Spicy Vegetarian Chili

I love to cook. I grew up watching my Mom and sister's spend hours in the kitchen, and it is a skill I cherish more and more each day. I'm not a chef by any means, but the beauty of cooking is that anyone can learn. Food doesn't have to be fancy or complicated to be delicious. In fact, I often prefer foods in their raw form - especially when in season.

Tyler and I to stick to a veggie, fruit and whole grain-rich diet, but we are by no means vegetarians. I'm a salmon fanatic and chicken is on regular rotation, however, we do limit our red meat intake. Tyler was the pickiest eater known to man when we met. I like to say that if it wasn't yellow, he wasn't going to eat it. :) It took a few years of convincing, but you will be hard pressed to find a bigger beet or brussels sprout lover. It's amazing what love (or maybe just a curly haired girl giving you the evil eye?) can do for your taste buds!

Winter has often been synonymous with meat and potato dishes, but I have found several hearty vegetarian options that keep our bellies full and warm. This Spicy Vegetarian Chili is at the top of my list of cold weather favorites. It's a recipe I've been tweaking for about a year now, and I think we've finally landed on a winner.

The key to this chili? Red Gold Petite Diced Tomatoes with Chipotle. I'm not even kidding. These tomatoes take the dish to a whole new level. I'm obsessed! I use them in any dish that needs a little kick and a whole lot of flavor. The only downside is that they are REALLY hard to find. Marsh Supermarkets seem to be the most reliable supplier, but don't go to one after I've been there. I probably bought every single can. :)

Regardless of your dietary preferences, this Spicy Vegetarian Chili will have everyone gathered around the dinner table. Meat lovers and vegans alike will love this spicy number.

Waiting is always the hardest part, but I find that the chili tastes best if you let it simmer for at least one hour. Enjoy!

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Spicy Vegetarian Chili

Servings: 6  |  Prep: 20 minutes  |  Total: 1 hour

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large red onion, chopped
• 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 fresh jalapeño chiles, seeded, finely chopped
• 2 cans (15 oz. each) black beans, drained, rinsed
• 1 can (15.25 oz.) whole kernel sweet corn, no salt added, drained, rinsed
• 2 cans (14.5 oz. each) Red Gold Petite Diced Tomatoes with Chipotles*
• 1 1/2 cups water*
• 3/4 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/4 tablespoon ground cayenne red pepper*
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

1. In large heavy bottom pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper, garlic and chiles ; cook 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently, until tender.
2. Stir in black beans, corn, tomatoes, water, chili powder, cumin and salt. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat; cover and simmer at least 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Serve with fresh corn bread topped with honey!

NOTES (*):

• I highly recommend Red Gold Petite Diced Tomatoes with Chipotle, but you can use any kind of diced tomatoes.
• I typically fill one of my diced tomato cans with water which gets you pretty close to 1 1/2 cups of water. Plus, you can get every last bit of chipotle flavor from the can!
• If you don't have ground cayenne red pepper, I would recommend increasing chili powder to 1 tablespoon.

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I am not affiliated with Red Gold nor did I receive compensation for this post. As always, all opinions are my own.