Best Vegan Chili

Okay so even though it was over 100 degrees today (I know! Welcome to Southern California in October), I have been craving some good chili for weeks! And this recipe looked so healthy and hearty I couldn't resist. SO. This is a recipe that Dr. Oz posted and I don't normally like nor support anything from Dr Oz, but this was just amazing! It was called Fat-Melting Chili, do to the combination of veggies and the spices. And its Vegan!! Double brownie points. Definitely a spicy one, but so good! I made a few adjustments that I'll put in brackets. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did! :)

Fat Melting Chili –Vegan

YIELDS ABOUT 14 CUPS

INGREDIENTS:

3 Tbsp. vegetable oil

VEGGIES:


• 2½ cups diced red onions

• 1 cup diced carrots
• 
2 bell peppers diced

• 1 medium sweet potato, diced

• 2 cups diced mushrooms
• 1 (10 oz) bag frozen corn

FLAVORS:

• 
3 Tbsp. ground cumin (I only used around 1 1/2 Tbsp.)
• 
½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

• 2 Tbsp. chili powder
 (I used 1 heaping Tbsp)
• 4 Tbsp. chopped garlic (I only used 2 Tbsp.)
• 
2 Tbsp. chopped jalapeños (I used a full jalapeño) 
• 2 Tbsp. dried oregano

• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon (I doubled this)

CANNED GOODS:


• 3 (14.5 oz) cans diced fire roasted tomatoes

• 1 (15 oz) can garbanzo beans (I drained and rinsed all of the beans)
• 
1 (15 oz) can red kidney beans

• 1 (15 oz) black beans

• 1 (15 oz) can Adzuki beans
• *
2 Tbsp. chopped chipotle in adobo sauce
• *
3 Tbsp. tomato paste (I completely forgot to put this in)

OPTIONAL:


1 to 2 cups vegetable  broth or vegetable juice (You can also just use water.)


TOPPING SUGGESTIONS:
sliced or diced avocado, vegan sour cream, vegan shredded cheese, tortilla chips/strips, chopped scallions/green onions/cilantro, lime juice

 Just a thought – you could use the leftover tomato paste, chipotle and jalapeño as part of a marinade.

No cooking process photos this time. It’s pretty basic stuff…

STEP 1
In a large, heavy-bottom pot, warm the oil and sauté the onions, carrots, peppers, sweet potatoes and mushrooms, stirring occasionally until vegetables start to soften, about 10 minutes.

STEP 2
Stir in the cumin, crushed red pepper flakes, chili powder, garlic and jalapeño and cook a few more minutes until fragrant.

STEP 3
Add the tomatoes, beans, oregano, chipotle in adobo, tomato paste and cinnamon. At this point, you can add a little vegetable broth, vegetable juice or water if you like your chili a bit thinner. (I added about 2 cups of vegetable broth because it was REALLY thick.)

STEP 4
Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stir in the corn; cook 5 more minutes, until corn is heated through. Serve with your favorite toppings.