Hello and Happy New Year! I hope you had an enjoyable holiday, however you chose to spend it. We party animals over here ordered in Thai and were in bed by 10pm, ha. I’ve never been a huge New Year’s Eve person to begin with and now that I have a little one, it’s all the more reason to lay low and have a relaxing night at home. The freezing cold weather was another motivator for staying in close to the fireplace. Feels like 1 degree? No thank you!

Speaking of the weather, given how frigid it has been the past week, I wanted to make something warming and hearty for dinner New Year’s day. What better than a big pot of chili? This version is packed with fiber-rich beans (three different kinds, in fact!) and veggies to fill you up and keep you satisfied for hours.

It’s also low in sodium and fat. Tomato products tend to be loaded with sodium so I always try to buy versions that are low sodium or no salt added, like I used in this recipe. Personally, I find the other seasonings to add enough flavor that I don’t even add any salt to my bowl, but it’s easy enough to salt it to taste. Best of all, this is beyond easy to throw together and can last for several meals. The next time you’re on the hunt for a wholesome and delicious veggie chili recipe, I hope you give this one a try! If you do, let me know how you like it.

Ingredients

• 2 large yellow onions
• 3 cups of carrots (about 3 large)
• 3 peppers (I used 2 green and 1 red but any combo will work)
• 6 cloves garlic
• 3 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes, no salt added
• 6 oz can tomato paste
• 2 cans kidney beans, no salt added
• 2 cans black beans, no salt added
• 1 can white beans, no salt added
• 3 tbsp chili powder, or to taste
• 3 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 16 oz bag of frozen corn (I like the fire roasted kind from Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s)

Directions

1. Spray the bottom of a large soup or stock pot with oil (you can also use veggie broth if you’d prefer not to use oil).
2. Chop onions, carrots, peppers, and garlic and add them to the pot. Set on medium/low and let the veggies cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure they don’t stick.
3. Add in the diced tomatoes and tomato paste.
4. Drain and rinse the beans and then add them to the pot and stir well.
5. Stir in all the spices and let the chili cook on low for about an hour to 90 minutes, until all the veggies are tender.
6. Add in the frozen corn and stir again. Leave it for a few minutes to warm.
7. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Note: This recipe makes a LARGE pot of chili. I always like to make a big batch so that it can provide multiple meals. Sometimes I even freeze some of the leftovers to have later.  If you’d rather make a smaller amount, I suggest just halving the recipe.