Baby, it’s cold outside! Warm-up with a hot bowl of beef and veggie chili! It’s been cold lately, so it is the perfect time to cook up a big batch of beef and veggie chili. I discovered that using ground beef that is 96% lean, is so perfect for this recipe. I really prefer ground beef in chili as the texture is much better.
You could put any vegetable you like in this chili. Just be sure to use lots! You really stretch out your portions that way, and it ensures you’re eating plenty of healthy veggies. I used peppers, onions and mushrooms, but you could also use green beans, turnips, parsnips, carrots, cauliflower, whatever you like! Next time I might even try adding in some kale or spinach at the end of the cooking time. Get your pot of chili going, and stay warm out there!
Steamy and Easy Beef and Veggie Chili
Ingredients
2 pounds ground beef (minced beef) - 96% lean- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 medium white onion - diced
- 4 cloves garlic - minced
- 3 medium red pepper (red capsicum)
- 8 ounces mushrooms - sliced
- 1 can crushed tomatoes - 28-ounce
- 1 can tomato - 14-ounce
- 2 cans diced green chiles - 7-ounce each, hot or mild
- 2 tablespoons chili powder (chilli powder in British English)
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoon oregano - Mexican oregano if you can find it
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt - to taste
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground black pepper - to taste
- 4 cups red kidney beans - (optional) 1/2 cup per serving. I prefer kidney beans
Instructions
- Heat a large, heavy stockpot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat (I use Le Creuset). Season the beef with salt (or salt substitute) and pepper.
- Add the olive oil to the hot pan and swirl to ensure the surface is coated. Add the ground beef and cook the meat until well browned.
- When all the beef has been browned, add the onions and bell peppers to the pan and saute until the veggies are starting to soften and the moisture has deglazed the brown bits from the bottom of the pan (this is pure flavor!), about 7 to 10 minutes.
- Add the mushrooms, garlic, chili powder, cumin and oregano to the pot and stir well to make sure everything is coated. Cook, stirring often, for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the spices and saute again briefly. This really helps to “bloom” the flavor in dry herbs and spices.
- Add the crushed and diced tomatoes and the green chiles to the pot. I rinse the cans in a little water to ensure I get all the tomato out and then add that tomato water to the pot. I’d say it’s about 1 cup of water added.
- Bring the chili to a boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer, cover the pot and let cook until the meat is very tender, about 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally—season to taste with salt and pepper.
