Bean 'n Corn Chili

This is a nicely straightforward, easy lunch or dinner. Any leftovers freeze nicely, and a variety or simplicity of toppings work well when it's served. I've based my recipe on this somewhat more bare bones recipe, so if you're wanting to build up your own recipe that might be a better place to start.

I like this recipe both with and without meat (as the season dictates) and it's pretty easy to make vegan/fasting. If you're wanting to do the latter, then omit the beef (obviously), use a nice vegetable bouillon, and skip the various dairy-based toppings. Whether you make it meaty or not, I hope you enjoy this chili as much as I do!

Bean 'n Corn Chili

(5 servings*)

Ingredients

1 tablespoon of olive oil

100g / 3.5oz of ground beef

1 medium onion (chopped)

5 cloves of garlic (crushed/minced)

Grated ginger (to taste)

2 tablespoons of tomato paste

1 teaspoon of chili powder

1 teaspoon of cumin

1 teaspoon of ground coriander (optional)

Black pepper (to taste)

540ml / 19oz of canned beans** (rinsed)

540ml / 19oz of diced tomatoes***

340ml / 12oz of canned corn kernels (drained)

1/2 cup of water

2 teaspoons of bouillon powder

2 teaspoons of smoked paprika

1 teaspoon of light soy sauce

1 bay leaf

Salt (to taste)

Cooked rice (to serve)

Shredded cheese (to serve)

Sour cream (to serve)

Tortilla chips (to serve)

Hot sauce**** (to serve)

Sliced avocado (to serve)

Fresh cilantro (to garnish)

Chopped green onion (to garnish)

*This is tailored to my family's serving size preferences, served over rice. Mileage may vary!

**I usually have kidney beans or black beans on hand, but use what you've got!

***Something garlicky or fire roasted works well if available.

****This is usually sriracha for us, but use what you've got! This recipe is very mild - a good thing when you have people over who have trouble eating a wider range of foods - so we tend to lean heavy on the sriracha when it's time to eat.

Directions

1) Place a pan or wok (whatever you've got) over medium heat and add the oil. If you're including the beef, then add it at the same time. If you're going meat-free, then proceed to step 2.

2) Once the oil is hot add the onion and sauté until the onion has begun to soften and become translucent.

3) Stir in the garlic and ginger and continue sautéing another minute or so until fragrant.

4) Add the tomato paste, thoroughly incorporate, and cook for a couple of minutes. If the pan gets too dry add a little splash or two of water to deglaze.

5) Reduce the heat to medium low, sprinkle in the chili powder, cumin, coriander, and black pepper, and sauté for another minute or so until fragrant in a whole new way.

6) Throw the beans, diced tomatoes, corn, water, bouillon, paprika, soy sauce, bay leaf, and salt to the pan, return the heat to medium, and bring everything to a boil.

7) Once the chili is boiling cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.

8) While the chili is simmering prepare whatever you're wanting to serve the finished dish with - we generally have rice, shredded cheddar, sour cream, cilantro, and green onions on hand, so those are usually what go out. Some crushed up tortilla chips or avocado slices can be a nice addition as well, and some sort of hot sauce is always mandatory of course. Whatever you have on hand and however you serve the chili, enjoy!