Vegetarian Weekend Chili
I call it “weekend” chili because I just toss the ingredients into a slow-cooker and let it simmer all Sunday afternoon, and there are leftovers to take to work the next week. Add 8 ounces of ground beef for an equally delicious meat-eater’s version.
Serving Suggestions: Serve with saltine crackers or a chunk of crusty bread. Sometimes I will omit the cheese and put a drizzle of yellow mustard or diced onions on top.
- 1 15-ounce can small red or black beans
- 1 15-ounce can white beans (navy, cannellini, or Great Northern)
- 2 15-ounce cans diced tomatoes
- 1 6-ounce spicy V8 juice (or 6 ounces tomato juice)
- 1 medium yellow onion (diced)
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 3 large carrots (peeled and shredded)
- 1 stalk celery (diced)
- 1 medium green bell pepper (diced)
- 1 jalapeño pepper (diced, optional)
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano leaves
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- Hot sauce, such as Frank’s RedHot, to taste
- Red or white onion, minced
- Jalapeño peppers, diced
- Cilantro, minced
- Avocado, diced
- Grated jack or cheddar cheese
- Sour cream
- Cook
Turn a slow-cooker on high heat.
Add all the ingredients (except the optional garnishes) to the slow-cooker. Stir everything together gently.
Cover and cook the chili on low for 4 to 6 hours, stirring it occasionally. You can cook it for up to 8 hours; the flavors will continue to blend.
- Serve
Add hot sauce to taste (start with a few teaspoons and check the spice level), and ladle the chili into serving bowls. Top the chili with additional hot sauce and any or all of the optional garnishes.
You can make this recipe in an Instant Pot or other electric pressure cooker; however, the long cooking time when using a slow cooker allows the flavors to deepen in complexity, which you won’t achieve using an Instant Pot. Each electric pressure cooker is different, so be sure to follow your manufacturer’s instructions.