! So filling and delicious. Tastes great the following day(s) and freezes great. Daiya brand shredded cheddar was a great topper. (I refuse to use any other kind of vegan "cheese".) DELICIOUS - highly recommend.
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Being new to the vegan world, I still have the hankern' for meat on my palate when I eat...