This Hearty Veggie-Filled Chili is one of our favorite meals! It’s got lots of protein and veggies and is easy to make ahead!
This is the chili that changed my mind about chili! Here in Texas, people say you can’t call it chili if there are beans in it. So basically chili here means a big bowl of spicy meat sauce. I am here to tell you that I am breaking all the Texas chili rules today and I am so glad I did! This Hearty Veggie-Filled Chili has quickly become one of BMW and my go-to weeknight meals!
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Hearty Veggie-Filled Chili
I love how many veggies are in this chili! Hello sweet potatoes, handful of tomatillos and buckets of black beans. Ok maybe not buckets but you get the idea. This chili is also packed with protein. It freezes well and is perfect for make ahead lunches or weeknight meals.
This chili gets all it’s flavor from chipotles in adobo sauce, poblano peppers and a secret ingredient: cinnamon! Sound weird but it really adds nice subtle spice to this bowl without making it spicy.
Chili Toppings
Can we all agree that chili toppings are almost as important as the chili itself? Here I want to tell you that a dollop of ranch dressing is what makes this chili!
Yes, I guess ranch really does go well with everything haha! It adds a nice creamy, cool flavor to all the chilies and spices in this bowl! The cheddar cheese has a bite and it all comes together with some fresh cilantro.
The Perfect Chili
This chili has so much more flavor that the Texas chilies, aka meat sauces, I was used to growing up. It literally changed my mind about chili. Which is great because BMW loves chili and I was always hesitant so this recipe is something we can both agree on.
I ate this so much while I was pregnant and we made a big huge batch before Bébé Warren arrived and froze it so we would have easy freezer meals. This is a great recipe to make in a batch and have ready for weeknight meals or easy lunches.
Hearty Veggie-Filled Chili
Ingredients
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 4 poblano peppers chopped
- 4 cloves garlic pressed or minced
- 1 sweet potato chopped
- 6 tomatillos peeled and chopped
- 28 oz whole peeled tomatoes
- 14 oz canned black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 lb grass-fed ground beef
- 2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 tsp kosher salt divided
- 2 tbsp chili powder
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 canned adobo chiles chopped
- 1/4 cup cilantro chopped + more for topping
- 1 cup sharp yellow cheddar cheese grated, for topping
- 4 tbsp ranch dressing for topping
Instructions
- In a large heavy bottomed pot, cook onions with olive oil and 1 tsp salt over medium-high heat, stirring frequently for 5-7 minutes or until translucent.
- Add poblanos to pot, stirring often, cook until softened another 5 minutes.
- Add garlic, cinnamon and chili powder, stirring, for about 30 seconds or until fragrant and well combined.
- Add beef and remaining salt. Breaking apart with spatula and cooking until no longer pink. About 5 minutes.
- Add tomatoes and juices to pot, breaking apart with spatula into large bite-sized chunks.
- Add tomatillos, sweet potatoes, black beans, chipotles and cilantro to pot. Bring to a rolling simmer, cover and let continue cooking about 25 minutes or until potatoes are done. Stirring occasionally.
- Serve hot with toppings!
Nutrition
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