This Veggie Loaded Chilirecipe is packed full with healthy vegetables and fiber-rich beans – it’s great for any occasion from game day to a family dinner. It’s a diabetic-friendly recipe too.
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When we were first married, David was totally against having chili for dinner because he had it so much as a kid. I didn’t have it often as a child, so I welcomed the idea of chili for dinner, and I especially loved how inexpensive it was to make.
Over the years, David slowly started to accept the idea of chili as a meal. It mostly came about in 2009 or so when we started changing the way we ate. We wanted to eat healthy meals that didn’t always include a chicken breast, and making chili was a perfect fit.
The Veggie Chili recipe I am sharing with you today is very similar to the chili we’ve been throwing together for years, with one big (and delicious) difference: it’s loaded in vegetables. I never considered adding this many vegetables to our chili, but now that I’ve made this Veggie Chili, I’m not sure I could ever go back.
This recipe comes from the American Diabetes Association cookbook called Healthy Calendar Diabetic Cooking by Lara Rondinelli-Hamilton, RD, LDN, CDE, and Chef Jennifer Bucko Lamplough. It contains a full year of menus and easy recipes. As I mentioned two weeks ago, I never would have considered using a diabetic cookbook for my own healthy eating. I would have just assumed that they are for those with diabetes, and if you don’t have diabetes, there is no sense in cooking with such recipes, right?
I’vequickly learned that diabetic cookbooks, like Healthy Calendar, have the kind of wholesome recipes that we need. The Healthy Calendar Diabetic Cooking cookbook includes hundreds of recipes too — all of them laid out according to month, which also includes weekly menus and shopping lists. As someone who loves timesavers and things perfectly organized, I am a huge fan of all of this.
Now, as I mentioned this chili is packed full of veggies. When you make it, be sure to prep everything beforehand and then it’s a breeze to cook up. For the zucchini, I cut it in quarters lengthwise and then sliced to give little triangle chunks. The carrots were peeled and then sliced in my food processor (you could do it by hand). The original recipe called for green bell peppers, but we decided to go with a red bell peppers, which definitely made this a colorful chili.
While you could have this chili anytime, I think it’s particularly great for game day. So often game day food isn’t the healthiest and while I love those things as much as the next person, this recipe is something everyone can enjoy, even if they aren’t losing weight or a person with diabetes.
I served our Veggie Chili with optional toppings, such as shredded cheese, light sour cream, sliced jalapenos and hot sauce for those who wanted it spicier. Of course, adding toppings willalter the nutritional content of the recipe. You don’t have to use extra toppings — this chili is delicious without extras —but everyone in our house liked creating their own chili masterpieces.
Veggie Loaded Chili Recipe
If eating healthier is important to you too, I encourage you to check out the catalog of American Diabetes Associationcookbooks – there is lots of great titles available for every type of cooking.
Here’s the full Veggie Loaded Chili recipe – be sure to pin to Pinterest for safe keeping!
This Veggie Loaded Chilirecipe is packed full with healthy vegetables and fiber-rich beans – it’s great for any occasion from game day to a family dinner. It’s a diabetic-friendly recipe too.
Ingredients
Scale
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 medium onion (chopped)
4 carrots (sliced)
1 green bell pepper (chopped)
1 zucchini (chopped)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
1 tablespoon chili powder
1, 16- ounce can kidney beans (rinsed and drained)
1, 16- ounce can black beans (rinsed and drained)
1, 15- ounce can tomato sauce
2, 14.5- ounce cans no-salt-added diced tomatoes in juice
Instructions
Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat.
Add onion and carrots and sauté 5 minutes. Add green pepper and zucchini and sauté another 2 minutes.
Add garlic and sauté 30 seconds. Add chili powder and all remaining ingredients; bring to a boil.
Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30-35 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
Notes
Calories 179 Carbohydrate 33 g Protein 9 g Fat 3 g Saturated Fat 0 g Dietary Fiber 10 g Cholesterol 0 mg Sodium 492 mg
Elevate your chili recipe by adding an extra layer of flavor. Cocoa powder, bacon, cinnamon, ground coffee and tomato paste will all add a rich sweet & salty flavors that are sure to surprise and delight.
Raw meat and pot of chili are two things that just don't belong together. If the recipe includes any type of ground meat, bacon, chorizo, or cubes of beef, it should always be browned first. Try this: The first order of business before adding anything else to the pot is to brown any meat in your recipe.
The best beans for chili are pinto, kidney, and black beans, like in this easy and tasty recipe. This 3-bean chili freezes great for meals later in the week. If you prefer thinner chili, add an extra can of tomato sauce. The green chiles are not hot and add a wonderful flavor, so don't be afraid to use them.
If you want more of a smoky flavor, add cumin, Spanish paprika, ancho chili powder, or a combination. If you are looking for more heat, add cayenne, crushed red pepper, or Hungarian paprika. If it's too spicy add a little brown sugar and some sweet paprika.
Sweet onions are great for caramelizing due to their higher sugar content. You can cook them into your chili, serve them raw over top, or even elevate your chili with a sophisticated caramelized onion topping! Some of my favorite sweet onions are Walla, Walla, Maui, and Vidalia Onions.
How to choose the right tomato: For a slow-cooked Bolognese sauce, choose whole peeled tomatoes. The long cooking time will slowly thicken the tomato sauce and break down the pieces. If you are making chili that will cook for 30 to 40 minutes, diced tomatoes will work best.
Cinnamon is a fairly common addition to chili, but you can also use small amount of nutmeg, cloves, allspice, and other sweet spices to make it more aromatic. Even a bit of star anise can enhance the beefy, spicy flavor of chili without being too licorice-forward (add too much, though, and it may taste more like pho).
A low and slow cook time—at least an hour total—is key for drawing out the most flavor in a pot of chili. Yes, a quick chili is most welcome on weeknights, but it won't have quite the same results. A slow cooker works wonders, but if you're short on time, try a pressure cooker.
Like meat, vegetables and aromatics should be sauteed before being added to the chili mixture. This brings out the flavor, making for a more balanced finished dish. Onions should be sauteed until translucent; garlic should be sauteed until lightly browned and toasty-looking.
Chili is perhaps the ideal slow-cooker dish because its flavor improves with a long, slow simmer. This makes a big batch, perfect for a cold-weather get-together, but if you're making it for a smaller group, the leftovers freeze well.
By including carrots, you're not only making your chili tastier but also healthier. They Add Texture: If you add them closer to the end of the cooking time, carrots can provide a pleasant crunch in your chili. Carrots Thicken the Chili: Carrots release natural starches as they cook, helping to thicken the chili.
In Mexico, they make a green rice, using a long-grain variety flavoured with salsa verde. Paul also suggests trying an ancient grain such as quinoa or faro, as well as corn tortillas and condiments such as guacamole, salsas and sour cream. “Chilli con carne is very communal,” he says.
Chicken, fish, grilled ribs, seafood, and even grilled vegetables will become so much more delicious when dipped with BBQ sauce or chili sauce, which are the top choices of many people.
Introduction: My name is Mr. See Jast, I am a open, jolly, gorgeous, courageous, inexpensive, friendly, homely person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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