National Chili Month

Also, Vegetarian Chili

October, apparently, is National Chili Month. I’m guessing this is because by October, it’s finally cool enough that people are ready to eat warm, comforting meals while wearing socks, and the cool weather is new enough that chili feels fun and different. If I make chili in March, someone in my house will say, “Chili again?” and I will gently encourage that person to cook their own dinner.

The first known chili recipe is up for debate, but the first known written description of chili is from an 1828 journal entry by J.C. Clopper. He described it as, “A kind of hash with nearly as many peppers as there are pieces of meat – this is all stewed together.” No mention of beans. Beans, it turns out, are a wildly controversial ingredient. Traditional chili con carne does not contain beans and according to the rules of the International Chili Society, which holds the World Championship Chili Cook-off, beans are not a permitted ingredient in the chili con carne category.

Chili con carne is also called traditional red. The other chili categories recognized by the International Chili Society are chili verde (made with green chilies), homestyle chili (whatever that means) and veggie chili.

Chili recipes abound – a quick Google search of “chili recipes” turned up over 258,000,000 results. My mother’s chili recipe was no-nonsense. Tomato sauce, browned ground beef, kidney beans and drained canned corn cooked all day in the slow cooker. No onions. No spices. Nothing to offend any picky children. I don’t remember any toppings. No shredded cheese or sour cream. Certainly nothing as adventurous as avocado. (I did not eat an avocado until I was an adult. Like, a thirty-year-old adult.) We ate the chili with Club crackers. Why Club crackers? I don’t know but it never varied, so I guess it was some kind of rule.

Nowadays, I operate with several chili recipes in the rotation, depending on what I’m in the mood for. Since we don’t eat meat, my chili is always vegetarian and over the years, I’ve adapted tons of chili recipes to our meatless ways.

Which, in our house, means beans. To me, chili without beans is…I don’t know what. Spaghetti sauce? Soup? Since my chili doesn’t contain meat, if I left out beans too, I’d just have tomatoes and vegetables.

One of the perks of chili is that it usually makes a ton. That means chili is a great party food (perfect for football) or can be cooked once and reheated all week, or even frozen for another meal sometime in the future.

My favorite chili recipe fills the slow cooker to the top. The first evening we eat it in bowls with loads of toppings – shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, diced avocado. The Child and I don’t like a lot of spice, so Hubs usually adds hot sauce. Later in the week, we’ll have baked potatoes topped with leftover chili. Hubs or I might have some chili for lunch during the week. Sometimes I freeze a big container to have some ready for a weeknight when we need a quick meal.

Vegetarian chili is amazingly healthy. Loaded with tomatoes, onions and beans, it’s packed with fiber (my favorite nutrient). It’s basically free of unhealthy fats, so a smidge of cheese and sour cream on top won’t hurt. Topping it with avocado adds more fiber (hooray!) and healthy fats. My recipe includes chewy, filling whole-grain farro for texture. Gluten-free folks can substitute quinoa and maybe reduce the veggie broth by half a cup or so. (If you need more ideas for healthy meal planning, wellness coaching can help.)

Chili is also endlessly adaptable. Substitute whatever beans you like. Sometimes I swap out the great northern beans for pinto beans. Leave out the chilies if you don’t have them. Use tomato juice instead of the vegetable stock. Use more or less chili powder. I get my chili powder from Spices and Mixes by Milly and it has a kick. I almost always use less chili powder than a recipe calls for. My rule of thumb for my palate is to use the same amount of chili powder and cumin in a recipe. Do what works for you and the others who will be eating your chili.

Chili is perfect for the sudden change in the weather we’ve had here in Buffalo. When it’s forty degrees and raining, there is no better dinner than chili. Just don’t forget your socks.

Thanks for being with me on this wellness journey. Go Bills!

Slow Cooker Vegetarian Chili

1 medium onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

28 oz. can tomato sauce

28 oz. can diced tomatoes (or 1 quart home-canned tomatoes)

4 oz. can diced chilies

1 15 oz. can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 15 oz. can great northern or navy beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup farro or quinoa, rinsed (I like Bob’s Red Mill)

4 cups vegetable stock (preferably low-sodium)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar (optional)

1 tbsp ground cumin

1 tbsp chili powder (or more to taste)

½ tsp black pepper

Combine all ingredients in slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours. Vent lid during last 30 minutes of cooking so mixture can reduce. Serve with your favorite chili toppings.