My Special Veggie Chili

I am lucky enough most work days to be able to come home for lunch. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I rely on this hour "aka the power hour" to get lots of stuff done around the house.  One thing I find that  makes lunch preparation quick is to either have a pot of chili or soup in the fridge that I can heat up in  a matter of minutes.  No only does this make things easier, but it helps me stay on the healthy train, if you know what I mean.

Here is my veggie chili recipe that I make for my work lunches.  I have made this with meat (ground beef, and cubes) before but in an effort to cut back on red meat I now opt for the meat-less version.

The secret to the chili is the spice combination.  You can basically add anything you want in terms of veggies.  I add what ever I have on hand.

Ingredients:

1 Tbs olive oil

1 large white onion (or red) diced

1 red or green pepper (or both) diced

1-2 cups of sliced mushrooms

3 peeled and cut carrots

4 celery stalks cut

1 half zucchini cut

2 cloves of garlic minced

2 Tbs chili powder
1 tsp of cumin

1 tsp of cinnamon and dried oregano

1 tsp white sugar

1/4 tsp of salt 

1 can diced tomatoes

3/4 of a carton of either chicken, beef or vegetable broth

2 Tbs tomato paste

2 Tbs red wine or apple cider vinegar

1 can of drained black or kidney beans.

(frozen corn can be added at the very end if you wish)

In dutch oven on medium heat add olive oil, onions and garlic. Saute for a few minutes then add the rest of the veggies, cook for five or so minutes, stirring frequently.  Then add chili powder, cumin,cinnamon, oregano, sugar and salt, cook for additional five minutes. Then add tomatoes, broth, vinegar,  tomato paste and beans. Bring to a boil reduce heat to low and cover, simmer for an hour, stirring occasionally

Uncover and simmer until thickened for an additional hour.

One of the keys for me for me to eat healthier is having healthy choices at my fingertips.  A batch of this chili will usually last me a week.  The next week I will alternate and make a veggie coconut curry soup. I will share this recipe with you in the next couple of weeks.

Enjoy!

xoAngela

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