Youth Farm Chili Recipe that works all year round

Like many of you, we are really excited for the snow to melt and get growing on our farms. Chili might seem like quintessential fall or winter meal, but we like to enjoy it all year round. This vegetarian chili is a great recipe for to utilize those extra vegetables you have laying around. We have adapted this recipe from our friend and chef, Lucia Watson. Note this recipe is for 20, so adjust accordingly.

Ingredients

• 3 yellow onions chopped
• 5-6 bell peppers chopped
• 6 cloves of garlic, minced
• 8-10 cups fresh tomatoes, blanched, peeled and chopped or 3 28oz cans of diced tomatoes
• 3 cups of beans, dry (kidney, white, black, garbanzo)
  • Spices:
  • Salt- to taste, several tablespoons
  • Chili Powder- 2-3 TB
  • Coriander 2 Tb
  • Cumin 3-2 Tb
  • Ancho pepper-ground hot pepper 1-2 Tb
  • And if desired,
  • Cinnamon 2 Tbsp
  • Cocoa 1-2 Tbsp
  • Cardamom 1 Tbsp

Preparation

1. Cook beans in water for 2-3 hours and drain.
2. sauté onions and peppers and garlic with spices (not salt) in olive oil until tender (15 min or so) in a large sauté pan.
3. Add sautéd vegetables to cooked beans in a large stock pot.
4. Add tomatoes.
5. Add 2-4 cups water or vegetable stock if desired.
6. Cook for 30 minutes-1 hour, add salt to taste.

Variations

Tons of Youth Farm vegetables can be added to this including: carrots, zucchini, and eggplant.  Add browned, ground beef to pot after adding vegetables if you want a non-vegetarian version. This also goes well with the Kale Salad that we posted a few months ago.

We hope you enjoy.