Freezer-Friendly Vegetarian Chili

After what I posted last week about not being ready for fall recipes yet, you probably think I’m a big hypocrite for posting this Freezer-Friendly Vegetarian Chili today. But let me explain!

This is not a fall recipe, you see. It’s what I like to call a transitional recipe. It uses summer produce (which is still readily available!), but it’s a perfect dinner for a chilly September evening.

Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion diced
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• ⅛ –¼ tsp cayenne pepper optional; ¼ teaspoon is very spicy!
• 1 small zucchini diced
• 1 small yellow squash diced
• 1 small red pepper diced
• 2 10 oz cans diced tomatoes with green chili peppers
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 ear corn kernels removed
• 1 ½ cups cooked black beans or 1 can, rinsed
• 1 ½ cups cooked kidney beans or 1 can, rinsed
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat.
• Add the onion and cook until it’s softened, 5–7 minutes.
• Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and cayenne and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Stir in the zucchini, yellow squash, and red pepper; cook until they’re softened, 7–10 minutes.
• Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, corn, and beans.
• Bring the chili to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Nutrition