Chili. Not sure if there is anything more quintessentially fall than a hearty bowl of chili… maybe some football on in the background… a fire crackling in the fireplace… and your coziest pieces cuddling your body. Plus, it’s typically a super easy meal to prepare, so it’s a low stress option on the weekends… or for a busy work evening when you want something hearty + healthy at the end of the day. I’ve been rotating between a few recipes over the years… one with sweet potatoes, black beans, and quinoa… another with ground turkey + 4 beans… but this time around, I wanted to try and recreate one of my all time favorite vegetarian chili recipes from a local restaurant. While I don’t know if I had all the ingredients spot on, I do know that it was pretty DG and Harper warmed up to it once she piled it high on some sourdough bread… and TJ dusted the leftovers the next day.
If you’re worried about missing out on protein at dinner or lunch, don’t fret. Whenever you combine a legume (such as beans) with a grain (example, quinoa) you create a complete protein… so meat lovers don’t fret… even my carnivore hubs was full off of this chili for hours….
I didn’t top mine with the cheese, but Harper and TJ did and said it was delish… I opted for some green onions and sourdough crumbles and it was ah-mazing……
Hearty + Healthy Vegetarian Chili
1 chopped onion
2 tbsp avocado or olive oil
2 16oz. cans of kidney beans (pour in with liquid)
2 16oz. cans of white beans (pour in with liquid)
2 16oz. cans of pinto beans (drained, then poured into pot)
1 cup of quinoa
1 16.oz can of crushed tomatoes
2 Tbsp chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
2-3 tbsp salt
2 tsp ground pepper
Topping Options
Shredded Cheese
Green Onions
Crumbled Corn Bread or Sourdough Bread
Directions:
1. Heat oil, and then sauté onions until they are translucent
2. Toss in beans, tomatoes, quinoa, + all the spices. Bring to a boil.
3. Cover + simmer for about 20-30 minutes (stir frequently), or until the quinoa is fully cooked.
4. Serve + enjoy with desired toppings,
