B's Food Revolution: The Vegetarian Chili.

 [Photo from Honest Fare]

I've been wanting to make a veggie chilli for a while now but didn't come across a recipe that really jumped out at me. This one did. It's from a great food blog called Honest Fare. Check it out.

Check out the part that says MAPLE SYRUP. That's what intrigued me. Except I couldn't use it because I bought the maple syrup today on my grocery run, and lo and behold, I pick the one that had the broken safety seal. Forget that song and dance...so just to let you know, it still tastes awesome without it. I also didn't have the oregano or cloves, and I only had 3.5 cups of tomato juice. I also added mushrooms and a dash of cumin.

VEGETARIAN CHILI

You need:

5 cups tomato juice
1 ½ cup chick peas
1 ½ cup red beans (I used kidney beans?)
1 cup chopped zucchini
1 cup chopped yellow squash
1 ½ cup chopped yellow+red peppers
1 cup chopped carrot
¾ cup chopped white onion
½ teaspoon chopped jalapeño
Olive oil
1 large clove diced garlic
Handful of fresh oregano diced
Salt, blk or Cayenne pepper to taste
½ teaspoon cinnamon powder
¼ teaspoon ground clove
1 Tablespoon paprika
1½ Tablespoon chili powder
2 tablespoons maple syrup
Parsley

Directions:

1. Chop veggies. Sauté garlic, onion, peppers, squash and zuc in a large pot with about 3 tablespoons of olive oil on med high heat for a couple minutes. Add a teaspoon of salt, the beans, the paprika, chili powder, clove, cinnamon, oregano and some black pepper. Saute uncovered (mixing occasionally) until veggies become tender but not soft.

2. Add tomato juice, carrots and maple syrup. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat to low. Stir in about 1/6 teaspoon of cayenne pepper and another dash of salt. Cover and continue cooking on low until carrots are soft. Taste and add more salt and/or cayenne pepper if needed.

3. Partially uncover and continue cooking until chili thickens. The longer you cook it the better it’ll be. Serve topped with sour cream, cheddar cheese and chives.