Spicy Vegetarian Chili

It's hard to even think about cooking right now. It's very hot. And when we open the windows for relief, there's smoke!

So, cooking chili sounds insane. But I've been feeling rather insane recently, so this is appropriate.

We have a CSA box full of amazing vegetables begging to be made into something delicious - it's worth it to make the house a little warmer.

I make this chili all the time. And, honestly, chili usually doesn't grab my attention, but this dish is different. It's good. The fennel makes it interesting. I usually up all the spice quantities because I like things really flavorful.

I hardly follow the directions to a tee. They are more like a guideline, and it all depends on what we have on hand. This time I used what we had in our CSA box. So, if you are wondering what to do with your loads of squash, bell peppers, eggplant and okra, and you can stand to turn on the stove, try this.






Spicy Vegetarian Chili
Adapted from Simply Recipes

• 4-5 okra chopped
• Olive oil
• 2 yellow onions, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium zucchini, diced
• 2 medium summer squash, diced
• 2 large bell peppers, cored, seeded, diced
• 1 to 2 jalapeño peppers, seeded, finely minced
• 1 28-ounce can Italian plum tomatoes
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1-2 Tbsp chili powder
• 1 Tbsp ground cumin
• 2 Tbsp fresh chopped oregano or 2 teaspoons dried
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 1/2 cup cooked white beans (1 15-ounce can, drained and rinsed)
• 1 1/2 cup cooked kidney beans (1 15-ounce can, drained and rinsed)
• (if you can prepare ahead of time and could soak and cook the beans it saves money!)
• Zest of one lemon
• 3 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Heat 3 Tbsp olive oil on medium heat in a 5-6 quart Dutch oven. Add onions, cook for 4 minutes. Add garlic, cook for a minute more. Add zucchini, summer squash, okra, bell peppers, and jalapeños. Cook 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Coarsely chop the canned tomatoes, add to pot with their liquid. Add wine, cumin, oregano, and fennel seeds. Add chili powder to desired heat. Simmer for 20 minutes over low heat.
3. Add beans, lemon zest, lemon juice, and cilantro. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Simmer for 5 minutes.

Top with Greek Yogurt if you'd like. We like it very much!