Chili Non Carne
This vegetarian chili is sweet, chunky, and just a little spicy. If your kids won’t eat these foods mixed together, remove a couple of spoonfuls of the beans and corn and set some extra carrots aside for them (but encourage them to have a taste of the combined chili, too).
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 4 cup carrots halved and diced, or use 1 baby carrots, diced about 20 baby carrots
- 15 oz. canned red kidney beans (preferably with no sugar added)(or use 1 1/2 cups home-cooked beans for every 15 oz. can), with their liquid
- 15 oz. reduced-sodium canned black beans (or use any variety)(or use 1 1/2 cups home-cooked beans for every 15 oz. can), with their liquid
- 1 cup salsa look for brands with no sugar added
- 28 oz. crushed tomatoes
- 1 Tbsp. chili powder or more to taste
- 1 1/2 cups corn kernels, fresh, frozen, or canned, thawed if using frozen, drained if canned
- 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese for serving (optional)
- 1 cup low fat sour cream or plain Greek yogurt (or use any variety) for serving (optional)
Instructions
- In a large heavy saucepan or stockpot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions, peppers, and carrots and sauté them until the onions start to brown, about 5 minutes.
- Add both types of beans, salsa, tomatoes, and chili powder. Bring it to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer it, uncovered, for at least 20 minutes, and up to 40 minutes, stirring it occasionally. About 10 minutes before serving, stir in the corn.
- Serve the chili in bowls, topped with 1 – 2 Tbsp. of cheese and/or a dollop of the yogurt or sour cream, if desired. The chili can also be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 3 days, or frozen for up to 3 months.
Slow Cooker Directions:
- In a large skillet, heat the oil and sauté the onions and peppers until the onions start to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the onions and peppers and the remaining ingredients, except the cheese and yogurt, to the slow cooker. Cook on low for 6 - 8 hours or on high for 3 - 4 hours. Serve with the cheese and/or yogurt as directed above. (Slow cooker cooking times may vary—Get to know your slow cooker and, if necessary, adjust cooking times accordingly.)
Notes
Do Ahead or Delegate: Dice the onion and bell pepper, halve and dice the carrots, thaw the corn if using frozen, shred the cheese if necessary and refrigerate, or fully prepare and refrigerate or freeze the chili.
Scramble Flavor Booster: Double the chili powder, use spicy or chipotle salsa, and serve the chili with hot pepper sauce, such as Tabasco.
Tip: My family cannot tell the difference between sour cream and Greek yogurt, so I often serve the latter whenever sour cream is called for because I always have yogurt on hand for my breakfast. Initially, I took the yogurt out of its container and put it in a dish as I suspected my kids might balk when they saw they were eating yogurt on their chili. Now they're totally used to it.
Nutritional Information Per Serving (% based upon daily values): Calories 230, Total Fat: 3g, 5%; Saturated Fat: 0g, 0%; Cholesterol: 0mg, 0%; Sodium: 1100mg, 46%; Total Carbohydrate: 41g, 14%; Dietary Fiber: 12g, 48%; Sugar: 13g; Protein: 10g
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