Three Bean Chili

Best chili in the world? That would be my dad’s chili. Its a recipe I don’t even actually have. He sends me premade chili spice packs. At a cook time of three hours, the house smells so good by the time its ready to eat.

Now I am a pretty good guess. I think I can pick out what is in his mix, just not in the proper measurements. It contains a bunch of what is already in my spice cabinet.  I am not stranger to chili type concoctions as well. Taco soup is always an option.

Experimentation is always fun as well. Once before I had tackled a vegetarian chili that turned out pretty good. Forgot to write it down. So when dinner time rolled around tonight, I shelved the thawing chicken and went back to reinvent it. Lucky for me I had what I think were the base ingredients in the pantry.

Second time around? There will be a third time and leftovers for lunch. And yes it is still vegetarian.

Perhaps I should actually measure out the spices next time as well. So measurements below are rough estimates.

Three Bean Chili

1 tbsp olive oil
3/4 cup red onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups zucchini, chopped
28 oz diced tomatoes, Mexican style
1 14 oz can black beans, with liquid
1 14 oz can  white beans, with liquid
1 14 oz can garbanzo beans, drained
1/2 cup white long grain rice
1 cup water
1/2 cup frozen sweet corn
3 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp ground comino
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp ancho chili pepper
sharp cheddar cheese

Heat oil over medium-high heat. Saute onion and garlic for 3-5 minutes or until onions have softened. Add in the rest of ingredients except for cheese. Bring to a slow boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30-45 minutes.

Top with cheese.