That Chili with the Mushrooms

From Gluten Free Easily

That Chili with the Mushrooms (Vegetarian Chili)

Ingredients

· 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (I used olive oil)
· 1 cup chopped onions
· 3/4 cup chopped carrots (optional, I didn’t use)
· 3 cloves garlic, minced
· 1 cup chopped green bell pepper
· 1 cup chopped red bell pepper
· 3/4 cup chopped celery (optional, I didn’t use)
· 2 tablespoons chili powder
· 1 1/2 cups chopped fresh mushrooms (I used portabella)
· 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes with liquid, chopped (I used a combination of fresh tomatoes and canned diced petite tomatoes)
· 1 jar salsa (or 1 tbsp tomato paste and do not drain/rinse kidney beans and add additional chili powder to taste)
· 2 (19 ounce) can kidney beans drained and rinsed
· 1 can chick peas, drained and rinsed
· 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
· 1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained and rinsed, or equivalent amount of frozen corn (I used Bird’s Eye baby gold and white corn, which is excellent)
· 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
· 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
· 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil

Directions
1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Saute onions, carrots (optional), and garlic until tender. Stir in green pepper, red pepper, celery (optional), and chili powder. Cook until vegetables are tender, about 6 minutes.

2. Stir in mushrooms, and cook 4 minutes. Transfer ingredients to your crockpot. Stir in tomatoes, kidney beans, chick peas, black beans, and corn. Season with cumin, oregano, and basil. Cook for 7 to 8 hours on low.

Shirley’s Notes: Although I like carrots and celery, the first time I made this recipe I didn’t have any on hand, so I think you can consider those as optional. Next time, I am going to be sure to have some carrots and celery on hand and give them a try though. Again, this recipe is flexible according to what one has on hand or if you are doubling it. I generally prepare everything in the crockpot the night before, so I don’t have to rush in the morning and so it is not overcooked by the time I get home from work. (My 4-qt crockpot does not have an automatic shutoff.) The cold ingredients guarantee a slightly slower start. I generally follow this approach even with my crockpot that switches from cooking to warming just so I’ll have the ingredients ready to go in the morning. I’ve also cooked this and other crockpot recipes overnight before.

Adapted from allrecipes.com