Vegan Chili

Posted by Jill

I don't think I'm alone when I say that crisp fall Sundays just beg for Chili and football.  Plus, Sunday is the only day of the week where both Serial and I are off work.  It's the perfect time to squeeze in a hike followed by couch/soccer/football time.  Which for me means time to come up with new recipes and hang out with my boys. 

This recipe makes a LOT of chili, which we snacked on all day and still had leftovers.  It will keep for a few days in the fridge, in an airtight container. 

Yields: 5-6 large servings

Ingredients

• 4 cups tomatoes, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 5-6 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 cups sweet peppers, chopped
• 1 cup carrots, chopped
• 4-5 cans of beans (any kind), rinsed and drained - we used black beans, chickpeas & lentils
• 1 small can tomato paste
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
  
• 6 teaspoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons salt (optional)

Directions

1. In a large pot, heat the tomatoes, tomato paste and water on low/medium.
2. In a separate pan, saute the garlic and onions with 1/2 tsp olive oil.  After about 7-8 minutes, add the garlic and onions to the tomato mixture in the large pot.
3. In the same garlic/onion pan, saute the peppers and carrots with the remaining oil (use more if needed), until they are soft.  You want to remove the crisp and crunch from these veggies.  (not the most nutritional objective, but makes it more chili-like).  Once softened, add to the tomato mixture in the large pot.
   
4. Rinse and drain all of the beans that you're using, then add them to the large pot.  If you want to mimic a meat texture, you can take a cup or two of the beans and pulse them a few times in a food processor. 
   
5. Add in the chili powder and salt, then let simmer on low for 30 minutes.  We actually let ours simmer for a few hours, on the lowest setting, and just ate from it all day.  Once done, transfer to an airtight container, let cool, and store in the refrigerator. 
   

Enjoy!!  And Go Bears.