Freezer-Friendly Vegetarian Chili

After what I posted last week about not being ready for fall recipes yet, you probably think I’m a big hypocrite for posting this Freezer-Friendly Vegetarian Chili today. But let me explain!

This is not a fall recipe, you see. It’s what I like to call a transitional recipe. It uses summer produce (which is still readily available!), but it’s a perfect dinner for a chilly September evening.

And if it’s still too early for chilly evenings where you live, well, that’s okay, because you can make this chili ahead of time and freeze it.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion diced
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• ⅛ –¼ tsp cayenne pepper optional; ¼ teaspoon is very spicy!
• 1 small zucchini diced
• 1 small yellow squash diced
• 1 small red pepper diced
• 2 10 oz cans diced tomatoes with green chili peppers
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 ear corn kernels removed
• 1 ½ cups cooked black beans or 1 can, rinsed
• 1 ½ cups cooked kidney beans or 1 can, rinsed
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat.
• Add the onion and cook until it’s softened, 5–7 minutes.
• Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and cayenne and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Stir in the zucchini, yellow squash, and red pepper; cook until they’re softened, 7–10 minutes.
• Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, corn, and beans.
• Bring the chili to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Nutrition