Ingredients
Peppers:
Bell (Red or Green) 1 pepper
Dried chipotle (canned in adobo sauce) 1 pepper
Jalapeno (fresh or canned) 1-2 peppersVegetables:
(Hint: I like a variety of vegetables, but feel free to choice the number and types of vegetables that you prefer)
Carrots (chopped) 2
Kale (chopped) 2 cups
Mushroom (chopped) 2
Garlic (mince) 3-8 cloves
Onions (chopped) 1
Tomato – canned chopped, undrained 2 (14 oz) cans
Tomato paste 2-3 tablespoonsSpices:
(Hint: A nice mix of spices makes your chili more flavorful. Feel free to adjust the types and amounts of spices to your personal preference)
Smoked Paprika 1 Tbsp
Cumin 1 Tbsp
Coriander 1 Tbsp
Cayenne Pepper 1 Tbsp
Worcestershire Sauce 2 oz
Cinnamon 1 tsp
Salt 1/2 tsp

Beans:
(Hint: I like to use a few different colored beans just for fun. It’s fine if you decide to use 3 cans of the same type of beans or use a different variety of beans.)
Black 1 can
Dark Red 1 can
Pink 1 can

Other:
(Hint: Chia is great for thickening and adding extra nutrients, including omega 3s)
Chia 2 Tbsp
Coconut Oil 1 Tbsp

Directions
Step 1: Onion and Garlic
Chop the onion and garlic. Add to the crock pot with coconut oil and allow to cook for 10 minutes.

Step 2: Peppers
Chop your peppers into bite size pieces. If you are using fresh jalapeno, roast first for about 10 minutes in your oven at 350 degrees and then chop. (Hint: the seeds in the fresh jalapeno are really spicy. If you like a spicy chili include all of the seeds. Alternatively, if you like a mild chili, you can discard some or all of the jalapeno seeds.)

Add your peppers to the crock pot. Make sure you add the adobe sauce from your canned chipotle to the crock pot tool. It adds a nice, smoky flavor to your chili.

Step 3: Beans
Open the cans of beans, rinse off the beans, and add them to the crock pot.

Step 4: Vegetables
Chop and add carrots, kale, and mushrooms directly to the crock pot. Open the cans of diced tomatoes (including tomato juice) and tomato paste and add to the crock pot

Step 5: Spices
Add about 1 tablespoon each of the following spices for a flavorful chili: smoked paprika, cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper. Also add one teaspoon of cinnamon and 2 ounces of Worcestershire sauce. Salt may also be added to taste (about 1/2 teaspoon).

Step 6: Let It Cook
I usually let the chili cook for at least 4 hours. The longer it cooks, the more the flavors blend.

Step 7: A Few Extra Tricks
I like to add 2 tablespoons of chia seeds to my chili during the last hour of cooking. It absorbs some of the liquid and also gives you a little boost of extra nutrients.

If you taste your chili and it’s too spicy, don’t worry. You can add a little raw sugar, brown sugar, or raw honey to balance out the flavors.

Submited by : Beverly Entin

Funny Story about the recipe : This is a recipe I developed for parties when we had a few people looking for a vegetarian option. It’s great for cold winter nights, summer barbeques and everything in between. I even won 1st place at a chili cook off with a meat-based version of this recipe. The best thing about chili is you can make it as easy, quick and simple as you like, or you can go a little crazy and change the type of peppers, vegetables, spices, and beans to make your own award-winning mixture. I always use a crock pot. Then I can forget about the chili once it gets cooking. If you don’t have a crock pot, you can cook the chili in a large pot. Just remember to check on it and stir it. Enjoy and remember cooking should be fun! Play around with the ingredients and amounts and discover your favorite chili. Maybe it will be an award winner!