Smoky Vegan Sausage Beer Chili with Quinoa

Life has been busy since we returned from vacation, and it looks like this coming week won't slow down either. But I thought I'd take a little break from other things to share this chili recipe. I left it saucy rather than super thick, which makes it a great partner for quinoa or a grain of your choice. And I loved the Liquid Smoke flavor, so don't skip it if you have some around. Hope you all are having a great weekend!

Smoky Vegan Sausage Beer Chili with Quinoa
Serves 6

1 1/2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
8 ounces vegan sausage (such as Gimme Lean)
2 medium onions, chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
1 orange bell pepper, chopped
1 large jalapeno, minced
2 heaping Tablespoons chili powder
12 ounces beer (such as PBR)
15 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
15 ounce can garbanzos, rinsed and drained
2 14 1/2 ounce cans diced tomatoes
1/2 cup frozen corn kernels
1 Tablespoon Liquid Smoke
salt and white pepper to taste (black pepper is fine too)
quinoa, prepared according to package
hot sauce (such as Happy Dogs)

Heat 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Saute sausage until browned, breaking it into crumbles. Set sausage aside in another container. Add 1/2 Tablespoon olive oil to the pot and heat over medium heat. Saute onions, celery, bell pepper, and jalapeno for 5 to 10 minutes, until soft. Add chili powder and saute for another minute. Add sausage, beer, black beans, garbanzos, tomatoes, corn, Liquid Smoke, and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes. In the meantime, prepare quinoa according to package. Serve chili over quinoa with hot sauce to taste.