What’s the best veggie substitute for beef mince?

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I am pretty clueless tbh. Husband and I are meat eaters but my children have been making noises about vegetarianism for a while now. I am keen to support them.

I make chilli using a recipe that they love (just the bbc good food one). They have asked for it this weekend but my eldest (8) is in a quandary about the beef (I’m honestly unsure where this is coming from - must be school).

what’s the best replacement?? I googled and there are so many options…

We don't use any meat substitutes, we would just use both lentils and kidney beans in a chilli.

Oh she hates kidney beans. But lentils…do you just put them in dry or do you need to prepare them first?

What about black beans? I hate kidney beans! They tasty floury to me, but I've discovered black beans in chilli are lovely

I’ll try anything. I’m grateful for all suggestions because this is entirely new territory to me.

it’s actually comical how much she hates kidney beans. She’s not a fussy eater in the slightest but she was absolutely appalled by kidney beans 😂

TBF I don't blame her they honestly taste like biting into wet pasty flour to me

Try soya mince or textured vegetable protein - Holland and Barratt have a good selection

Could you just reduce the mince? Use half finely chopped mushrooms instead?

Ah I dunno. She’s particularly vehement that she doesn’t want to eat beef any more. I feel like I need to go with it if she feels that strongly.

It’s a shame though because she loves it. Steak pie etc. I’m actually really impressed by her strength of character to be honest.

Puy lentils are a good alternative.

They're the right colour, and have a bit of texture to them.

There are lots of meat type alternatives, plant based are good.

I avoid soya, because it lacks texture.

I love kidney beans - like little fluffy clouds of potato, wrapped in a purple prose... Sorry skin.

OP, I was veggie for 20 years, half of it before Quorn came out - which is probably their best bet with regards to mince.

However, my daughter and I love a vegan bean chilli...

Kidney beans, butter beans, chick peas, black eyed beans... In with the tomato based chilli sauce (tomatoes, garlic, onion, chilli powder), whilst it's cooking, mash them down so sauce becomes thicker and the beans become less recognisable.

Add red lentils by all means - work as a thickener and more protein. Just lob a handful in because they bulk out a lot.

Season to taste, and mash to texture - voila vegan chilli.

But if your kids don't like beans I'd just use Quorn... Or point out that vegetarians eat lentils, pulses and vegetables lol.

Oh however if she likes peppers, onions, mushrooms etc do a thickly cut veggie chilli, with simply veg.

I love either or. Thinking about going back to plant based tbh.

Anything in a decently cooked chilli sauce will taste good with rice. Good luck!

Nigella's vegetarian chilli made with lentils. The one with the corn bread topping. Meat version also available.

It's the dogs bollocks.

Linda McCartney's veggie mince is the nicest imo as Quorn gives me a sore belly. I sometimes make it with green lentils as they keep their shape and black beans too. Yummy with the soft wee boat things.

I tend to just put black beans, corn and chopped up bell peppers in a chilli but if you want mincey, TVP is the best IMO. It's dirt cheap and comes dry in a packet so you can just store in the cupboard, and has virtually no flavour so just absorbs whatever you cook it with. You just reconstitute with liquid at about 1:1 ratio.

I like the Quorn one- as long as it has a sauce on it its great

I like quorn mince too. Like a pp said, if you put sauce on it's great.

Pre-cooked Puy lentils.

I use a mix of puy lentils, red lentils and chickpeas as a meat substitute. It doesn’t look or have the texture of meat but it is nice in its own way. Also, it’s super cheap if you use dried ones (chickpeas will need soaking time).

I use Quorn mince or lentils and chickpeas. Tinned lentils and chickpeas from Aldi are good and obviously no soaking time!

the meatless farm has a brilliant mince. can buy a fridge or frozen version.

I've been vegetarian since I was a child. I like a chilli full of veggies and beans but I also make them with Quorn mince and I've been told when its in a chilli it doesn't taste much different from the original. Can't confirm myself though :'). I would say if you are looking for a direct substitution Quorn is the best.

I found Morrisons vegan mince in the frozen section to be quite nice.

I have two veggie daughters and both are happy with quorn as a meat replacement (also Linda McCartney vegetarian mince)
All the meat replacements are highly processed so we don't use them often, but they are palatable enough for most meat eaters as well. Well the quorn is, just about.
I make a mean shepherd's pie using puy lentils (tinned, for ease) There are some good recipes on BBC Good Food website for wholesome vegetarian food.
I let my then 8 year old be vegetarian on the basis that she'd eat a wide variety of food, and taught her to make herself an omelette early on.

I use that BBC recipe too! I use quorn and add loads of peppers