Vegetarian Chili
his Vegetarian Chili is so hearty that you won’t miss the meat. It is made from basic ingredients which means you don’t have to make an extra trip to the store. And best of all, this recipe makes six generous servings so you just might have lunch set for the next few days.
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 1 medium yellow or red onion, chopped (if you like raw onion as a topping, set a bit aside)
- 4 cloves of garlic, halved and sliced
- 2 bell peppers (I like to use one red and yellow for color), chopped
- 2 large handfuls of spinach
- 1 medium zucchini, chopped
- 1 jalapeño, minced (optional; with seeds for more spice; seeds removed for less spice)
- 1 15.5 oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 15.5 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes (use any flavor you like—fire roasted, green chili, etc.) and their juices
- 1/3 cup frozen corn kernels (or half a can of corn, drained)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- optional: pinch of cayenne (if you like it extra spicy)
- salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- fixings of choice: sour cream (or plain Greek yogurt), shredded cheddar, raw onions, fresh cilantro, etc.
Instructions
- In a large skill, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook until translucent (about 3 minutes). Add the rest of the fresh vegetables and sauté until they begin to soften (about five minutes). Add the rest of the ingredients (but not the fixings!) and turn up heat, cooking until the liquid starts to boil. Reduce the heat and cook uncovered until liquid is mostly evaporated (about 15 minutes). Remove bay leaves, taste and adjust seasoning. Serve in deep bowls topped with your favorite fixings of choice.
Notes
If you are adding meat, add it after sautéing the onions and then just follow the recipe as written.