Andyboy Cooks!

Vegetarian Chili

  

 

To be perfectly honest, this isn't really a vegetarian chili. At least I don't think it is. This is a modified vegetable stew that I've been making for a few years now. In that stew I use a bit of cumin, and this time out I found myself adding more, and then a little bit more, and then a few more pinches of cayenne, and finally some chili powder, and all of a sudden I had chili. I was really pleased with the result. It manages to have all of the depth of a well made chili without all of the weight (and fat) of ground beef. Don't get me wrong - I love a good hearty meat chili as much as anybody, but this is a nice change of pace.

Bear in mind that this really was the product of "adding a bit of this and a pinch of that" so the ingredient amounts are estimates. They should be pretty close though. Remember to season to YOUR taste. What might seem hot to me may be mild for you, and so on. Hope you like it!

Vegetarian Chili

2 tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion (chopped)
4 cloves garlic (minced)
1 large russet potato (diced)
2 cans corn (drained)
2 cans black beans (drained)
1 can diced tomatoes (28 oz)
1 can crushed tomatoes (28 oz)
3 cups chicken stock (low sodium)
1 cup chopped Italian parsley (chopped)
1 package frozen spinach (thawed and squeezed)
2 tbsp cumin
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
S&P to taste

 

 

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and sweat for five minutes. Add the garlic and cook for one minute. Add the stock, tomatoes, corn, black beans, cumin, chili powder, cayenne, a tablespoon of salt and a teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper. Turn the heat up to high and stir until all the ingredients are well incorporated. Cover the pot and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook for twenty minutes. Add the spinach (broken up) and Italian parsley and simmer for another five minutes. Remove from heat and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with a dollop of sour cream.

 

This is one of those recipes that once you've learned it, it will become an old standby. If at the end of the day I'm too bored/tired to make anything substantial, I'll head to the store, throw a few cans of tomatoes, some basil and cream in the cart and truck on home to make this no brainer of a soup. But make no mistake - just because it's a no brainer doesn't mean it's not absolutely delicious. Ideally served with some warm, crusty bread (I prefer sourdough).

It's also a fairly versitle soup that you can adjust to your liking. If it's summertime you can leave out the cream for something a little lighter. If you don't like heat in your food, ditch the cayanne. If you're planning to serve it and want something a little more refined, run a hand blender through it to smooth it out. Regardless, it's a wonderful soup and definitely one to add to your recipe book (basic recipe from Kathleen Daelemans).

Cream of Tomato Basil Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 12 oz can diced tomatoes
4 cups chicken stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of cayanne pepper (optional)
1 cup light cream
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh basil, thinly sliced (chiffonade)

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cayanne and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and the stock. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cook until soup is slightly thickened, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the basil and cream. 

Cream of Tomato Basil Soup

 

This is one of those recipes that once you've learned it, it will become an old standby. If at the end of the day I'm too bored/tired to make anything substantial, I'll head to the store, throw a few cans of tomatoes, some basil and cream in the cart and truck on home to make this no brainer of a soup. But make no mistake - just because it's a no brainer doesn't mean it's not absolutely delicious. Ideally served with some warm, crusty bread (I prefer sourdough).

It's also a fairly versitle soup that you can adjust to your liking. If it's summertime you can leave out the cream for something a little lighter. If you don't like heat in your food, ditch the cayanne. If you're planning to serve it and want something a little more refined, run a hand blender through it to smooth it out. Regardless, it's a wonderful soup and definitely one to add to your recipe book (basic recipe from Kathleen Daelemans).

Cream of Tomato Basil Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 12 oz can diced tomatoes
4 cups chicken stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of cayanne pepper (optional)
1 cup light cream
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh basil, thinly sliced (chiffonade)

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cayanne and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and the stock. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cook until soup is slightly thickened, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the basil and cream.