Florida actually cooled down this past week. As in, the weather actually dipped into the 50’s and 60’s during the day. Shocker!
Certain foods are mandatory to make and enjoy when the weather is cold. Hot chocolate and chili are my go-to foods. It feels a bit strange to enjoy these foods when it’s 90 outside. So when the chilly temps finally reach our state, I break out the cacao powder and defrost the ground beef.
I’ve discovered that chili is a hot food topic. Some folks say that chili shouldn’t include anything but meat, tomatoes, onions, and spices. Other folks want to change things up by adding loads of veggies, like corn and carrots. And other people are partial to a heavy bean count. <–These folks are also subjected to sleeping on the couch after eating a bowl of chili ;).
I realized just how diverse chili can be after a chili cook-off at our church. I didn’t enter the competition because I was dealing with sick kids that week and didn’t want to pass on any germs. I did get to enjoy a few bowls of other people’s chili. It was quite interesting to taste each variation. Some chili was super spicy, some didn’t have any spice at all. A few of the chili options were chunky and others were more like a soup.
I would like to think that I would have won the competition if I had entered with today’s chili recipe. A recipe that is perfectly balanced between spicy but not too spicy, chunky but not too chunky, and soupy but not too soupy. The ingredients are basic, but when paired together the final result is the best stove-top chili. Definitely an award-winning chili on my score card.
The best part about this chili recipe is that you can adapt it based on your preferences. If you don’t want beans, skip them. I do this often. If you want a chunkier chili, reduce the broth amount. If you want a soupy chili, increase the broth amount. If you don’t want to use carrots, you’re out of luck. Add the orange vegetable–it’s good for you and adds a nice sweet, rustic flavor to the chili ;).
The second best part about this chili recipe is that it only takes about 40 minutes to make, give or take a few minutes for chopping and sautéing. It’s a quick and easy meal that’s hearty and nourishing.
Comforting Stove-Top Chili
Ingredients
- 1 TB extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 medium yellow onion diced (about 1 cup once diced)
- 1 cup diced carrots
- 1 small bell pepper diced (about 1/2 cup once diced)
- 1 large poblano pepper diced (about 1/2 cup once diced)
- 4 medium garlic cloves minced
- 3 TB chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp salt or more to taste
- 1/4 tsp black pepper or more to taste
- 1 28 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1 15 ounce can kidney beans or cannellini beans*, drained and rinsed
- 2-3 cups chicken broth or veggie broth
Special Equipment:
- Dutch oven or soup pot (3 quart or larger)
Instructions
- In a Dutch oven or soup pot, over medium-high heat, heat the oil. Add the ground beef until it just begins to brown (there will still be pink), about 5 minutes.
- Add the onion, carrots, bell pepper, and poblano pepper. Saute the veggies and meat until the veggies begin to soften, about 7 minutes.
- Add the garlic cloves and seasonings (chili powder through salt), and stir the spices into the veggies for a minute, until fragrant.
- Add the diced tomatoes and the juices from the can, the beans (if using), and the broth (use 2 cups for a chunkier chili and 3 cups for a soupy chili). Bring the chili to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer. Cover the pot.
- Simmer the chili, covered, until the veggies are soft and the flavors have intensified, about 30 minutes. Taste the chili and add more salt to taste.
- Serve warm. I like to top my chili with sour cream, shredded cheddar, and lots of cilantro.
Notes
Nutrition
I love this recipe- I’ve made it several times! Do you think sweet potatoes could be subbed for the carrots? I have some I want to use up!
Hey Hannah, Definitely! Sweet potatoes would be amazing, in addition to the carrots or as a sub.
Hi.
Thank you very much for the recipe 🙏
It’s one to keep because you can put a lot of veggies in there. I used 2 bell peppers and some old carrots from my fridge.
As I’m lazy (or efficient 😜), I blitzed the onions briefly with a little kitchen appliance so I don’t need to cut them (you need to do it just 2 times otherwise it’s puree). I did the same with the carrots thus the preparation was fast (the carrots were pea size). I also added a little can of corn (my son likes to have corn in chili).
I used 430 grams of beef but as you have lots of veggies, you could lower (or omit) the beef easily. It’s thus a budget friendly and healthy recipe.
I’ll keep this recipe and make it again for sure !
Perfect for a snowy April day in Indiana! Or any day for that matter!
I didn’t have a poblano and I used crushed tomato and 2 cups veggie broth. This will be my new go-to chili recipe!
Yay, Tiffany! So happy to hear that. Great way to modify! Sorry your comment was marked as spam btw…we’ve been having issues with our spam filter.
I have never had chili with so many veggies before, this was incredible and is perfect on a cold night.
So happy to hear, Layton!
LS Team
I’ve made this quite a few times this winter! I love how it’s warm and comforting, yet still packed full of veggies. Thanks for the yummy recipes!
This sounds “warm and fuzzy”, Kristin!
What would be the cooking adjustments if im using dry beans (that have been soaked overnight)? Would i cook them separately and then add to the other ingredients or do something else?
Hey Cassandra, Yes, you would need to cook the beans separately and then add them to this chili. You’ll need about 1 3/4 cups of cooked beans.Enjoy!
Sounds good!
Any way to make the chilli vegan?
Hey Hila, You could use beans or lentils in place of the ground beef. Similar to this recipe: https://livesimply.me/2017/03/21/pantry-stew-vegetarian-lentil-three-bean-chili/. Also, use vegetable broth.
Hello. I just did it and it’s a very nice recipe. You can simply do it without the beef. The fact that you have beans and a lot of veggies make it a real meal even without the beef.
Make it a try 😊
Awesome, Virginie. I’m so glad you liked it!