April 5, 2011

Sweet Veggie Chili

Ok, Ok, I definitely win the award for most absent amateur food blogger.  So, I apologize to you, my 1.5 devoted blog readers, but this housewife has been busy!  In fact, this housewife really isn’t a housewife any longer. Yep, that’s right.  I’m a working woman again—and I guess my domesticity (or the documenting of such) has taken a back seat.
Let’s try to fix that, shall we?

Spring hasn’t yet sprung around these parts and it’s still pretty chilly, so I thought I’d share, well, a chili recipe. Of course, this one is a yummy veggie variety and it has kept the husband and I well-fed and cozy this winter.

Sweet Veggie Chili
Serves 8

What You Need:

1  T. olive oil
2  cups chopped onion
3  garlic cloves, minced
4  cups water, divided
2  T. sugar
2  T. chili powder
2  T. Worcestershire sauce (Sub a soy sauce to remain true vegetarian)
2  (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1  (15 1/2-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1  (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1  (15-ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1  (16-ounce) can cannellini beans or other white beans, rinsed and drained
1  (6-ounce) can tomato paste
Low-fat cheese, sour cream, green onions to garnish (optional)

What You Do:

1.    Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
2.    Add onion and garlic; sauté 3 minutes or until tender.
3.    Add 3 cups water and next 8 ingredients (through cannellini beans), stirring to combine.
4.    Combine remaining cup of water and tomato paste in a bowl, stirring with a whisk until blended. Stir tomato paste mixture into bean mixture. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated.
5.     Ladle soup into bowls.
6.    Serve and garnish.

What I Learned:

1.    After making this chili a time or two, I decided to add some corn and whole wheat macaroni noodles.
2.    I love kidney and black beans, so instead of the 15-ounce variety, I go for the 29-ounce cans.  When adding the extra beans, noodles and corn it can become pretty hearty, so an additional can of tomatoes is a good supplement, as well as a little more water.
3.    As far as chilis go, this recipe is on the sweet and mild side.  Hubby likes his with some extra kick, so we keep Sriracha on hand.  If you are a fan of the spice, load up on the chili powder for this recipe.

The Verdict:  This is a go-to recipe for a cold day.  The chili cooks up in no time at all, and there’s plenty leftover for lunch the next day!

Source: Cooking Light

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