vegetarian chili

* a domestic goddess original

ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
half a large spanish onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 ribs celery, diced
1/4 green pepper, diced
1/4 red pepper, diced
2 zucchini, sliced into 1/8" slices
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or sea salt
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
dash red chili flakes
1/4 cup white wine (or red works as well)
1 small can tomato paste
1 ice-cube sized dollop of frozen tomato soup*
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can stewed tomatoes, whole or diced
vine-ripened, frozen tomatoes (or fresh if it's summer where you are)
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/8 teaspoon dried red chili flakes
1/4 teaspoon cayenne (or more, or less, depending on heat desired)
1/8 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
salt and pepper to taste, if necessary
2 bay leaves
1 can corn

directions:
1. Preheat large heavy-bottomed sauce pan and add olive oil. Saute onion and garlic for one minute, then add celery and peppers. Saute for another two minutes and then add zucchini. Add salt, pepper and chili flakes. Turn down to medium-high and saute for another five - ten minutes, until vegetables have begun to soften.

2. Deglaze pan with half of wine and then add tomato paste, frozen tomato soup, beans and tomatoes (if using whole tomatoes, pour into bowl and "cut up" with fingers into smaller bits before adding). Add a few frozen vine-ripened tomatoes if you have them and then add spices, parsley, bay leaves and remainder of wine and stir to combine. Leave to simmer on stove for at least 30 minutes, if not much, much longer (as long as you can stand it!).

3. About 15 minutes before serving add corn and stir to combine. Check to see if any additional spices are necessary.

4. Serve with a dollop of fat-free yogurt and home made biscuits.

* I made this tomato soup and then froze the leftovers to use in soups, stews and chilis...it really works great to add yet another tomato dimension, and what more can you ask for than another tomato dimension?!?

notes: