Double Bean Chili

This meatless chili is perfect when you need a one-pot meal in about an hour. With only a half-hour of prep time, it's a great dish to serve during the week when you want to set dinner on the table and then sit back for the night! It's about average in levels of heat, and you can definitely mix and match the vegetables and beans if you want to try something different on occasion. This base recipe is my go-to chili—easy, healthy, and delicious!


Level: Beginner-Intermediate Cook
Servings: 4-6
Active Time: 1/2 Hour
Total Time: 1 Hour


Ingredients

5-6 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Large Red Onion (or Vidalia Onion), chopped
1 Green Pepper, chopped
1 Red Pepper, chopped
2-3 cloves of Garlic, chopped
1 and 1/2 Tablespoons Penzey's Chili 3000 (or your favorite chili seasoning)
1/2 Teaspoon Penzey's Ground Red Chipotle Powder (or your favorite smoky, spicy chili powder)
1 Large Can of Goya Black Beans (1 lb, 13 oz)
2 Small Cans of Goya Dark Red Kidney Beans (15.5 oz)
2 Cans of Hunt's Crushed Tomatoes (28 oz)

Toppings: Sour Cream, Shredded Cheese, Green Onions, or your favorites

Steps

1. In a large heavy saucepan, heat olive oil on med-high
2. Add onion and peppers, sauté until soft and translucent, about 5-10 minutes
3. Add garlic and spices, cook another 2 minutes
4. Add beans (do not drain beans) and tomatoes
5. Bring to a boil
6. Turn down heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. The longer it sits, the more the flavors meld.

7. Add toppings: Sour Cream, Shredded Cheese, Green Onions, or your favorites! Serve with cornbread on the side if desired.

ENJOY!

* Tip One *
This chili is average heat. If you'd like more heat, simply add some seeds-in jalapeños, chopped or sliced. Additionally, you could add more chipotle powder, as this is spicy as well. Heat levels determined by the spices I used (Penzey's).

* Tip Two *
For variation, add some vegetables such as zucchini, corn, or even shredded carrots. I would recommend adding the corn at the end so it doesn't overcook, just heats through. You might also use different beans, such as white beans, small red beans, or even chickpeas. Play around!