This vegetarian chili is sweet, chunky, and just a little spicy. If your kids won’t eat these foods mixed together, remove a couple of spoonfuls of the beans and corn and set some extra carrots aside for them (but encourage them to have a taste of the combined chili, too).
4cupcarrotshalved and diced, or use 1 baby carrots, diced about 20 baby carrots
15oz.canned red kidney beans (preferably with no sugar added)(or use 1 1/2 cups home-cooked beans for every 15 oz. can),with their liquid
15oz.reduced-sodium canned black beans (or use any variety)(or use 1 1/2 cups home-cooked beans for every 15 oz. can),with their liquid
1cupsalsalook for brands with no sugar added
28oz.crushed tomatoes
1Tbsp.chili powderor more to taste
1 1/2cupscorn kernels, fresh, frozen, or canned,thawed if using frozen, drained if canned
1cupshredded Cheddar cheesefor serving (optional)
1cuplow fat sour cream or plain Greek yogurt (or use any variety)for serving (optional)
Instructions
In a large heavy saucepan or stockpot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions, peppers, and carrots and sauté them until the onions start to brown, about 5 minutes.
Add both types of beans, salsa, tomatoes, and chili powder. Bring it to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer it, uncovered, for at least 20 minutes, and up to 40 minutes, stirring it occasionally. About 10 minutes before serving, stir in the corn.
Serve the chili in bowls, topped with 1 – 2 Tbsp. of cheese and/or a dollop of the yogurt or sour cream, if desired. The chili can also be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 3 days, or frozen for up to 3 months.
Slow Cooker Directions:
In a large skillet, heat the oil and sauté the onions and peppers until the onions start to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the onions and peppers and the remaining ingredients, except the cheese and yogurt, to the slow cooker. Cook on low for 6 - 8 hours or on high for 3 - 4 hours. Serve with the cheese and/or yogurt as directed above.
(Slow cooker cooking times may vary—Get to know your slow cooker and, if necessary, adjust cooking times accordingly.)
Notes
Do Ahead or Delegate: Dice the onion and bell pepper, halve and dice the carrots, thaw the corn if using frozen, shred the cheese if necessary and refrigerate, or fully prepare and refrigerate or freeze the chili.Scramble Flavor Booster: Double the chili powder, use spicy or chipotle salsa, and serve the chili with hot pepper sauce, such as Tabasco.Tip: My family cannot tell the difference between sour cream and Greek yogurt, so I often serve the latter whenever sour cream is called for because I always have yogurt on hand for my breakfast. Initially, I took the yogurt out of its container and put it in a dish as I suspected my kids might balk when they saw they were eating yogurt on their chili. Now they're totally used to it.Nutritional Information Per Serving (% based upon daily values): Calories 230, Total Fat: 3g, 5%; Saturated Fat: 0g, 0%; Cholesterol: 0mg, 0%; Sodium: 1100mg, 46%; Total Carbohydrate: 41g, 14%; Dietary Fiber: 12g, 48%; Sugar: 13g; Protein: 10gLike this recipe? Check out The Scramble's family-friendly meal plans to see just how simple getting dinner on the table can be!