One Friday my husband and I went out to eat, and he decided to try the vegetarian chili.
"This is delicious!" he exclaimed.
Call me jealous, but any time my husband gets that excited about food made by someone else, my eyes narrow. Heaven forbid he like someone else's cooking more than mine!
"So, what's in it?" I asked, trying to sound casual and not like I was about to go hunt down the chef and demand the recipe.
He listed an assortment of vegetables as I inspected the bowl. The next day I scoured the internet, searching desperately for a similar recipe. Nothing was quite right, so I pieced a few together. The next week I presented it to my husband.
The verdict? Excellent!
It makes quite a bit (I'd say maybe 8 good servings?), so we usually eat our fill of it as soup one night and as nachos the next day, then freeze the rest. (To make as nachos, just spread chips out on a pan, cover them with the chili, and cover the whole thing with cheese. Bake until the cheese is melty.)
That Married Couple's Chunky Vegetarian Chili
Ingredients
1-2 Tbsp oil
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 serrano chile pepper, stemmed, seeded, minced (optional)
1 carrot, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
3 cloves garlic
1 zucchini, diced
8 oz mushrooms, chopped
1 can Mexicorn, drained
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1+ Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp (coarse) salt
½ tsp pepper
1 tsp dried oregano
¼ tsp cayenne
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
2 cans diced fire-roasted tomatoes, undrained
up to 1 cup water, stock, or tomato sauce if you want it thinner (optional)
Optional garnish: cheddar cheese, green onions, cilantro, sour cream
Directions
1. Do all your chopping. (I try to do this earlier in the day while Miriam's napping, so come suppertime I can just throw the veggies in.)
2. Heat oil in very large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, peppers, carrot, celery, and garlic. Cook, stirring, until soft (~3 minutes).
3. Add zucchini, corn, and mushrooms. Cook, stirring, until soft and vegetables give off liquid and start to brown (~6 minutes).
4. Add the seasonings and cook, stirring, until fragrant (~30 seconds).
5. Add everything else (beans, tomatoes, and optional water) and stir well. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20-30 minutes.
6. Garnish and enjoy!
What's your go-to vegetarian soup recipe?