Pass-Along Vegetarian Chili
This recipe was passed along to me by a friend to whom it was passed along by another friend. She didn't want to take credit for the recipe, since it wasn't hers, hence the somewhat anonymous name. :)
Drain tomatoes, reserve liquid. Chop tomatoes coarsely and set aside. Bring one cup of the reserved tomato liquid to a boil in a heavy medium saucepan. Remove pan from heat. Stir in bulgur, cover, and allow to soak while you're cooking the vegetables. My friend told me that " You should cook the vegetables until soft. First, you brown the onions until transparent." This will take about 10 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, chopped vegetables and seasonings."Then cook the vegetables for about 15 minutes. I sometimes cover the pan to make them cook faster."
Stir the soaked bulgur, beans, and tomato juice into the mixture, reduce the heat to low, and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. If chili becomes too thick, add some of the reserved tomato liquid or water to thin it down a bit. Serve hot. Can be prepared a day ahead of time and warmed up to serve the next day (in fact, my friend recommends this, as it tastes much better!). Serves four.
- 1 pound can (12 oz.) whole, undrained tomatoes
- 3/4 cup bulgur
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
- 3 stalks celery, coarsely chopped
- 3 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
- 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped green bell peppers
- 5 tbsp. chili powder
- 4 medium garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp. lemon juice
- 1 tsp. ground pepper
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 tsp. dried basil, crumbled
- 1/2 tsp. dried oregano, crumbled
- 1 pound can (14 oz.) red kidney beans, drained
- 15 oz. can garbanzo beans (aka chickpeas), drained
- 2 cups tomato juice
Drain tomatoes, reserve liquid. Chop tomatoes coarsely and set aside. Bring one cup of the reserved tomato liquid to a boil in a heavy medium saucepan. Remove pan from heat. Stir in bulgur, cover, and allow to soak while you're cooking the vegetables. My friend told me that " You should cook the vegetables until soft. First, you brown the onions until transparent." This will take about 10 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, chopped vegetables and seasonings."Then cook the vegetables for about 15 minutes. I sometimes cover the pan to make them cook faster."
Stir the soaked bulgur, beans, and tomato juice into the mixture, reduce the heat to low, and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. If chili becomes too thick, add some of the reserved tomato liquid or water to thin it down a bit. Serve hot. Can be prepared a day ahead of time and warmed up to serve the next day (in fact, my friend recommends this, as it tastes much better!). Serves four.