The weather here, in Los Angeles, is so weird. Mostly it’s sunny all year round but for a couple months in February and March, it gets cold (by Californian standards) and rainy. By rainy, I mean we get a few wet days out of the year where it makes going to the beach less likely. I know, poor us. Although, some may not enjoy this weather, I take this opportunity to cook up some goodies.
I open my cupboards for inspiration and what do I find… everything I’d need to make some good, comforting, vegan chili.
I start by bringing a cup of green lentils to a boil. I then place a lid over them and let them simmer for 35 minutes.
this gives me time to chop up some vegetables
Ingredients:
3 Garlic Cloves
1 White Onion
1 Red Bell Pepper
1 tbsp. Chili Powder
1 tsp. Cumin
1 tsp. Oregano
1 dash. Pumpkin Spice or Cinnamon
1 tsp. Sea Salt
1 tsp. Black Pepper
4 Cup. Canned Tomatoes
2 Cup. Lentils
2 Cup. Kidney Beans
2 Cup. Black Beans
2 Cup. Frozen Corn
- I use canned kidney and black beans. I also cook the lentils in advance*
Directions
Chop and mince your onion then set aside. Chop and mince your red bell pepper, setting it aside so you can mince your garlic and set aside.
In a large pot, heated to medium, sauté onion in about 1 tablespoon of oil until soft and fragrant. About 3 minutes.
(I use olive oil but any oil you prefer will do)
Add minced red pepper and sauté until soft. About 3 minutes.
Now add all of the spices, stirring for another minute. You may need to turn down the heat to avoid burning the garlic.
Pour in just enough crushed tomato to bring the mixture off of the bottom of the pan. Sauté for another 2 minutes.
Add remaining crushed tomatoes (I also add a freshly chopped tomato if I have one), lentils, black beans, kidney beans, corn, salt and pepper to taste. Mix it all up and put a lid on it. Simmer for at least 30 minutes but the longer the better.
This is the part where I usually put a half baked baguette in the oven as well. Unfortunately I don’t have one of those today so my incredible other half volunteers to peddle his bicycle up the block to grab one from my favorite Greek bakery.
Which, by the way, Greeks make it extremely hard for us to pass up their delicious pastries. Have you ever tried a melomakarona or kourabiedes? Before going Vegan, I’d go crazy for those cookies.
After your husband returns home with the baguette, dish up two heaping bowls, accompanied with fresh bread and a beverage and Bon Appetit!
The following day the chili is even better. Something about it soaking in all of its juicy ingredients makes the layers of the dish taste so much more concentrated.
Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy this din din as much as we do. ✌️