Don’t let the winter blues keep you from eating nutritious meals. Chili is a wonderful way to satisfy the desire for comfort food, and here are some recipes that give you plenty of veggies at the same time! (Click here to view the entire newsletter.)
- 1/2 cup vegetable broth (or 1 tablespoon olive oil; for sautéing)
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 bell peppers, chopped (any color)
- 1 28-ounce can of diced tomatoes
- 1 15-ounce can black beans
- 1 15-ounce can pinto beans
- 1 15-ounce can pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie filling!!)
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- dash of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes (optional)
- juice from 1 lime
- toppings: cilantro, avocado, jalapeños, sriracha, crushed tortilla chips
- In a big pot, heat up the vegetable broth.
- Sauté the onion and garlic until translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add in the bell peppers, cook another 5 minutes. Add in the canned tomatoes, beans, pumpkin, vegetable broth and spices (excluding the lime until the end). Stir until well combined.
- Bring to a slight boil, turn down heat and cover to let simmer about 15-20 minutes.
- Turn off heat and stir in the fresh lime juice.
- Serve immediately with your favorite spices.
Winter Vegetable Chili
Serves 6-8
1 recipe simmered pintos (http://cooking.nytimes.com /recipes/1016030-a-big-pot-of- simmered-pintos)
2 tablespoons grapeseed, sunflower or canola oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 large or 2 medium carrots, cut in small dice
1 red pepper, diced (optional) 2 large garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons mild ground chili (or use hot, or use more)
1 tablespoon lightly toasted cumin seeds, ground
1 28-ounce can chopped tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican oregano
2 tablespoons tomato paste dissolved in 1 cup water
2 cups diced winter squash (about 3/4 pound)
Salt to taste
1⁄2 cup chopped cilantro
Grated cheddar or Monterey Jack, or crumbled queso fresco for garnish (optional)
Step 1
Time: 1 hour 30 minutes Yield: Serves 6 to 8
PREPARATION
Heat the beans on top of the stove in a large soup pot or Dutch oven.
Step 2
Heat the oil over medium heat in a heavy nonstick skillet and add the onion, carrot and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are tender and beginning to color, about 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic, stir together until fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute, and add the ground chili and cumin. Cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes, until the mixture begins to stick to the pan. Add the tomatoes and oregano, and salt to taste. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring often, until the tomatoes have cooked down and the mixture is beginning to stick to the pan, about 10 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste dissolved in water and bring back to a simmer. Season with salt to taste and simmer, stirring often, for 10 minutes, until the mixture is thick and fragrant.
Step 3
Stir the tomato mixture into the beans. Add the winter squash and bring to a simmer. Simmer, stirring often, for 30 to 45 minutes. It is important to stir often so that the chili doesn’t settle and stick to the bottom of the pot. It should be thick; if you desire you can thin out with water. Taste and adjust salt.
Step 4
Shortly before serving stir in the cilantro and simmer for 5 minutes. Spoon into bowls. If you wish, top with grated cheddar, Monterey jack, or crumbled queso fresco.
Tip
Advance preparation: The simmered beans can be made 3 or 4 days ahead and the chili will keep for 3 or 4 days in the refrigerator. You will probably want to thin it out with water is it will continue to thicken. It freezes well.
Source: NYTimes.com