Last Saturday really felt like Fall. I will be honest and tell you this didn’t exactly thrill me; I like warm temps with abundant sunshine and I don’t appreciate other seasons sneaking in and stealing my Summer time! Fortunately, this quinoa chili recipe saved the day! I came across the recipe on Pinterest some time ago and have wanted to try it ever since so with no plans on Saturday, chilly weather and fallen leaves rattling across the sidewalks I decided to embrace the random Fall yet Summer day and cook chili! I’m so glad I did, because I found a new soup to add to my recipe box; it turned out so delicious! It’s truly comfort food in its finest form having everything you love in a hot soup on a chilly day plus great health benefits worthy of mention!

Let’s talk about quinoa for a minute. First things first, that’s pronounced ‘Keen-wah’. What? It still sounds strange to me and I constantly want to pronounce it the way it’s spelled. That aside, the funny sounding word defines tiny seeds packed with fiber, protein, minerals and vitamins. Quinoa is gluten free, anti-inflammatory and will help to improve cholesterol, digestion and heart health (not that you can simply just eat quinoa to fix these things!) JS, just sayin 🙂 You also have to keep in mind everything has pros and cons; it’s important to rinse your quinoa in cold water before cooking to remove the coating of saponins that could potentially irritate your tummy. As with all foods, do your research and add to your diet in a proper and healthy way! Enough fun facts, let’s move on to this delicious recipe!

I will be making this again on future Football Sundays. It’s great served with tortilla chips, garlic bread or corn bread! Even with no meat, it’s a very filling meal! It’s even husband approved, but then again my husband eats just about anything. So just take my word for it and give it a try 🙂 Enjoy!!

Quinoa Chili

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Quinoa, soaked overnight and rinsed (don’t skip this step!)
• 1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 yellow Onion, chopped
• 3 cloves Garlic, minced
• 2 Bell Peppers, one red and one green, chopped
• 2 Jalapenos, chopped
• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 Tbsp Cumin
• 1 Tbsp Chili powder
• 1 tsp ground Coriander
• 1 tsp dried Oregano
• 1 tsp ground Chili Chipotle
• 1 tsp pure Maple Syrup
• Salt and Pepper, to taste
• 2 cans Black Beans (15 oz each), drained and rinsed
• 1 can Red Kidney Beans (15 oz), drained and rinsed
• 2 cans Diced Tomatoes (14.5oz each)
• 8 ounces Tomato sauce
• 3 cups Vegetable broth
• 1 cup corn, frozen or fresh

Instructions:

1. Prep your ingredients by slicing the onion, garlic & peppers and draining & rinsing the black and red beans.
2. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic to saute for five minutes.
3. Add peppers and all spices. Cook for another five minutes, stirring as needed.
4. After five minutes, add remaining ingredients except the corn. Stir to mix all ingredients well and bring to a brief boil. Reduce heat to low and allow soup to simmer for at least thirty minutes.
5. Add the corn and continue simmering for an additional ten minutes.
6. Serve warm with your choice of bread or other side.

As always, thanks for reading!!