What's For Lunch: Slow Cooker Veggie Chili

The thing I love about chili is that once you know the general ingredients (beans, diced/chopped tomatoes, onion, garlic, cumin), you can pretty much riff off the original as many times as you want. Switch up the beans, add more veggies, add in some chicken or ground beef, change up the spices -- the options are endless.

What I love about making chili in the slow cooker is that, once all the ingredients are combined, my work is pretty much done. Just give it a stir after about 5 hours, and spoon it into some bowls. I like to leave out a few options for toppings -- for my lunch today I just topped my chili with some shredded monterey jack cheese and a few chopped chives. Yum!

Slow Cooker Veggie Chili (printer-friendly version)
makes 6-8 servings

1 white onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 15-oz can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 15 oz-cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 15 oz-can no-salt added diced organic tomatoes
1 cup organic low-sodium vegetable broth
1/2 cup salsa
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground ancho chile powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon cocoa powder

1. Add the chopped onion and minced garlic into the 4-qt bowl of a slow cooker.
2. Stir in the rinsed beans.
3. Pour in the diced tomatoes (including the juices), veggie broth, and salsa.
4. Season with cumin, ancho chile powder, oregano, and cocoa powder.
5. Place the cover onto the bowl and cook on high for 4.5 to 5 hours.
6. Serve with toppings such as crackers, shredded cheese, Greek yogurt, or freshly chopped chives.