Vegetarian Chili with Red Kidney Beans and Red Peppers

Recipe Description:

Vegetarian chili — a healthy comfort food for anyone fasting from animal products or if you’ve run out of grass-finished ground beef and still want a yummy bowl of chili! This vegetarian chili with red peppers will keep you warm on the coldest of days.

Prep Time: 10 Minutes

Cook Time: 3 Hours

Servings: 4-6

Difficulty: Moderate

Recipe Ingredients:

1 cup dried red kidney beans, soaked overnight in filtered water with a tablespoon of raw apple cider vinegar or lemon juice

2 tablespoons grass-fed organic ghee or extra virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon whole cumin seeds

5-6 cloves of fresh garlic, chopped

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

3/4 large organic red bell pepper, seeded and diced

1/3 jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced (optional - use only if you like it spicy)

1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian or curly parsley

1/2 teaspoon dried or fresh oregano

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

200 grams (6 tablespoons) organic tomato paste (preferably in a glass jar)

4-5 cups filtered water, boiled

1 teaspoon of asafoetida powder (for de-gassing the beans - optional)

unrefined salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

freshly squeezed lime juice (add to individual plates)

tiny pinch of cayenne pepper (only add this after cooking, on individual plates, can get pretty spicy)

Recipe Instructions:

Prepare the beans. Soak red kidney beans overnight in an acidic medium. Then, drain, rinse and add to large pot. Add 2 cups of water and some asafoetida powder (helps make digestion easier) and bring to a boil. Skim off any scum that rises to the surface. Then, turn to medium-low heat and cook for an hour and half to two hours till soft. Add more boiled water if the liquid runs low throughout cooking.

Prepare chili concoction. While the beans are cooking, warm a tablespoon of ghee (or olive oil) in a separate large pot over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and saute for a few seconds. Add the chopped onions and garlic, and once translucent and fragrant, add the red peppers, jalapeño pepper, oregano, and cinnamon. Sauté over medium heat for 2 minutes, stirring continuously. Turn off heat and wait for beans to cook.

Boil filtered water. Bring several cups of water to a boil in a teapot or separate pot.

Mix the beans into the chili mixture. Drain the beans and add them to the mixture above, saute for a minute and then add enough of the boiled water to cover the mixture. Mix in 6 tablespoons of tomato paste, and stir until well incorporated. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes or so until the flavors have incorporated thoroughly and the sauce has thickened a bit.

Adjust thickness of soup. If mixture becomes too thick, add some more boiled water to lighten it up.

Add parsley, salt and pepper. Just before turning off the heat, add some fresh chopped parsley to the soup and mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Keep boiling for a couple of minutes and turn off the heat.

Add more condiments to individual plates. Right before serving, add fresh lemon or lime juice, a pinch of cayenne pepper, and more salt, pepper and olive oil -- all according to taste.

Author: hsaleh

Heba Saleh is a Virginia-based writer, internet enthusiast, and most importantly, a food lover dedicated to whole sustainably-sourced ingredients and traditional cooking. She has co-founded midEATS (http://mideats.com/), a hub for Middle Eastern cuisine and culture that has been steadily growing since August 2011. She also keeps her own blog on real food and healthy living: My Life in a Pyramid (http://mylifeinapyramid.com/). Heba has a Master's degree in English from George Mason University with a focus on Cultural Studies, and she has taught writing at the university level. View all posts by hsaleh

Recipe Description:

Recipe Ingredients:

Recipe Instructions:

Author: hsaleh

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