Chipotle Chili

When I was grocery shopping this week I knew I was in the mood to make chili, but I hadn't found a go-to vegetarian recipe that was incredibly inspiring. So, I tossed 2 cans of kidney beans, 1 can of black beans, and 1 can of diced tomatoes in my shopping cart, knowing that they were sure to be included in whichever recipe I settled on. After some serious googling back at home I found a Whole Foods recipe that I adapted into something awesome-- seriously, this is the only vegetarian chili I will be making from now on. It's spicy and smoky, and includes a secret ingredient (which I discovered all by myself!) that is so perfect it almost feels like cheating.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. olive oil
1 carrot
2 stalks celery
1 yellow onion
4 cloves garlic
1 green pepper
1 red pepper
1 tbsp. oregano
1 tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. cumin
1.5 tsp. salt
1-2 tbsp. Tobasco chipotle pepper sauce
1 can diced tomatoes (28 oz)
1 can chopped green chiles (4.5 oz)
4 cups water
2 cans kidney beans
1 can black beans

Heat olive oil and add all the vegetables. Saute for 10 minutes and then add spices, including Tobasco sauce. Stir together and cook for a minute longer, then add tomatoes, chiles, and water. Bring to a boil and simmer for approximately 30 minutes, and then add beans. Cook for 20 minutes longer. Blend about 2/3 of the soup just slightly to break down the vegetables and beans, then add to the rest of the pot. Continue to simmer together until serving with brown rice or quinoa.

Ah, the joys of blending soups! It's always worth the extra clean up... even if that includes scrubbing your entire (albeit tiny) kitchen due to a hot soup-blender explosion. Blend carefully, folks, blend carefully.