Homemade Veg-head Chili

I used to work at this amazing little restaurant in The Dalles, Oregon called Zim’s Brau Haus. The cook there always made the best chili, his wasn’t vegetarian. He makes an AMAZING Philly Steak soup too but that’s a story for another day. So since moving away I’ve been on the search for yummy chili. With a lot of trial and error I think I’ve come up with my own recipe that is pretty tasty.

I’ve started canning my own beans so I’ve adjusted this recipe using store bought canned goods.

Veghead Chili

Ingredients:

Canned Goods:

1 can Black beans
1 can Cannellini beans
1 can Pinto beans
1 can Kidney beans
1 can Navy beans, Also called Great Northern beans
1 can Diced Tomatoes Fire Roasted, I like Muir Glen.
1 8oz can Tomato Sauce
2 cups Vegetable broth

Produce:

1 Onion, I prefer a white or yellow one
1 Red Bell Pepper
Green onions, chopped up (optional)

Spices:

2 tbsp Dried Diced Garlic
2 tbsp Chili Powder

1tbsp Italian Seasonings
1 tbsp Ground Cumin
1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper (or more if ya like it spicy)
Salt & Black Pepper to taste

Oils:

1-2 tbsp. Olive Oil

Dairy:

Shredded Mexican cheese blend(optional)
Sour Cream or plain Greek Yogurt (optional)

1. Chop up the onion and red pepper and sauté in the olive oil until the onions are translucent.

2. Transfer onion and pepper to a big pot and add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, vegetable broth and all spices. Bring to a simmer.

3. Add beans, stir and let simmer uncovered until desired thickness. I think it took mine 30 minutes.

4. Serve and top with cheese, green onions and sour cream.

Enjoy!

Note: You can change out the beans any way you prefer, stick to the 5 cans though. My fave blend so far is, 2 navy, 2 black and one kidney.