Veg-Loaded Chili

So I’ve been off line for a few weeks and have not been cooking as much as I would like due to life just happening and not enough time to do everything I would like to do. Today is Boston Marathon Monday and I have the day to catch up and make a big batch of this veggie loaded chili. I do add ground pork and turkey to this but it would certainly be equally delish without the addition of meat to make this a hearty vegetarian meal. Start with a nice bowl of rice, a baked potato and add the chili for a hearty meal. Or forego the starch and eat it as is. I do have some homemade tortillas in the freezer that I made a while back which I am going to take out today and make some homemade tortilla chips to serve along side. OK, so there is starch in the tortillas too but……..you have to use SOMETHING to scoop up all the goodness and sauce!

My husband helped to chop and prepare all the ingredients ahead of time which does make this easy to put together. Although, I have made it by incrementally adding the onions and the garlic in the pot, then one by one add carrots, celery, peppers, beans, corn, the spices, meat (if using), and lastly the tomatoes. Once everything is added to the pot, it simmers on the stovetop for about 1-2 hours, partially covered to let some steam out but also to maintain some of the liquid that comes out of the veggies to make a nice thickened tomato sauce.

I start with cooking the ground turkey and pork if using and then remove it from the pot.

Here I add the onions, let them sweat out for ~ 5-10 min. stirring occasionally, then add the carrots and celery, letting them cook for ~ 5 min.  Then add all the peppers and again let sweat for another 5 min.

Once all the veggies are shimmering, add the spices and stir to let them fully incorporate.

Now, add everything else…..the beans, corn, meat (if using) and whole peeled tomatoes and a small can of diced tomatoes.

This is what it looks like after having simmered for ~ 2 hrs with occasional stirring.

The image at the top of the page features those homemade tortilla chips I was referring to. But if you don’t have homemade tortillas, you can use the store-bought ones. I drizzle a bit of olive oil on each one and use my hands to spread it out over the entire surface of the tortilla, then I lightly salt them. Next stack ~3-4 like you would pancakes and use a knife or pizza cutter to score into 6-8 triangles (or whatever shapes you prefer). Lay flat on a baking sheet and toast at a 400 deg preheated oven for ~5-10 minutes checking occasionally for doneness so they don’t burn.

5 from 1 vote

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Veg-Loaded Chili

Prep Time

30 mins

Cook Time

1 hr

Total Time

1 hr 30 mins

 

a delicious version of chili with tons of vegetables and lean ground pork and turkey for a hearty satisfying meal that won’t weigh you down.  omit meat for a vegetarian version.

Course: Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: spicy, tomato, tortilla, chili, vegetarian

Author: maura

Ingredients

Cook Meat before adding onions, etc to save on pans (if using)

• 1 lb ground turkey pkg may be 20 oz
• 1 lb ground pork

Now making the chili

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 1 1/2 cups chopped carrot
• 1 1/2 cups chopped celery*
• 1 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 1 cup chopped green bell peppeer
• 1-3 jalapeno peppers, diced small
• 1 Tbsp chili powder
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 TBSP. dried oregano*
• 1-2 bay leaves*
• 28 oz can Italian-style plum tomatoes with juice chopped
• 1 cup corn kernels* frozen or fresh
• 1 can diced tomatoes* ~14-15 oz can
• 15 oz can red kidney beans rinsed and drained
• 15 oz can cannelini beans rinsed and drained
• 15 oz can black beans rinsed and drained
• 1-2 tsp chopped canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce (I substituted jalapenos for this ingredient)
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• * indicates modification of original recipe

Instructions

1. In large, heavy saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. 

2. Add onion.  Cook over low/medium heat until light golden brown, about 10 minutes. Then add garlic and stir constantly letting cook for ~ 30 sec, avoid burning.  

3. Add carrot, celery, red and green bell peppers, and jalapenos.  Cook over low/medium heat to let them sweat out stirring occasionally.  You may add ea item one at a time while you prepare the next instead of adding all at one time.  Either way is equally good.

4. Add all of the spices and herbs that you are using and stir the pot to fully incorporate.  Let simmer ~ 2-3 min to allow a gentle toasting of the spices for a richer flavor.

5. Add whole peeled tomatoes using your hands to squish them, diced tomatoes, and any types of beans you choose, as well as the corn and the pre-cooked ground meat (if using).  

6. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer stirring occasionally, about 30-60 minutes, partially covered. 

7. Season with salt and pepper to taste.  

8. Serve as is or serve over roasted potatoes, baked potato, cooked white rice.  Tortilla chips on the side add a nice crunch and with some added cheddar cheese, you can’t go wrong.  Some may like to add some sour cream to top as well.  

Recipe Notes

• this recipe was inspired by the Vegetarian Chipotle Chili recipe from my all-time favorite cookbook titled ‘Colorado Collage’.  I made some additions and substitutions to suit my tastes and diet.
• this chili is so versatile, any ingredients that are not to your liking you can eliminate
• if you are bold, feel free to spice it up with additional peppers and various types of chili powders
• sometimes I may add 2 cans of the diced tomatoes for a more saucy kind of chili
• ground turkey pkg may be 20 oz which is fine or you can take the extra 4 oz to make a turkey burger
• nice additions would be sour cream, cheddar cheese, tortilla chips on the side, roasted potatoes, cooked white rice, baked potato…………….