Healthy Vegetarian Chili

Not as opposed to....unhealthy vegetarian chili.  Just...lighter?  

There are water-based vegetables in this dish, is what I couldn't find a way to say in the title.  

Chili!  Vegetarian!  Cozy!  This is one of the new dishes we've been making a lot, featuring the Trader Joe's Soyrizo that I told you about yesterday.  I really like the lightness because even as a vegetarian dish chili can often get really heavy and only feature beans and/or meat, ya know?  I like watery veg.  

I tried green beans in this for the first time last week, and we loved them.  If they're too weird for you, use a bell pepper and move on, but they add a great texture that you don't often get in chili.  Plus:  more vegetables = seconds.  

I DO use beef stock in my chili unless asked not to by clients or whatever, I love the flavor and Jay doesn't mind eating the juice of dead animals at this point.  Please Dear God let that never change.  BUT, clearly, if you want to swap out the stock for vegetable feel free to do so!  The flavor will still be just as delicious.  

Let's do this.  I don't use dried beans because I'm lazy, but you could totally do that if you want to soak them and boil them and then use them in this.  Up to you!  I use two kinds of beans, and it varies every time.  This time, kidney and garbanzo!   Then, tomatoes:  two cans, any kind you like.  These stewed and fire roasted are delicious, but regular diced is just fine too.  Other veggies include onion, garlic, frozen corn, zucchini, and green beans.  Protein comes from Soyrizo or any other ground soy product you like, and flavor comes from Worcestershire sauce, hot paprika, chili powder, cumin, seasoned salt, and beef stock.  It's a lot of ingredients, but worth it!  Promise.  

This is the soyrizo.  It tastes delicious and we start with it!  

Add the soyrizo to a big pot with a drizzle of oil over medium-high heat.  We'll let it get a little bit crispy in the oil.  

Then, we basically cut one thing, add it to the pot, stir, cut another thing, add it to the pot - you get it.  You can TOTALLY cut everything up in advance and add all the veggies at once, but this is how I do things at home to keep things moving in the pot while I'm chopping things.  Up to you!  So:  onion, chopped.  

Added to chorizo.  

Stir together, chop zucchini.  

Add zucchini.  

See how this is working out?  Cut the green beans into short lengths.  

Add green beans.  

And the corn!  Frozen or fresh, whatevs.  

Now, we have all the veggies in the pot.  Time for seasonings.  Mince the garlic.  

Add the garlic to the pot with the smoked paprika...

...then dump in the Worcestershire and the rest of the spices.  

NOW.  We have veggies and seasonings all stirred together.   Lightly drain both cans of beans - just about half the liquid.  

Then add them to the pot.  

Along with the tomatoes in all their juices.  

Then stock!  Just enough stock to almost cover all the veggies.  

NOW.  We need to bring the soup to a boil and stir everything together really well, then taste and add more of any of the spices and seasonings that you'd like.  I added WAY more hot paprika, but I'm a sassyspicypants.  You know.  

When the chili boils, reduce the heat to low and cover the pot.  Let the chili simmer for 20-30 minutes until the veggies have softened, and we're good to go!  

Now, you'll notice that there aren't any toppings on this junk.  It REALLY doesn't need any.  There is so much happening in the actual chili that you can go from out!  But, of course, if you want to cover your chili with cheese and scallions and sour cream like we did later that night....then no one over here would judge.  

Try this soon!  Even if you eliminate the Soyrizo completely, it's a great veggie option that is GREAT for you, and the extra veggies add texture and flavor to the beans, which can get a little sad by themselves sometimes.  

Enjoy!