By: Dominica Reid

Cold winter days are for getting cozy on the couch with warm fuzzy blankets, a glass of wine, and comfort food. One problem that I’ve found is that it’s often hard to find comfort food that is healthy. On top of that, it is also difficult for me to find vegetarian comfort food recipes that my husband can eat. But luckily I found one healthy vegetarian-friendly recipe that I absolutely love. So, today’s healthy comfort food recipe that I want to share is my all-time favorite (and go-to) Vegetarian Chili. I absolutely love cooking this vegetarian chili recipe on cold winter days. Not only is this homemade chili recipe easy to make, but it makes enough food for me and my family to have leftovers a few days in a row. So naturally, this is a win-win situation.

1.) Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 onion chopped

1 bell pepper seeded and chopped into 1 inch cubes

3 cloves of minced garlic

1 tablespoon of chili powder

2 teaspoons of salt

1 teaspoon of grounded paprika

1 teaspoon of dried oregano

1 (5.5 ounce) can of tomato paste

1 (28 ounce) can of diced tomatoes

2 tablespoons of lime juice

1 (15 ounce) can of black beans

1 (15 ounce) can of kidney beans

1 (8 ounce) package of vegan crumbles ( I use

Morningstar)

3/4 cup of water

2.) Cooking

In a large pot add the 2 tablespoons of extra virgin oil, chopped bell peppers, onions, the chili powder, salt, oregano, and minced garlic. Sautè it for 8 to 10 minutes on medium heat. Then mix in the tomato paste, followed by the diced tomatoes, lime juice, beans, and crumbles. Lower the heat and let it cook for 25 to 30 minutes.

3.) Serving

I love adding extra ingredients to my chili once it’s done cooking. My favorite toppings are shredded cheese, avocados, and cilantro, yum! I also love adding Tostitos Scoops and corn bread as side items. Of course this takes away from keeping it healthy, so if you just want a healthy meal leave out the Tostitos and cornbread.