Fall Chili Recipe

It's October and it's officially soup season (in my mind)!

Fall is the perfect time for warm, hearty soups featuring the season's bounty, and Chili is the perfect example.

Peppers, tomatoes, corn, carrots, tomatoes, dry beans...this is classic fall!

So, let's dive into this super easy recipe that can be made as it is - vegetarian - or with ground beef (or any other kind of meat you prefer).

Robinette Farms Local Food Subscription Nebraska

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons sunflower oil (or olive oil)

• 1 large yellow onion, diced

• 2 large bell peppers, diced (any color will do)

• 2 medium carrots, diced

• 2 stalks celery, diced (if this is local and smaller, keep it at 2 stalks because the flavor is stronger!)

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 tablespoons chili powder

• 1 tablespoon ground cumin

• 2 teaspoons dried oregano

• 2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste

• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or put a small pepper in the chili whole to flavor it!)

• 3 1/2 cups diced fresh tomatoes (or 1 28 oz can)

• 4 1/2 cups cooked beans (pinto, black, kidney, or a mix) (or 3 15 oz cans of beans, drained and rinsed)

• 1-2 cups vegetable or chicken broth

• 2 cups sweet corn cut off 4 ears (or 1 15 oz can or bag of frozen corn)

• Topping suggestions: sour cream, shredded cheese, cilantro leaves, sliced jalapeno, avocado

Instructions:

• Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat.

• Add onion, peppers, carrot, celery, and garlic and cook until tender, 8-10 minutes.

• Add spices: chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper, and cayenne, and stir to coat veggies.

• Add the tomatoes, and their juices, beans, and 1 cup of broth.

• Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered until chili thickens to your liking (30-40 min). If you like a soup-ier chili, add 1 more cup of broth.

• Add corn and stir.

• Add toppings of choice.

Ground Beef or Other Meat:

• If you want to add meat to your fall chili, you can simply cook the ground beef before you add the vegetables. For this recipe use about 1-2 pounds of ground beef. Or you can cook it in a separate pan and guests can put their own serving of meat into their bowl if they want to!

Prep time 20-30 min, Cook time 40-50 min, Serves 8-10