January 14, 2014 January 14, 2014/ Morgan
This winter I am ALLLLLL about chili! I love other soups too but chili is calling me lately. Especially since it makes fries taste amazing. Yet, I had never made a white chili until I saw a picture on Pinterest (damn you Pinterest!) that made me jealous of the white chili goodness. Of course I had to make it vegan, plant-strong and taste awesome. So some research, some testing and bam! Some white bean chili for ya with the added bonus of some extra veggies too. It’s filling, warming and if you make too much it freezes well – an awesome bonus if you ask me! (PS – I freeze soup in pint sized wide mouth mason jars. Leave about an inch of space for expansion and you should be good! I love having individual serving sized jars of soup waiting for me in the freezer.)
To make the crunchy baked tortilla strips I just preheat the oven to 375. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat baking mat. Cut the tortillas into strips and lay them in a single layer on the pan. Cook for about 8-10 minutes or until crunchy. Yum! Oh and you can also season them by squeezing some lime juice over top before baking and sprinkle with salt and chili powder. CRAZY YUM!
- 1/2 large onion, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 cup chopped tomatillos (or tomatoes if you can’t find tomatillos.)
- 1 jalapeno, minced (optional if you don’t like spicy food!)
- 2 medium sized zucchini, chopped
- 1 can low sodium white beans, drained
- 1 can low sodium garbanzo beans, drained
- 2 – 4oz cans green chilies (fire roasted if you can find them! I buy mine at Trader Joes)
- 2 teaspoons cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon oregano (Mexican oregano if you have it)
- 2 cups low sodium vegetable broth
- optional (but AWESOME) garnishes: sliced green onion, cilantro, baked tortilla strips, limes, extra minced jalapeno, avocado, etc!
Place a large pot over medium high heat and sauté the onions and peppers together in a couple of tablespoons of water. Add more water as necessary to prevent sticking. Once the onions are tender and begin to turn translucent add in the garlic and jalapeno. Cook for about a minute longer.
Add everything else to the pot now and bring the chili to a simmer. Put a lid on the pot, turn the heat down a bit and let simmer for 10 minutes. Taste and add a bit of salt if necessary (but with the beans and broth you should be good!)
Garnish with some sliced green onions, cilantro, baked strips of corn tortillas and some lime wedges to squeeze over the chili. Even a few chunks of avocado would be delicious!