There’s nothing like a bowl of chili to warm you during these cold winter months. It makes a great meal and a perfect treat for the big game. It’s also something you can make ahead of time, or even make a large batch and freeze individual servings to heat up later.
This is my version for today. Sometimes I vary ingredients depending on what I have handy. I added some pumpkin to this version. You can’t even tell it’s there, but you could also substitute potatoes or squash to thicken it up.
½ cup chopped onion
2 stalks chopped celery
½ cup chopped green pepper
1 clove garlic
2 tbs high heat appropriate cooking oil (I like avocado or sunflower)
1 25 oz. can pinto beans
1 25 oz. can black beans
2 cans chopped tomatoes
1 cup chopped green chilies
2 small cans tomato paste
1 cup cooked pumpkin squash (optional but use fresh cooked – not canned)
4 tbls vegan buillon and 4 cups water (or 4 cups vegetable broth)
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp dried cilantro or ½ cup fresh chopped cilantro
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp mesquite spice
Salt and pepper to taste
Start with a large soup pan. Brown onion, celery, green pepper and garlic in oil slowly until tender and slightly browned. Drain beans and add to the pan. Do not drain tomatoes or chilies (if you are using canned). Add all the rest of the ingredients and simmer on low heat for about 1 hour. Serve or refrigerate/freeze and reheat when ready to eat.
Serves 8
