Easy Weeknight Chili

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I have come to love a variety of chili recipes. I have shared a few of my favorites in the past. Such as these: Turkey Chili Recipe and Slow Cooker Chicken Chili. They all have a spot in my life. But this one? I am adding this meatless chili recipe to my easy weeknight dinner repertoire! I have made this for dinner loads of times now, and it is one that I continually come back to. When I get home from work after 6 p.m. (Yes, teachers do work that late.), it is a fast, mostly-from-the-pantry meal, fully delicious, and satisfying! That’s exactly why I call it Easy Weeknight Chili.

When I first tried this recipe, I admit, I was a bit leery of the green bell pepper. I love red, yellow, and orange bell peppers as they are sweet, but the grassier taste of the green variety has never found a soft spot in my heart. That is until I tried them in this recipe. The green bell pepper fully complements the flavor of this chili, it adds a bright color, and gives it a bit of a firm bite. I can not image this chili without the green bell pepper.

Another bonus with this chili? Is it is great to make up ahead of time. While I love how quick this is to put together on any given weeknight, I also love to make it ahead and let it set for a day so the flavors really meld together. This makes this a perfect meal for me to pack for our weekend trips to Tahoe. Then again, it is a recipe I will come in from the slope to toss together for dinner after a day of skiing. With so many of the items straight from the pantry it’s an easy recipe to have the ingredients on hand for.

Oh, and it is meatless! That is one reason it is so quick to put together. This is a perfect meatless Monday dinner! I also like that with the rising cost of food, this one is easier on the pocketbook.

So let’s get to it….

Easy Weeknight Chili

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra-virign olive oil
• 2 yellow onions, chopped
• 1 large green bell pepper,  
• 3 tablespoons mild chili powder
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 4 – 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 15-oz. cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 15-oz. can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Heat a large stock pot over medium heat. Add one tablespoon of olive oil to heated pot.
2. Add in diced onion and chopped green bell pepper. Add a few tablespoons of water to prevent sticking. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent, about five minutes.
3. Stir in diced garlic, chili powder, oregano, and cumin.
4. Add in vegetable broth and stir until seasonings are fully incorporated.
5. Add beans and tomatoes and stir together.
6. Bring chili to a boil. Reduce heat and let the chili simmer, about 15 minutes or until tomatoes break down and the chili is slightly thickened.
7. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

We enjoy this chili with corn bread muffins and sometimes, if I have leftover rice, I’ll throw a scoop of rice into the chili. It’s always delicious!