Chipotle Chili - Vegan

I like Chili because I can throw a lot of nutritious and tasty ingredients into one pot! It's so easy to make and pretty inexpensive and satisfying. There are so many varieties of Chili recipes out there, this one has a nice smoky flavor from chipotle.

What goes in your body (4-6 vegan):

• 2 tablespoons olive or canola oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 2 large carrots, chopped
• 2 large stalks of celery, chopped
• 1 medium green bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped 
• 1 medium red bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped 
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 to 3 tablespoon finely chopped chipotles in adobo
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes, with liquid 
• 2 cups cooked red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 cups cooked black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 avocado, chopped (optional)
• Green onion to garnish (optional)

You are going to:

1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, celery, peppers and garlic and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, until vegetables are softened but not browned. 
2. Add chipotle, oregano, cumin, chili powder and salt. Stir to blend. Add tomatoes and water. Gently simmer over low heat, uncovered, for 45 minutes.
3. Add beans and simmer an additional 30 minutes. Garnish individual bowls with green onions and avocado, if desired.

Secrets from the chef:

• You can use vegan sour cream and cheese as optional toppings.
• I served with my favorite tortilla chips - 'Veggie and Flaxseed Tortilla Chips' from Trader Joe's.
• The original recipe can be found here.

Bon appétit!