Vegetarian Chili – 3 Ways

Let’s get a few things straight. 1. Yes, these are all vegetarian— I’m not a big meat eater. If you are, feel free to add ground beef or shredded chicken or whatever. 2. This is chili, 3 ways. Not chili 3—way. We can talk about 3—way sometime. If you want. To me, it’s a Steak n’ Shake thing.

Anyway. Glad we got through that. Now we can focus on chili. I really love chili in the fall. It’s the perfect fall meal. My favorite way to serve it is over Fritos. You gotta have Fritos. Here are three different recipes for chili, each focusing on different flavors. I’ll tell you my favorite, maybe.

Curry Chili, makes 2-3 servings.

Needed: 2 tablespoons olive oil,1/2 yellow onion, 2 tablespoons minced garlic, 1/2 red bell pepper, 1 can pinto beans, 1 can black beans, 1 chipotle pepper (in adobo sauce), 1 can diced tomatoes, 1/2 tablespoon toasted curry, a pinch of cumin, cinnamon and red pepper.

In a medium/large pot, heat the oil over low heat. Dice onion and bell pepper, mince garlic. Add to the pot and turn the heat up to medium.

Sauté until onion begins to soften. Chop chipotle pepper and add to the pot, if you like it spicy add a little of the sauce too. Add diced tomatoes with juices and all the spices and cook for 2-3 minutes. like to use an immersion blender to puree things slightly.

Or, you can leave the mixture more chunky and rustic. Drain and rinse the beans and add to the pot. Once everything is warmed through, check to see if you need to add any salt or pepper. Serve with cheese or sour cream.

Pumpkin Chili, makes 2-3 servings.

Needed: 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 yellow onion, 2 tablespoons minced garlic, 1/2 red bell pepper, 1 can pinto beans, 1 can red beans, 1 chipotle pepper (in adobo sauce), 1 can diced tomatoes, 1/2 can pumpkin puree, a pinch of cumin, cinnamon and red pepper.

In a medium/large pot, heat the oil over low heat. Dice onion and bell pepper, mince garlic. Add to the pot and turn the heat up to medium.

Sauté until onion begins to soften. Chop the chipotle pepper and add to the pot. If you like it spicy, add a little of the sauce too. Add diced tomatoes with juices, pumpkin, and all the spices and cook for 2-3 minutes. Here I like to use an immersion blender  to puree things slightly.

Or, you can leave the mixture more chunky and rustic. Drain and rinse the beans and add to the pot. Once everything is warmed through check to see if you need to add any salt or pepper. Serve with cheese or sour cream.

Black and White Chili, makes 2-3 servings. This is the most like classic chili.

Needed: 2 tablespoons olive oil,1/2 yellow onion, 2 tablespoons minced garlic, 1/2 red bell pepper, 1 can great northern beans, 1 can black beans, 1 jalapeno pepper (remove seeds and veins), 1 can diced tomatoes, a pinch of cumin, cinnamon and red pepper.

In a medium/large pot, heat the oil over low heat. Dice onion, jalapeno and bell pepper. Mince garlic. Add to the pot and turn the heat up to medium.

Sauté until onion begins to soften. Add diced tomatoes with juices and all the spices and cook for 2-3 minutes. Here I like to use an immersion blender to puree things slightly.

Or, you can leave the mixture more chunky and rustic. Drain and rinse the beans and add to the pot. Once everything is warmed through, check to see if you need to add any salt or pepper. Serve with cheese or sour cream.

The big reveal: My favorite is pumpkin chili! And, if you omit any sour cream or cheese garnish, then it’s technically vegan too. Make some chili this weekend! xo. Emma