HappyTummy              

It snowed almost 12 inches here in the Chicago area on Friday and Saturday…and it’s only the second week of January. Looks like we’re in for a long, long winter.

For those cold, overcast and downright miserable days, this vegetarian chili may just be the perfect pick-me-up. Simply dump everything into a slow cooker and after two hours on the highest setting, presto: a steaming hot bowl of chili goodness. In the time it’s cooking, you could do what I did–bake Dorie Greenspan’s Savory Corn and Pepper muffins to eat alongside the chili!

I love this chili, because it’s so easy and so tasty. It tastes even better the next day, when the flavors have melded and the chili has thickened a little.

The other great thing about this chili is that you can freeze it. I’ll usually divide the leftover chili into individual plastic containers and pop them into the freezer. On days when I know I won’t have time to take a lunch hour at work, I’ll pop one of the frozen containers into my bag, let it thaw all morning, and quickly heat it up in the microwave.

Recipe: Vegetarian Chili
Adapted from AllRecipes
Serves 8

• 1 (19 ounce) can black bean soup
• 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (16 ounce) can vegetarian baked beans
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can chopped tomatoes in puree
• 1 1/2 cups frozen whole kernel corn
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 tablespoon chili powder, or to taste
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried basil

In a slow cooker, combine all ingredients. Cook for at least two hours on High.