Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Easy Veggie Chili

There are so many reasons to love veggie chili: it's easy to make, it freezes great, it's delicious and warming on a cold winter day, it's a great take-along dish (tailgating, etc).

This recipe in particular is a favorite, just because of how easy it is. I am sure there are fancier recipes to knock your socks off (see list at bottom). But I stick to my favorite, because when I'm making chili, I am not usually in the mood to put in extra 'knock your socks off' effort. This is warm (not spicy) and delicious, and hits the spot every time.


If you have time and feel like putting in some extra effort, make cornbread muffins to go with the chili. This combo will make you very happy.

Veggie Chili
adapted from CookingLight

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1/2 cup diced green peppers
2 carrots, chopped (chunky)
3 celery stalks, chopped
2 garlic cloves, diced
1 small can of corn kernels (approx. 1/2 cup)
1 1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 can black beans
1 can chickpeas
2 cups of water, divided
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, for topping (optional)


Chop/dice all your vegetables.

Heat oil in large pot, then add onion through garlic and saute 7-8 minutes.

Add corn through beans, and 1 1/2 cups water, bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes. Add additional water as necessary, so the chili doesn't dry out or burn on the bottom of the pan. Serve warm, with shredded cheese sprinkled on top.

Notes:
* You can use up to 4 cans of beans (and almost any variety you want: kidney, cannellini, butter beans, etc), but Tim doesn't like chili too 'beany' and therefore I use only 2 cans. Tastes great either way!
* Additional vegetables to add/substitute: diced celery, zucchini, red/yellow/orange bell peppers

More great chili recipes:
- Spicy Vegetarian Chili, from Simply Recipes
- Butternut Chili, from Karina's Kitchen
- Quick Vegetarian Chili with Avocado Salsa, from CookingLight

Guten appetit!

1 comment:

Jaime said...

mmmm, sounds delish!