Meatless Monday - Vegetarian Chili with Bulgar

For those of you following along, you know I like bulgar. This vegetarian chili is a perfect use of it as a filler and textural component.  The bulgar provides fiber and has similar mouth feel to ground meat.

I often find vegetarian recipes are light and bright, which I enjoy, but a hot and spicy chili demands a low note, a bass line to follow so to speak, that normally comes from animal fat. With that in mind I've included unsweetened baking cocoa. It does it's job and is definately a background note that you may not be able to place unless told.

I was also happy to use some of the tomato products I put up last summer. It's a satisfying feeling.

As always, this recipe is very flexible, feel free to add shredded carrots, mushrooms, corn, lentils, whatever you like.

Ingredients:
1 cup bulgar
2 onions chopped
2 green bell peppers chopped
1 jalapeno seeded - small dice
3  cloves of garlic minced
2 15 oz cans kidney beans drained and rinsed
16 oz tomato sauce
16 oz whole peeled tomatoes with their juice
1 15 oz can of "chili ready" tomatoes (if you don't have this product you'll want to use more cumin)
1 chipotle pepper plus 2 tbs of adobo sauce
1 tbs oil
1 tsp hot chili powder
1 tbs cocoa (unsweetened)
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Put bulgar in a bowl, add hot water to cover, cover bowl and set aside for at least 15 minutes

Break down the vegtables.

Add 1 tbs oil to large pot over medium heat.

Add onions, peppers, garlic and salt to the oil.

Cook stirring often until the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. What's the yellow? Good catch! It's a bit of yellow pepper I had left over in the crisper. Use it up!

Add all three canned tomatoes, diced, sauce, and whole.

Add the chipotle and adobo sauce.

Stir and simmer for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium low.

Add beans and bulgar.

Stir, add cocoa, and chili powder.

Stir, reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes.

Taste a sample. Adjust seasonings to your liking.

Simmer 5 more minutes.

Serve with corn bread, top with your favorite topping(s).

Hard to believe that it's meat free!

Until next time, Eat Well & Keep Digging.


The Gastronomic Gardener
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