Huh.
MY DH won't believe it's chili until there are beans of substance in there.
That and the Frito's that get soggy at the bottom of the bowl under all that chili.
Anyway, does he accept lentils as a meat substitute? Because everything else is seasoning, IMO.
My current chili recipe uses a large can of tomato paste (15 oz) and 2 cans of water, sea salt, oil, pepper, chili powder, onion, garlic, cumin, and whatever other seasoning in my cupboard that smells right for what I'm going for.
Honey or some other sweetener helps mellow the tomato acid, too. I put in beans and ground meat, too. But I suppose that those can be interchangeable/optional.