Chili, Veggie Style: perfect for a spring snow day meal!
At this past Friday evening’s cooking class at In the Kitchen, I shared with the students a favorite recipe of mine, adapted from the original Moosewood Cookbook. By adapted I mean that all the flavorful goodness is there, I’ve simply made it easier and less time consuming. By using canned beans and roasting the veggies, the stove/sauté time is taken out of the food prep, making this the perfect high-protein, nutrition-packed dinner for the busy person to enjoy and be nourished by. It’s fabulous as a leftover lunch, also!
VEGGIE CHILI
(adapted from the Moosewood Cookbook)
Ingredients:
- 2 cans kidney beans
- 1 ½ cup tomato juice
- 1 cup uncooked bulgur wheat
- 2 Tbs. olive oil
- 2 cups chopped onion
- 6 – 8 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1 large carrot, diced
- 1 large celery stalk, diced
- 2 small zucchinis
- 1 large red, yellow, or orange pepper
- 1 large can tomatoes
- 2 Tbs tomato paste
- 2 tsp. cumin
- 2 tsp. basil
- 2 tsp. chili powder
- black pepper and cayenne, to taste
- finely chopped purple cabbage (as a topping)
optional toppings:
- finely minced parsley
- grated cheese
Preparation:
- Add the chopped veggies, onion and half of the chopped garlic together in a baking dish; toss with olive oil, salt and pepper; roast for 20 minutes total at 350 degrees, turning the veggies over once, at the10-minute mark.
- While the veggies are cooking, heat the tomato juice to a boil. Add the bulgur to the pot, stirring it up well, cover, and let it sit for 15 minutes.
- In a large pot, heat the beans and the bean juice. Add in the rest of the minced garlic and let it simmer for a few minutes. Add the canned tomatoes and bring to a boil – just for a moment, then turn down the heat to medium-low.
- Add the tomato paste and let it completely mix in, stirring gently.
- Add the roasted veggies and bulgur. Add spices to your desired taste. You can add more tomato juice if you like a thinner consistency.
- The purple cabbage on top adds a lovely crunch and gorgeous color finish. Additional topping options are minced parsley and grated cheese. Yum!