I love this chili because it tastes amazing, it is relatively easy to make, and so healthy! It is practically the whole rainbow of colors in one bowl. You can absolutely cook your chickpeas from scratch and use fresh tomatoes and corn, but one of the things that I like about this recipe is that most of the ingredients can come from your pantry so you can make it somewhat on the fly, and it is a great way to restock your freezer for those nights that you just don’t want to cook.
I spend a good amount of time in the kitchen and there are some days that my brain just says no! And, unfortunately it is totally unpredictable as to when that will happen! Does this happen to anyone else?! Well, those are the nights that I am thrilled to have good stuff like this in the freezer!
Vegetarian Chili (makes 6+ servings)
Ingredients:
2 cups lentils, rinsed – I use these – Aurora Products Organic Red Lentils
1 (15 ounce can) of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 ounce can) of sweet corn, drained and rinsed
1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely diced (set some aside if you want to use it as a garnish)
1 (15 ounce can) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 cup (cooked or canned) kidney beans, optional
1 large yellow onion, diced
6 white button mushrooms, thickly sliced
3 cups fresh spinach, chopped
2 red peppers, chopped
2 (28 ounce can) diced fire roasted tomatoes, my fav -Muir Glen Organic Diced Fire Roasted Canned Tomatoes – https://amzn.to/40pCZfw
6 cloves of garlic, minced
½ cup tomato paste
3 – 4 cups vegetable broth
1 tbsp Olive Oil
2 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp paprika
Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions:
In a large pot heat olive oil over medium/high heat. Add onions, allowing them to cook for a few minutes and become translucent. Add the lentils, stirring them so they all touch the heat. Stir in your spices; cayenne pepper, cumin, and paprika. Slowly add the vegetable broth, one cup at a time. Wait while each cup of liquid is absorbed by the lentils. Add the mushrooms, garlic, red pepper and jalapeno. Cook for 3-5 minutes. Add the spinach, stir it in until it has all wilted. Add the beans, corn, chickpeas, tomatoes and tomato paste. Stir everything to combine. Simmer on medium/low heat for 30 minutes, checking on it/stirring it every few minutes.
Optional Add on’s:
You can serve this with a dollop of plant based yogurt, or sour cream. You can also add tortilla chips, avocado slices, jalapeno pepper, and of course top it with my favorite – chopped cilantro.
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