Slow cooker chili is a perfect antidote for a chilly weeknight. This recipe simmers for hours in your slow cooker so that all you need to do when you get home is set out the toppings (the choices in my house include sour cream, cheese, black olives and diced avocado). You can add finely chopped vegetables, such as celery or carrots to the onions as they brown, or, at the end, stir in a half-pound of ground beef that you've browned on the stove, or a bag of ground meat substitute such as Quorn Crumbles. (Larger image.)
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 7 hours
Total Time: 7 hours, 15 minutes
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients:
- 2 teaspoons canola oil
- 2 onions, diced
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 25-ounce cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 1 28-ounce can chopped tomatoes
- 1 6-ounce can tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus more if needed
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chipotle powder or 1 finely chopped chipotle chile in adobo
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 to 3 tablespoons chile powder
- 1/2 pound ground beef or turkey, cooked and drained of excess fat, optional
- or 1/2 pound frozen meatless crumbles (such as Quorn Crumbles), optional
- Toppings: grated cheese, diced scallions, fresh cilantro, black olives, sour cream, etc.
Preparation:
- In a skillet heat the canola oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and saute, stirring occasionally, until they're translucent and starting to turn golden, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute, stirring constantly, for about 30 seconds.
- Transfer the cooked onion mixture to a large slow cooker crock, and add beans, crushed and chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, pepper, cumin, chipotle powder, brown sugar and 1 tablespoon chile powder. Stir to combine. Set slow cooker to low and cook for 6 to 7 hours.
- If desired, stir in cooked ground meat or meat substitute and turn slow cooker to high for 10 minutes, until meat is heated through. Taste chili before serving and add more chile powder or salt if needed. If the chili is too hot, adding a little more brown sugar will tone down the heat a little.
- Serve chili with toppings of your choice, such as grated Colby or Monterey Jack cheese, sour cream or Greek-style yogurt, chopped black olives, fresh cilantro, chopped scallions, diced avocado or more.
