Veggie Chili

While my in-laws were in town over the holidays, I was in need of a quick, vegetarian recipe for dinner. Enter Veggie Chili. It's warm, cozy and good for you!

My family and I really enjoy Chili. Most often I make a big pot of Turkey Chili. In the Fall months, I enjoy Pumpkin Chili. And for a change of pace, I rely on my Crockpot White Chicken Chili. I hadn't dabbled much in the Vegetarian Chili department, but I sure am glad I did!

Veggie Chili bypasses the meat all together. I've combined both kidney and pinto beans for added protein, as well as difference in texture and color. Rather than just eating a bowl of beans, I also wanted to amp up the veggie content. You'll still find red, green and poblano peppers in this recipe. But I've also added some diced sweet potato and yellow hominy. The sweet potato brings wonderful creaminess and flavor while the hominy lends a delightfully toothy texture.

Of course, the Veggie Chili is tasty enough to stand on its own. But I find a smattering of fun toppings make the bowl of chili that much more enjoyable. We like to serve our chili over a few crushed up tortilla chips then top it with some fresh fixings like avocado and cilantro. A sprinkle of cheese and dollop of sour cream never hurts anything either! If you like your bowl with a bit more heat, add a few pickled jalapenos. Chili is infinitely customizable!

I'd personally steer away from freezing this recipe as it'll turn your veggies to mush. But fortunately, this recipe is so quick to pull together you won't need much prep time in the kitchen to get dinner cooking!

Veggie Chili

Ingredients

·       2 tbsp olive oil

·       1 onion, diced

·       1 red pepper, diced

·       1 green pepper, diced

·       1 poblano pepper, diced

·       1 jalapeno, seeded and minced, more or less to taste

·       2 cloves garlic, minced

·       1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced

·       1 chile in adobo, diced, or more to taste

·       3 tbsp chili powder

·       1 tbsp cumin

·       1 tsp coriander

·       1 tsp oregano

·       1 tbsp tomato paste

·       2 tsp salt

·       Pepper to taste

·       2 15oz cans kidney beans, drained

·       2 15oz cans pinto beans, drained

·       1 15oz can yellow hominy, drained

·       2 15oz crushed tomatoes

To garnish (optional)

·       1 cup shredded cheddar or pepper jack cheese

·       2 avocados, diced

·       1 lime, cut into wedges

·       ¼ cup cilantro, chopped

·       1 7oz can pickled jalapenos

·       Sour cream

·       Crushed tortilla chips

Heat the olive oil in a deep dutch oven over medium low heat. Add the onions, peppers, jalapeno, garlic and sweet potato. Cook until the onions are translucent. Add the chile in adobo, chili powder, cumin, coriander, oregano, tomato paste, salt and pepper. Toast the spices for 2 minutes. Stir in the beans, hominy, and crushed tomatoes. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for at least 2 hours. If possible, simmer for 6-8 hours for deeper flavor.

Serve a heaping bowl of chili garnished to taste with cheese, avocado, lime, cilantro, pickled jalapenos, sour cream and tortilla chips.

Serves 4-6

Gluten Free Friendly!