Loaded Vegetarian Chili

We made this big crock-pot of chili to feed the family lunch over the holidays. I also made this recipe for my daughter's baby shower get together, and it was a hit. Everyone no matter their personal food lifestyle, always enjoys this hearty meal. Serve hot out of the crock-pot with some whole grain bread, multi-grain chips, or lentil crackers. Makes fantastic leftovers! Don't forget some refreshing vegetable juice!
   
Loaded Vegetarian Chili

Base:

1 can organic chopped tomatoes
1 can organic tomato paste
4 cups of homemade vegetable broth or (1 box of low sodium organic)

Fresh Vegetables:

1 tsp olive oil
1 cup chopped carrots (2-3 carrots)
2 green or red peppers chopped
2 yellow squash chopped larger
2 zucchini squash chopped larger
2 celery stalks chopped
1 small onion chopped (or half of medium onion)

Beans, tomatoes and corn:

1 can of organic Kidney Beans rinsed and drained
1 can of organic Garbanzo Beans rinsed and drained
1 can of organic Black Beans rinsed and drained
1 can of Pinto Beans rinsed and drained (optional)
1 can of Aduki Beans rinsed and drained (optional)
1 cup of fresh or frozen corn   
1 can of organic peeled tomatoes sliced in half 

Spices:

2 bay leaves
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 nutmeg
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp curry powder
1 tb mustard powder
2 tbs oregano
1/2 tb Himalayan pink salt sprinkle of table salt 
Sprinkling of Taco seasoning

Optional Superfoods:

2 tbs dulse flakes
2 tbs nutritional yeast
1 tb maca powder
2 tbs flax powder 1
2 tbs chia seeds soaked in a small bit of water 

optional 1/2 cup spring water to make thinner if needed 

Directions:
In frying pan cook onion in oil with spices.  Add the rest of the chopped veggies and cook 5 - 10 minutes. Add this vegetable mixture to your crock-pot. Add the rest of the ingredients to crock pot and cook on "high" for an hour. Lower temp to simmer on "low" for a few hours. Eat whenever you are ready! It's crazy good and so easy!

With any soup or stew recipe if you have your base ingredients you can make anything! So feel free to add or delete anything from this recipe according to what you have on hand, and that you know works well together. I researched a dozen different vegetarian chili recipes before I came up with this version. It's everything and the kitchen sink!

Notes: If you have problems with beans you could just use two or three kinds of beans instead of five! Also we do not like hot foods, so if you need some extra heat add however much chili spice you like to taste!

"Time to chop the vegetables!" (she said like the old "Time to make the donuts!")

Fry them up in the pan! Smells good so do a happy dance!

Spice up your life!

Put your Veggies from the frying pan into the crock-pot, add your base ingredients of broth and tomatoes. Rinse and drain your beans before adding to the crock. Turn crock-pot to high setting.

I used can beans, but you can certainly soak dried beans overnight if you buy them in bulk or bags, and use them instead.

Add the can of whole peeled organic tomatoes. So colorful! I cut some of the tomatoes in half while they are in the mix.

Gorgeous spices! I forgot to mix them in with the veggies in the frying pan. This way worked out fine anyway (and made a super photo)! If you already added your spice at the beginning, this would be a good time to taste test to see if you would like to add more of anything. Especially if you are one of those hotties!

Time to add some superfoods! Chia seeds, flax powder, maca powder, and nutritional yeast.

Soak the chia seeds a few minutes till a jelly consistency and mix the maca powder with some water to dissolve and make a liquid.

Add two tablespoons of Dulse flakes, so good for the thyroid!

Give everything a good stir, cover and let cook through on high setting. You can then lower the temp in an hour or so, and let it keep going for the rest of the day till you are ready to eat. Go do something else!  Ahhh! The beauty of crock-pot cooking!

Mmmm a warm and satisfying meal for these chilli 'chilli' winter days! Enjoy!