Michael of Koinoia is a friend of ours and had us over to recently to watch the Nebraska football game. {GO HUSKERS!} When we walked into his home, the most amazing aroma of chili greeted us. He made his famous chili for us, AND made a whole pot of meat- free chili just for me! He shares his recipe and thoughts about fall here at his blog. He has some other great recipes, like Bruschetta, that you must check out, too. While you are there tell him Amy said hello.
I have made his exact meat- free version twice and we just love it. His recipe uses a can of Bush’s Chili Starter which is really good but a little bit high in sodium, plus– as you all know, I like to do one- stop shopping for my groceries at Trader Joes –but they do not sell Bush’s brand there but they do sell organic canned beans. I decided to try my own Trader Joes version and using a can of their Vegetarian Chili in place of the Bush’s Chili Starter and it turned out yummy! I still think I like Michael’s original version better as far as taste, but if I want to keep my shopping in one spot and keep things organic, at least there is a alternative.
I you want meat in your chili, (and a pic of the finished product) click here to go to Michael’s blog for the recipe.
Here is the meat-free version:
My Vegetarian Go-To Chili Recipe
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, diced
15 oz can seasoned Bush’s chili beans, in sauce
1 can Bush’s Chili Starter
15 oz can Bush’s black beans, drained
15 oz can Bush’s red kidney beans, drained
15 oz can Bush’s white northern beans, drained
46 oz tomato juice
2-4 Tbsp chili powder
salt, pepper and cayenne to taste
Put olive oil in a large stock pan over medium heat. Add diced onion. Cook until translucent. Add red pepper & garlic. Cook about 5 minutes, careful not to brown the garlic. Add all beans, tomato juice, & spices. Let simmer for at least an hour up to 3.
Enjoy with your choice of toppings. We love it with Trader Joes organic version of Frito type corn chips or crackers.
*To buy all ingredients at Trader Joes, get Trader Joe’s brand beans and substitute Trader Joes Vegetarian Chili for the Bush’s Chili Starter.
Do YOU have a favorite chili recipe? If so, please share in the comments!