Easy Vegetarian Chili

This past week as been perfect is every way, shape and form. My family has not been on a vacation together for many years and with all of us living in different cities it was time we all reunited for a family vacation. My sister and her husband gave my dad tickets to the Daytona 500 for his retirement last year so timing worked out perfectly for us all to attend. We began the week with the NASCAR race, which let me tell you, I am the newest NASCAR fan and you will be seeing me at future races. Following that we went to Universal Studios and Magic Kingdom. I have always been a Walt Disney fan so we could not resist attending when our house was five minutes away from the parks. All and all it was the most fantastic trip with my family and it is hard to get back to reality.

After a week of eating in restaurants and trying new foods, I was very anxious to get back into the kitchen to make a delicious homemade meal. I came across this recipe for Easy Vegetarian Chili from Two Peas & Their Pod, I have never made chili before so I was excited to attempt this recipe. The key word being ‘easy’ because the idea of chili intimidated me.

I started off making this chili in a smaller pot, not having any idea how much it would make and boy was I surprised when I had to transfer it into a much larger pot. I am not complaining at how much it made because was it ever good!

It was the perfect mix of vegetables and was extremely filling. I ended up freezing a large portion of it and it was great in my lunches.

If this cold weather continues, this chili is definitely a must for everyone. I will definitely be making this recipe again!

Enjoy!

Mackenzy

Adapted from: Two Peas & Their Pod

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 yellow pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno, diced, seeds removed
3 (15 oz.) cans diced tomatoes
2 (15 oz.) cans red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 (15 oz.) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups water
1 1/2 tablespoons cumin
2 tablespoons chili powder
Salt and pepper, to taste

** I also added mushrooms

Directions:

1. In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until light brown, about 2-3 minutes. Add carrot, celery, peppers, and jalapeno. Cook for five minutes, or until vegetables are soft.

2. Stir in diced tomatoes, beans, and water. Season chili with cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Stir and let chili simmer for 30 minutes. Stir chili frequently so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. Serve hot.

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