Vegetarian Bean Chili
Sometimes the mood calls for a meatless dinner. Whether it be for environmental consciousness or simply the desire to cut red meat from your diet, we have the perfect chili recipe for you. Any leftovers can be kept in the fridge for up to three days, or it can be frozen and kept for two months. This recipe is great today, but it might be even better tomorrow if you use it in our Chili Enchiladas recipe, which is exactly what our in-house Chef did.
Chili can be a good, healthy choice if it is prepared with beans instead of meat. This chili is lower in calories per serving, and offers a lot of nutrients from the beans and the tomato based sauce. You can amp up the benefits by serving this chili with a vegetable tray, though maybe keep the ranch dip in the fridge to cut down on saturated fat. We like corn chips with our chili, as they add a nice little crunch. Pair this with some cooked brown rice and you will find yourself with a hearty, filling meal that satisfies not only your belly but some of your nutritional needs as well.
We used canned beans for this recipe because that is what we had on hand, though dried beans would work just fine. Dried beans must be cooked prior to using them in the chili, so if you’re looking for a speedier version stick to the canned.
- 1 Tablespoon canola oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 Tablespoon Chili Powder Mild
- 1 Tablespoon Ground Cumin
- 1 teaspoon Manzanillo Mexican Seasoning
- 1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 3 medium tomatoes, chopped
- 1 15 ounce can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 15 ounce can navy beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 cups water
- 1/2 teaspoon Cracked Black Pepper
- Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat.
- Add onion and cook, stirring until beginning to softened.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring often, until very soft and just beginning to brown.
- Add garlic, chili powder, cumin and chili powder and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Stir in canned and fresh tomatoes, kidney, navy and black beans, water and pepper.
- Increase heat to high and bring to a boil, stirring often.
- Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chili has reduced slightly, 15 minutes
