Let’s be honest. Vegan chili is
no replacement for the taste and experience of good old fashioned meat chili,
with sour cream, onions, and shredded cheese. But that doesn’t stop me from
embracing a healthier ingredients, having fun with the basic chili concept,
and seeing where it goes. What if you could have a delicious, satisfying
chili, without increasing inflammation in your body, increasing your risk of
fatal disease, or risking unwanted weight gain? What if you could have an
awesome chili-eating experience using plant-based, nutrient dense, cleansing
foods? That is basically what you get with this vegan chili
recipe.
One of the “secret” ingredients in traditional chili
that makes it thick, and gives it an extra depth of flavor, is the use of
cornmeal or polenta. In this recipe, amaranth or teff is used instead, both
ancient grains that offer a cleaner, far more nutritious layer of pleasant
thickness and texture to your chili. Without this, it would be a mere bowl of
vegetable soup!
When you start putting together the peppers, the two different
kinds of squash, and the beans, and then add the cabbage, the nutrient
density of this chili really starts to compound. Look up the nutritional
facts of a comparable meat chili and see how many more vitamins, minerals and
fiber are delivered in this chili, compared to its traditional meat
counterpart. The rest is left to the rainbow of healthy vegetables, herbs,
and spices that make this, in my opinion, an awesome and easy regular for
your dinner table. It saves well, even tastier the next day!
calabaza vegan chili with black & white beans
Ingredients
- 1 medium pepper red bell pepper
- 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 2 cups butternut squash peeled, cut into 1/2-1 inch squares (about 8-10 oz.)
- 1 tsp. ground cumin grind from seeds if possible for better flavor
- 1 tsp. chile powder
- 2 tbsp. jalapeño finely chopped (about 1 small jalapeño)
- 1 large zucchini cut into 1squares, about 3 cups
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1.5 cups fire roasted diced tomatoes (about one standard can)
- 1.5 cups Cannellini beans (about one standard can)
- 1.5 cups black beans (about one standard can)
- 2 tbsp. amaranth or teff, quantity depends on how thick you want it
- 1 cup red cabbage shredded
- 1/4 cup Cilantro roughly chopped, for garnish
- 1 fruit Fresh lime for garnish
- 1 tbsp. coconut oil for sautéing
Instructions
- Heat the coconut oil in a medium stock pot. Sautee the onions, bell peppers, garlic, and butternut squash in the oil until they start to become tender.
- Add the cumin and chile powder, and continue to cook until the spices become fragrant.
- Add the tomatoes, and bring to a simmer. Add the broth, both beans, jalapeños, and bring to a simmer again.
- Add the thickener (amaranth or teff) and let simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Add the zucchini, bring to a simmer, and continue to cook until the thickener is cooked through and the chile has a light porridge consistency (very light, almost translucent). You still want it a little broth-like, so a thickened broth.
- Taste for salt & pepper. Serve in a bowl topped with the cabbage, cilantro, & lime. Top with a dollop of cashew cream or some sliced avocados.
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