Robust flavors of in-season autumnal vegetables and a rich texture make this chili a go-to favorite on a brisk fall evening. Have this one-pot meal on the table in under an hour. Serve with a twist of lime and grain-free tortilla chips.
Double the recipe and use the leftovers for chili-loaded sweet potatoes, chili-‘cheeze’ nachos, chili enchiladas…the list goes on!
Ancho and guajillo peppers give this chili just the right amount of kick to suit a range of palates. Cook the peppers whole and puree them at the end (for the grown-ups) to bring out the full flavor and texture.
Gluten free, allium free (no onions, no garlic), nut free as always. Corn-free as well! This recipe can be made oil-free and nightshade free as described in the Recipe Notes section below.
Let’s begin!
Preheat your pot on low heat while you wash, dry and chop the veggies (5-10 min)
Saute the carrots, celery, brussel sprouts and kale on medium-high heat in 1 tbsp of oil* for 5 min…stirring occasionally. (I leave the lid covered during this step.). The resulting aroma of this vegetable combo might make you question the outcome. Trust me. This is going to be delicious.
Add the tomatoes, cooked beans, broth/water, cumin, salt and whole chilis. Cover the lid and bring to a boil on high heat. If you’re avoiding nightshades, you can leave the tomatoes out or substitute them with 1 tbsp of lime juice and 1 cup peeled and chopped cucumber for the texture.
Once the chili has come to a boil, lower to medium heat and cook for 15 minutes (with the lid covered). Add the yellow peppers and cook for another 5 minutes.
Remove the whole ancho and guajillo peppers gently with a wooden spoon, or similar (so as to leave the peppers intact), and put to the side.
Since the chili pods have been intact thus far, a majority of the heat of the chili is contained within the pods, themselves. For those who may not want a ‘spicy’ chili, you can add the lime juice and consider the meal ready to serve.
When I make this recipe for my immediate family, I remove 1 cup of chili from the pot for my son and then proceed to the next step.
To maximize the flavor, texture and heat of the chili, you have the alternate option of pureeing the whole peppers in a blender (de-stemmed / de-seeded…or not for high-power blenders) with ~1 cup of chili, and adding this mixture back into the pot.
I call this the ‘grown up’ version, but really its for anyone who likes the medium-level heat and additional flavor. The picture below shows how this looks compared to the version without the pureed peppers added back in.
If you like the texture that the dried peppers bring to the chili but are avoiding nightshades, you can use a combination of dried fruit (like unsweetened apricots and a couple of cranberries) for the flavor and texture together with peppercorns for the heat.
Simply add the lime juice. This chili is ready to serve! Enjoy 🙂
Autumn Vegetable Chili
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup chopped carrots
- 1 cup chopped brussels sprouts
- 1 cup chopped red cabbage
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1 cup chopped yellow peppers
- 1/2 cup minced kale
- 2 cups chopped tomatoes
- 2.5 cups cannellini beans cooked
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1.5 tsp salt to taste
- 2.5 cups water or broth
- 1 ancho chili whole
- 1 guajillo chili whole
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 3 sprigs cilantro garnish
Instructions
- Heat pot on low heat and prep vegetables
- Wash, pat dry and chop the vegetables in 1/2-1″ pieces. If you have a picky eater, consider mincing or running any of these veggies through the food processor to ‘hide’ its presence. That’s what I do with the kale.
- Saute the carrots, brussels sprouts, red cabbage and celery in 1 tablespoon of oil at medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Stir occasionally. Omit this step if you are avoiding adding oil.
- Add the tomatoes, cooked beans, cumin, salt, water/broth and whole chilis. Cover the lid and bring to a boil on high heat. Set the timer for 5 minutes so you can keep an eye on this.
- Once the mixture comes to a boil, lower to medium heat and cook for 15 minutes.
- Add the yellow peppers and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Carefully remove the whole ancho and guajillo peppers (so as to leave them intact). Set them to the side.
- The chili is ready to serve to those who do not want a spicier chili. I usually remove 1 cup of chili for my son at this point. To maximize the flavor of the whole peppers, proceed to the next step.
- Remove 1 cup of chili and add to a blender with the peppers (de-seeded / de-stemmed) Puree. Mix the puree back into the chili.
- The chili now has the color and texture as described in this post. Add lime juice and serve!
Notes
