Hearty Vegetable Black Bean Chili

It seems that healthy vegetable filled meals are all the rage, and for good reason! Free of saturated fat yet full of nutrients and fiber, this vegetable chili is a real crowd pleaser!  We’ve created this recipe using canned beans and canned tomatoes to keep it budget friendly while keeping it tasty! 

Ingredients

2 large cans diced tomatoes (with juice)

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 orange pepper, diced

1 small red onion, diced

1 cup niblet corn

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 large can black beans, rinsed.

1 small can kidney beans, rinsed (substitute 1 can of black beans for all black bean chili)

1 medium carrot, grated

1 cup crimini mushrooms, chopped small (or use your favorite mushrooms)

2-3 cups fresh spinach

2 teaspoons of cumin (or chili powder)

1 teaspoon paprika

1 tablespoon lime or lemon juice

1 cup water

How To:

1. Place canned tomatoes, red peppers, carrot, onions and spices (except paprika)  in a large pot and bring to a simmer for about 30 minutes.
2. If you are using fresh tomatoes, at this point you want to blend your ingredients to create a chunky sauce.  If you are using canned diced tomatoes, go to step 3.
3. Add the beans, orange pepper, corn, lime juice, water and paprika to the pot and simmer for about 20 minutes until the chili reduces and thickens a bit.
4. Add the spinach to the pot and let cook for 5 minutes until spinach is wilted.

This chili is delicious served with a side salad or even spooned on top of a baked potato, topped with fresh sliced avocado.

TIP:  Don’t like black beans? Prefer Kidney beans?  Don’t let ingredients hold you back. Leave out the cumin, and use chili powder instead.  Never ever let ingredients hold you back.  IF you prefer to make this recipe with fresh tomatoes use 6-7 fresh organic Roma tomatoes.  You want to use the very best tomatoes you can buy.  This really is outstanding with fresh tomatoes, but not everyone has them handy, so I’ve created this recipe with canned tomatoes.