Bulgur Wheat Chili

When I first saw this recipe I was like, "huh? Wheat and chili?" I'm just now venturing into the world of whole grains and had no idea that they were so diverse! I am currently on day 7 of 21 of a fast (feels like day 135) and I'm definitely missing my bread, fish, and most of all- CHEESE! Ahhhh! Now that my dramatic rant is over, I have to say, in all honesty, that I do feel great. Having this discipline has really helped me connect more with God on a deeper level and I can't wait to see how far He brings me come day 21. That being said, I'm still hungry. I've been making juices and smoothies and eating more plain beans and potatoes than I can count! But when all hope for my taste buds seemed lost, my lovely boyfriend swooped in and saved the day (as he often does) and emailed me a list of chili recipes that were all-natural and within the guidelines of my Daniel fast. How great is he?! Here are some photos and the recipe.

The recipe is below but I tweaked a few things on my own. I added some fresh tomatoes, a little more salt, and threw in a bit more spice and seasoning. Also, depending how wet you want it, you may need to add some moisture. The recipe recommends water, I added about 1 1/2 cups of tomato juice to mine which I thought helped maintain the flavors and didn't water it down. 

 Now normally I would load up this bad boy with a brick of sharp cheddar, some red onion and a dollop of sour cream, but considering I can't have dairy, I sprung for avocado instead. It was DELICIOUS. I like my chili on the spicy side so the cool, creamy texture of the avocado was a refreshing twist.

So. Good.

The website where I got the recipe is here. They have some awesome looking recipes that I can't wait to try. 

VEGETARIAN CHILI

Serves about 8

Notes: The bulgur wheat adds a great texture here – you can also substitute quinoa for a gluten-free option if desired. The chipotle powder is a bit of a hard to find, but it adds great complexity and flavor!  We recommend using it if at all possible. Ancho chile powder also can add a nice bit of smokiness. Lastly, if 1/2 cup chili powder seems like a typo – it’s not! While it’s a lot to use, it did bring the flavor we were looking for to the dish. Feel free to scale back if you’d like. The resulting chili is not overly spicy (though it might be if you use spicy chili powder, jalapeños, or more chipotle powder than specified below); we like going for moderate spice and then giving diners the option to add spiciness at the table with hot sauce.

What You Need

3 15-ounce cans beans OR 4 1/2 cups cooked dried beans – we used black, pinto, and kidney
2 32-ounce cans diced tomatoes
2 4-ounce cans roasted green chiles (or jalapeños, for extra spice)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions
6 cloves garlic
1 cup bulgur wheat
1 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup chili powder
3 tablespoons oregano
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon honey (or sugar)
1/8 teaspoon chipotle powder (highly encouraged for extra flavor! Add more to taste)

To serve: Hot sauce, sour cream, cheese, cilantro or chives

What To Do

1  Chop the two onions. Dice six cloves garlic.

2  In a large pot or dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the onions and saute until softened, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and saute, stirring, for about 1 minute.

3  Add the rest of the ingredients: beans, tomatoes (with their juices), green chiles (orjalapenos), 1 cup bulgur wheat, 1 cup frozen corn, 1/2 cup chili powder, 3 tablespoonsoregano, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, 1 tablespoon honey, and 1/8 teaspoon chipotle powder. Mix to combine. If necessary, add a bit of water to make sure everything is covered (we added about 1 cup).

4  Bring to a boil, then simmer until the bulgur is soft, about 20 to 30 minutes. Taste and add additional seasonings as desired. Add hot sauce to taste; serve with sour cream, shredded cheese, and cilantro or chives.