#2,681: Quinoa Veggie Chili

With it being Lent this time of year, I'm looking for vegetarian dishes I can make to eat during the week, but primarily on Fridays.  I liked that this recipe had everything I already had in the house except for the zucchini, so it was a clean-out-the-pantry kind of a meal too! 

I felt like the flavors of this were a bit dark and strong, but I'm assuming that's partially because I only used one can of the diced tomatoes.  Next time I would add a bit more water to dilute the flavors a bit.  I also added about 4 oz of plain greek yogurt right to the dish when it was done cooking to help mild the flavors out a bit and I did definitely enjoy that addition.  I loved eating this topped with some cilantro, a little bit of avocado, and some crushed tortilla chips!  

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, diced

1/2 zucchini, sliced and quartered

1 green pepper, diced (I used and orange bell pepper)

1 red pepper, diced

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 14 oz cans of diced tomatoes (I only used 1 can)

14 oz water 

1/2 cup black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup medium salsa (I used picante sauce)

1 tablespoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon cumin

1 cup cooked quinoa

Optional toppings: avocado, cilantro, sour cream (or greek yogurt), cilantro

In large pot, drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil and saute yellow onion until translucent. Add in chopped green and red peppers and zucchini, and saute for another 5-6 minutes, or until veggies are tender. Stir in 2 tbsp of tomato paste.

Add two 14 oz cans of diced tomatoes, beans, cooked quinoa and spices. Fill one of the empty cans with water and add that to the pot. Last, stir in ½ cup of medium salsa and bring the whole pot to a simmer. Let the chili cook for at least 20 minutes on medium-low heat.

Top with desired toppings.