There is nothing more satisfying after a long day than the smell of the slow cooker merging chili spices together. The aroma fills the room and creates the stage for your meal to shine.
This Hearty Garden Vegetable and Beef Chili is a true crowd pleaser. Packed with fresh vegetables, a perfect blend of rich spices, and a medley of protein rich beans this is a one dish wonder.
I like to gather my ingredients for this dish from my own Urban Garden and local Farmers Markets.
The fresher the vegetables the better. As for the spices, the same rules apply. Fresh is always best.
You can very easily prepare the ingredients for this dish the night before. In fact, I would highly recommend doing just that. It allows the spices to begin their blending over night.
Want to spice things up?
Should you want this recipe to have a healthy spicy kick, add a Jalapeño to the mix and replace the tomato sauce with equal portions of (1/2 cup) Fancy Molasses and your favourite (1/2 cup) BBQ sauce.
Serve it up with some Jalapeño Corn bread and your favourite light Mexican beer.
Hearty Garden Vegetable and Beef Chili
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Ingredients
Main Ingredients:
1 Yellow Pepper
1 Green Pepper
1/2 Red Onion
2 Stalks of Celery
1 Tsp Minced Garlic
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
3 Tbsp Chili Powder
3 Tsp Coriander
3 Tsp Oregano
2 Tsp Cumin
1 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Pepper
3 Cups of cooked Ground Beef
19 oz Red Kidney Beans
19 oz Mixed Beans (Unico has nice combination)
19 oz Baked Beans in Tomato Sauce
28 oz Diced Tomatoes
1 Cup Tomato Sauce
1 Cup Beef Broth
1 Tsp Liquid Smoke
*Optional*
- 1 Jalapeño
- 1/2 Molasses
- 1/2 BBQ sauce
Instructions
Begin this recipe by gathering your ingredients and getting them ready to go. This meal comes together quickly so best to be prepared. It makes the entire cooking process seamless.
- Dice the peppers, Red Onion, (Jalapeño if using) and celery. Set these ingredients aside.
- Combine your spices in a small bowl (chili, coriander, cumin, salt and pepper) and set aside
- Open your Kidney beans and Mixed Beans. Drain and rinse. Set aside.
- Open your Diced Tomatoes. Drain and set aside.
- Open your Tomato Beans and set aside.
- Measure out your remaining ingredients and set them aside.
Now you are ready to begin your assembly of this dish.
- In a medium frying pan, add the olive oil and garlic. Cook over medium heat until it becomes fragrant. (About 2 minutes)
- Add the diced peppers, onions and celery to the pan. Cook for approximately 3 minutes. Just until the vegetables begin to soften.
- Add the spice blend to your vegetables and cook for one more minute.
- Now you can place all the ingredients into the slow cooker. (or in a Tupperware dish to store overnight in the fridge)
- Give the ingredients a good healthy stir to make certain all ingredients and spices have been mixed thoroughly.
- Place on a low setting to simmer for 4 – 6 hours.
Serve it hot with some corn bread, dark rye, or fresh biscuits.
Notes
For garnish upon each individual serving: Sprinkle some freshly chopped cilantro, a drizzle of honey, a Tbsp of shredded cheddar, and a dollop of sour cream.
