Michael’s Vegetarian Chili

Michael saw a recipe in the Washington Post about twenty years ago that inspired him to make this. It’s a very healthy, low-fat, vegetarian chili. He likes it chunky, and true chili mongers might even call this a soup done up tex-mex style.

When Michael makes it for himself, he uses lots of hot peppers. In fact, he likes to sweat when he’s eating chili. After we started dating, he asked me if I liked spicy foods and I said yes. Of course I did not realize that our ideas of spicy were nowhere close to each other. I like lots of flavor, he likes heat. So the first time he made this chili for me, he turned up the heat. My eyes were watering and my mouth was on fire, and I drank water and ate crackers for about an hour trying to kill the burn. He’s making the chili very mild for me since I’m pregnant with #3, then he adds some hot pepper sauce to his bowl.

You can make this quickly in about 45 minutes if you are in a hurry, but it’s better when it has time to simmer for a couple hours. Serve with grated sharp cheddar and crackers or jalapeño corn bread.

[Updated August 3, 2009]

Equipment

sharp knife
8 quart stock pot

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound (450 g) yellow squash, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1 pound (450 g) zucchini squash, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1 large onion, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
10 cloves of garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1 serrano pepper, seeded and minced
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
1 anaheim pepper, seeded and minced
2 pounds (900 g) roma tomatoes, cut into chunks
1 (28 ounce/794 g) can crushed tomatoes
1 (8 ounce/227 g) can tomato sauce
1 (15 ounce/425 g) can black beans, rinsed
2 (15 ounce/425 g) cans kidney beans, rinsed
1 (15 ounce/425 g) can garbanzo beans, rinsed
2 tablespoons dried basil
2 tablespoons dried oregano
4 tablespoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon groundcinnamon
5 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon dried dill
1/2 bunch cilantro, rough chopped (reserve some for garnish)
juice of 1 lemon

Preparation

1. Add olive oil to pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions and peppers and cook until they start to turn golden.

2. Add the yellow and zucchini squash and saute until tender. You can add another tablespoon or two of olive oil as necessary.

3. Add the roma and crushed tomatoes. Rinse the can of crushed tomatoes and add the water to the pot. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes.

4. Add the spices and most of the cilantro and stir. Turn the heat down to low and add the rinsed beans. Cook over low heat for at least 30 minutes. The flavors develop the longer it cooks. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.

Variations

If tomatoes are out of season, you can use canned whole peeled tomatoes instead.

Frozen squash works well in the winter months when they are out of season.

You can substitute whatever peppers you have on hand. Go for some color.

If you like spicy foods, go for the gusto. Add a habanero or two. If you prefer a milder version, lower the spices and garlic.

Notes

This can also be cooked in a crockpot. Dump everything in the pot and cook on high for 5 or 6 hours.

**************************************

Source: Michael J. Meyers