Pictures by Rachel Ma.

Cold weather usually means we want to eat warm, cozy dishes, and we’ve got an easy, healthy and delicious recipe for you! Chili is a one-pot recipe and can be made in big batches for meal prep. You can actually also freeze some portions of stew for later.

We love incorporating lots of vegetables in our meals, and one way to do that is by adding them to soups and stews. In this recipe, we’re using carrots, celery and red bell pepper, but feel free to add any vegetables you like. Try adding a variety of different coloured vegetables to ensure you are getting a variety of different nutrients.

Legumes (beans, chickpeas, lentils…) are high in protein and fibre, which can help keep us full for longer. The fibre in legumes also does wonderful things for our gut health! Beans are also a good source of folate, zinc, iron, magnesium, and antioxidants.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil or other cooking oil

• 1 medium red onion, chopped

• 1 large red bell pepper, chopped

• 2 medium carrots, chopped

• 2 ribs celery, chopped

• ¾ cup corn

• ½ teaspoon salt, divided

• 4 cloves garlic, pressed or minced

• 2 tbsp chili powder

• 2 tsp ground cumin

• 1 ½ tsp smoked paprika

• 1 tsp dried oregano

• 1 large can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, with their juices

• 2 cans (15 ounces each) beans, rinsed and drained

• 2 cups low sodium vegetable broth or water

• 1 bay leaf

• 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnishing

• 1 to 2 tsp lime juice, to taste

Method

1. Heat up the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions, chopped vegetables and salt. Cook for ~ 8 minutes or until the onions are translucent and vegetables are tender.

2. Add in spices and stir for about 1 minute or until fragrant

3. Add in the canned tomatoes with their juices, and drained beans. Stir in vegetable broth or water and bay leaf, and let the mixture simmer gently. Cook on low heat and stir occasionally for ~ 30 minutes. Remove the chili from the heat.

4. Add in chopped cilantro. Mix in vinegar and salt to taste.

5. Some garnishing ideas include sliced avocado, cheese, or your favorite whole grain bread. Enjoy!

Reference

1. Recipe adapted from Cookie and Kate

2. 9 Health Benefits of Beans

#vegan #vegetarian #healthyeating #plantbased