Vegetarian Chili

     Our family's traditional Halloween supper is chili. It simmers on the stove as trick-or-treaters come and go, providing contrast to all that candy! Growing up, my family ate chili frequently, but my mother’s chili was ground-beef based. Eventually, my mom started making a pot of meatless chili for me & my sister, and now we make it for ourselves  J

     My recipe is mild enough for kids, but you could add hot stuff if you like it spicy. I think chili goes great with tortilla chips, nachos, or even Fritos! It’s easy to make, easy to freeze (and thaw on the stove), and provides plenty of fiber.

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, diced (about 1 cup)

1 large green bell pepper, diced

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

15 oz. tomato sauce

¼ cup salsa

1 ½ tsp. cumin

1 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. dried whole oregano

½ tsp. salt

15.5 oz. can light red kidney beans, drained

15.5 oz. can pinto or black beans, drained

1 c. frozen corn

Directions:

1. In a large frying pan over medium heat, sauté green pepper and onions in oil until they become soft. Onion will appear translucent and green pepper will become a darker shade of green.

2. Add tomato sauce, salsa, and spices (including salt). Allow it to simmer for a couple minutes for flavors to blend.

3. Add both cans of beans and frozen corn. Lower the heat a little and let simmer at least five minutes. The longer the chili simmers, the better it will taste! The beans and corn will soften and the sauce will develop a richer flavor.

     Red bell pepper works great in this recipe. Also, you can add sliced black olives!

     If you want to include ground beef, start by browning it on the stove. Omit vegetable oil and saute onions and peppers with meat. Proceed with the rest of the recipe as written. 
     

     I make thick chili, but if you want it soupier, add more tomato sauce. The recipe is pretty versatile.

*Nutrition facts:

Ingredient	Calories	Sodium (% RDA)	Fiber (g)	Protein (g)	Calcium (% RDA)
1 c. chopped onion	64	0	3	2	4
1 c. chopped green pepper	30	0	3	1	1
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil	240	0	0	0	0
15 oz. tomato sauce	140	77	7	7	0
¼ c. salsa	20	22	0	0	0
½ tsp. salt	0	50	0	0	0
15.5 oz. canned kidney beans	350	38.5	24.5	24.5	7
15.5 oz. canned pinto beans	315	59.5	24.5	21	14
1 c. frozen corn	120	0	3	3	0
Total (5 cups)	1279 kcal	247 %	65 g	58.5 g	26 %
½ cup serving	128 kcal	25 %	6.5 g	6 g	2.5 %

*Calculated from food packaging and the following website: http://nutritiondata.self.com

 I used “Wesson” brand vegetable oil, “Herdez” brand casera mild salsa, “Great Value” (Walmart) brand light red kidney beans, pinto beans and tomato sauce, “Morton” brand salt, and “Hanover” brand frozen corn.

This post is linked to:
One Stop Thursday Party--Anything Goes!
Inspire Me Fridays