Vegetable Chili

I wanted to make something hearty and healthy. I love this recipe because it's pretty much all vegetables and beans. It's low-sodium, low-cholesterol, and fiber-licious! If you want to save time, just used canned beans instead of cooking the beans yourself.

I also didn't bother "dicing" the vegetables. Instead, I pulsed them in a food processor. I was careful not to over-pulse them because I wanted the soup to be chunky. I can't even imagine how long it would take to dice all of these vegetables! There are a lot of ingredients, but don't be intimidated.

And remember, chili always tastes better the second day.

Recipe- Vegetable Chili

2 cups dried black beans, OR 2 15 oz cans black beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup dried kideny beans, OR 1 15 oz can kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1/3 cup olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 yellow onion, diced or chopped

3 medium carrots, diced or chopped

4 celery stalks, diced or chopped

3 red bell peppers, diced or chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped

1 zucchini, diced or chopped

1 yellow squash, diced or chopped

1 cup canned or frozen corn

2 tablespoons ground cumin

1/3 cup chili powder

2 tablespoons paprika

1 tablespoon sugar

2 tablespoons ground coriander

1 28 oz can Italian-style tomatoes, diced

1 and 1/2 pounds plum tomatoes, diced or chopped

salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste

1 bay leaf

1. If using dried beans, soak them overnight. Drain and rinse. Boil them in 8 cups of water. Reduce heat once boiling and let simmer for one hour. Remove and drain. If using canned beans, drain and rinse.

2. In a large pot, heat the oil on medium, and add the minced garlic. Reduce the heat if the garlic starts to brown. Increase the heat to medium high and add the onion. Sautee for 5-10 minutes, until the onion is tender and translucent.

3. Add the chopped vegetables, one at a time, every five minutes in the following order: carrots, celery, bell peppers and jalapeno pepper (together), zucchini and yellow squash (together), and corn. Then, add all of the spices and cook another 5-10 minutes.

4. Stir in the beans, tomatoes, and bay leaf. Bring the chili to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for an hour or more--until the chili thickens. Serve warm and garnish with sour cream, cheese, grilled chicken or grilled steak.