Meatless Monday: Bean and Vegetable Chili

This Chili will leave your family deliciously filled and satisfied — you won’t even miss the meat!

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 pound ground beef, pork, turkey, or chicken
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
2 small eggplants, cubed
1 medium zucchini, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 cup mushrooms, quartered
1 fresh or dried hot chile, seeded and minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1 cup canned tomato, seeded and chopped
4 cups canned kidney beans, liquid reserved
Vegetable stock as needed (about two cups)
Fresh cilantro for garnish

Directions

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium; add the meat, season with salt and pepper, and cook until browned. Remove meat from pan and drain off all but three tablespoons of fat.

Heat the pan over medium-high. Add the onion and garlic; cook for about a minute. Add the vegetables; cook for 10 minutes or until they start to caramelize and dry out.

Add the seasonings and stir, then add the tomatoes and beans with enough of their liquid to submerge everything (use the stock if there isn’t enough). Bring the mixture to a boil and cook about 15 minutes. Garnish with cilantro. Serves six.

Recipe Courtesy Mark Bittman, Chef/Author