Vegetarian Chili

Happy birthday to my friend Katie in Montreal who sent me her recipe for this delicious veggie chili that I made last night! I’ve really been craving chili recently but I had never made it before. I’ve come across many recipes but they all generally sound too heavy. Then, as I was talking to Katie a few days ago about Sprout & Pea, she told me she makes a pretty mean chili these days.

Katie and I met when we both were studying in Australia and bonded over our common love for one of my favorite places in the whole world, Lentil As Anything. Lentil is a not for profit community restaurant where you pay what you wish. Many nights, Katie and I found ourselves curled up in their small artistic space in St. Kilda with a bottle of Aussie vino, eating truly the best vegetarian food I have ever come across. Their pumpkin curry was my favorite dish and inspired us to cook a lot of curry dinners while we lived on that beautiful continent. If you ever find yourself in Melbourne, Australia – Lentil As Anything is a must visit. When Katie shared her recipe for this chili, the ingredients sounded perfect- flavorful but light- and I knew it would be as delicious as her curries always were, and delicious it was! Here’s Katie’s chili creation…

1/2 cup orange peppers sliced
1/2 cup onion diced
1/2 cup carrots chopped
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1 15 oz can kidney beans
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp cinnamon
3 or 4 bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

In a medium pot, saute the peppers, onions and carrots for about 5 minutes on medium-high heat. Add chili powder, paprika, cinnamon and bay leaves and saute for another 10-12 minutes. Add tomatoes, bring to boil and cook for another 10 minutes. Add kidney beans and simmer over low-medium heat for about 10-12 minutes or until it starts to thicken. Let cool a little and serve. Great with a little guacamole , some shredded cheddar cheese and Greek yogurt with chopped scallions. Also a great snack to dip some Ezekiel tortilla chips in.

7 comments

  1. Jenny says:

    It’s great to find such a good vegetarian restaurant, isn’t it? We have one called City o City here in Denver, and it’s my favorite! Delicious looking chili, and a gorgeous photo!

  2. Lauren says:

    I made vegetarian chili just last week…but I think it’s missing something. I’m going to add some chopped carrots to what I have left (I still have plenty of leftovers!). Otherwise, my recipe was nearly identical to this!

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