Veggie Quinoa Chili

Photo by Amy Humphries on Unsplash.

As Christmas lights begin to twinkle on chilly evenings, I break out my recipes that tend to warm me from the inside. I have one winter favorite that I make multiple times during this season—veggie quinoa chili (inspired by Kristine Rosenblatt’s recipe from her blog, Kristine’s Kitchen). Now, I know what you’re thinking: “It’s simply not chili if there’s no beef, chicken, or turkey!” But hear me out. I make this chili with a special side that I often mix right in to the chili which rivals the flavor meat would typically add to it.

This chili is the perfect dish to come home to after an evening of Christmas shopping, caroling or simply after a long day at work.

OK, OK! I’ll let you in on my secret, sinful side—it’s queso! I love including queso in my chili because it incorporates much better than shredded cheese. You know how adding cream to coffee softens, yet adds a little something extra to the flavor of the coffee? Queso achieves the same effect in chili. It also eliminates those pesky cheese strings. Give it a go and see what you think!

Chili Ingredients:

3/4 of a sweet onion

1 red bell pepper

1 medium sweet potato

2 and a half tablespoons of chili powder

1 and a half tablespoons of cumin

1 teaspoon of paprika

1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano leaves

3/4 teaspoon of salt

1/2 teaspoon of pepper

5 cloves of garlic (minced)

1 cup of quinoa

1 15 oz. can of black beans

1/2 15 oz. can of corn

48 oz. of vegetable broth

1 and 1/2 15 oz. cans of tomato sauce

Queso Ingredients:

1/4 of a sweet onion

1/4 of a red bell pepper

1 large jalapeno

1 teaspoon of minced garlic

1 teaspoon of cumin

1 and 1/2 tablespoons of corn starch

1 cup of chicken broth

8 oz. American cheese slices

Chili Instructions:

1. First, I chop all of the veggies: sweet onion, red bell pepper, and sweet potato. A rough chop is fine, except for the sweet potato. Be sure to cut it in equal sized cubes, as you want all of them to be cooked through when served. Add them to the slow cooker.

2. Then, rinse the black beans, corn, and quinoa. Once drained (you guessed it), into the pot they go.

3. Next, add the dry ingredients: chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano leaves, salt, and pepper. Don’t forget the garlic!

4. Lastly, pour over the tomato sauce and vegetable broth. Once the sweet potatoes have softened all the way through, the chili is ready to serve (about two hours with the slow cooker set on high).

Queso Instructions:

1. First, sauté sweet onion, jalapeño, and red bell pepper in olive oil. Once translucent, add the garlic. After about a minute, add the cumin and corn starch for maybe one to one and a half minutes (the latter two steps happen rather quickly, so be ready).

2. Then add the chicken broth. As that begins to bubble slightly, begin adding the American cheese slices one by one. Once smooth and creamy, the queso is ready.

Try it out and let us know what you think in the comments!