Vegetarian Chili for the “I’m bored of pasta everyday” person

Yes, I said “bored of pasta everyday.” There is only so much pasta one can eat, and trust me I LOVE pasta, I could live off of it. Sometimes I find the need to experiment with the other foods that exist besides pasta. I gave chili a shot yesterday for dinner. There was something comforting about two bean chili and some hearty short grain brown rice. It wasn’t incredibly spicy or overwhelming and it warmed my soul (as cheesy as that sounds). These beans were so good and versatile I think I will use them for tacos!

Here’s my easy and super yummy vegetarian chili recipe:

What you need:

1 can black beans, liquid removed and rinsed

1 can small red beans (or kidney beans if you prefer), liquid removed and rinsed

1 red onion, diced

3 cloves of garlic

1 can of diced tomatoes (keep the liquid!!!)

1 cup of frozen corn

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 tablespoon chili powder ( I tend to add a bit more just to adjust flavor

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon of ground cumin

1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Cilantro, for garnish

How to make it:

1. In a pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add diced onion and garlic. Let soften and get fragrant. Immediately add green bell pepper and season with salt and pepper. Once softened add beans and stir. Add cumin, cayenne and chili powder. Stir.

2. After the beans have absorbed the spices, add the tomatoes and cover for 10 minutes.

3. Stir bean and tomato mixture and add corn. Season with more salt, pepper (or even chili powder, if you’re feeling bold). Cover for an additional 10 minutes and serve immediately with brown rice, some cilantro or if you’re up for it, some corn bread.