Vegetarian Quinoa Chili

Vegetarian Quinoa Chili

Now that the weather has gotten cooler, I am starting to make hearty soups for supper.

Fuel Café in Memphis has had a vegetarian chili that I have loved for years.  Now that I am going meatless one day a week, I figured it was time to experiment in the kitchen and try to replicate this favorite.

Fuel adds quinoa to a traditional vegetarian bean quinoa … so I did the same.  The quinoa resembles the texture of ground beef in the dish … something that is good if your family is used to having meat in their chili.  And … the combo of the quinoa with the beans makes this dish a complete protein. Something that is an added nutritional bonus.

For ease, I used canned beans and tomatoes in my version.  I opted to use fire-roasted tomatoes instead of the regular variety because I like the added flavor they give a dish.  That said, regular diced tomatoes will work just as well.

Garnish your chili as you like … with a dollop of sour cream, shredded cheese, sliced jalapenos, or fresh cilantro.  We enjoyed ours with cornbread.  Next time, I’m making it with my Broccoli Corn Bread (click for the recipe) … I think it will be the perfect combo!

My recipe didn’t turn out exactly like Fuel Café’s … but I did come up with a chili that my whole family loved and that I will definitely be making often. It’s fun to take an idea from a dish you have had out or at a friend’s house and invent your own original!

Enjoy!

Vegetarian Quinoa Chili

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup finely diced yellow onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh jalapeño
1/2 green bell pepper, finely diced
1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced
2 cans (15-ounce) black beans, drained & rinsed
1 can (15-ounce) red kidney beans, drained & rinsed
1 can (28-ounce) fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup quinoa, rinsed and cooked per package directions
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a large stockpot over medium-high heat, warm the oil until a few droplets of water sizzle when carefully sprinkled in the pot. Add the onion, garlic, jalapeno, green bell pepper, and red bell pepper, and cook, stirring, until the onions are soft, about 5 to 7 minutes.

Add the black beans, kidney beans, diced tomatoes, and water. Stir in the cooked quinoa. Season with the chili powder, cumin, and salt and pepper to taste. Over high heat, bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 30 to 35 minutes. Adjust seasonings as needed.

Serve hot. Garnish as desired.

Serves 6.

Cooking Tip: For a stronger chili flavor, you can add another tablespoon of chili powder.

Freezes well.

Red Beans and Rice

Red beans and rice is the quintessential Louisianan comfort food. Nothing satisfies like steaming bowl of tender flavorful beans over classic white rice.

My uncle makes the best version.  The key is to start with good dried beans.  According to him, the best out there are Camellia Red Kidneys.  It’s the Louisiana brand he has been using his whole life … and the same one my grandmother used when she taught him this recipe oh so many years ago.

Whenever I go to New Orleans, I always pick up a few bags of this iconic dried bean.  I couldn’t imagine making this dish without them.  (If you don’t regularly visit the Big Easy, you can order them on-line.) To be honest though, my preference may be fairly rooted in the nostalgia of using my grandmother’s recipe and I am sure that any good dried red kidney bean would work if you don’t have easy access to the Camellia brand.

The hardest part about this recipe is remembering to soak the beans the night before!  It truly is a simple one to master and destined to become a favorite.

Enjoy!

Red Beans and Rice
From Simply Suppers by Jennifer Chandler

1 pound dried red kidney beans, rinsed and sorted over
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup finely diced yellow onion (1 small onion)
1/2 cup seeded and finely diced green bell pepper (1 small pepper)
1/4 cup finely sliced celery (about 1 rib)
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 bay leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound smoked ham hock
1/2 pound smoked Andouille sausage, thinly sliced into rounds
10 cups water
6 cups cooked white rice, warm

Place the beans in a large bowl or pot and cover with water by 2 inches. Let soak for 8 hours or overnight. Drain and set aside.

In a large stockpot or Dutch oven, warm the oil until a few droplets of water sizzle when carefully sprinkled in the pot. Add the onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic and cook until the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the parsley, oregano, thyme, and bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the ham hock and sausage and cook, stirring, to brown the ham hocks and sausage, about 4 minutes. Add the beans and water.

Over high heat, bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Add additional water while cooking if necessary.

Remove the ham hock from the pot and pull the meat from the bones. Roughly chop the meat and return it back to the pot of beans. Adjust seasonings as needed. Discard the bay leaves. Spoon over white rice to serve.

Serves 6.

Cooking Tip: Add Tabasco® or your favorite hot sauce for a little heat.

Do-Ahead: Cooked red beans store very well in the refrigerator. Some even say they taste better the second day!