LIP SMACKING TRADITION

The commencement of the holiday season for my family goes hand in hand with our traditional trip to the Battenfeld Christmas Tree Farm.  There’s nothing quite like romping through acres and acres of Blue Spruce, Balsam Fir, Scotch Pine… racing to be the one who discovers THE tree that will stand proudly in the living room covered in twinkle lights this Christmas.  There were nine of us this year (ten if you count my cousin Brian’s ultra-fem canine “Roxy”) and after choosing our Christmas trees, we all met back in the parking lot of the farm for our hard work’s reward.

As tradition goes, post tree hunt we all indulge in bubbling hot bowls of chili and vino of the scarlet persuasion.  Being the sole vegan in the family, I am tasked with providing the meat-free chili option, which is just one of the reasons I am endlessly grateful for my mother-in-law to be.  She handed down this fabulous Kentucky style vegetarian chili recipe to me a decade ago, and I’ve been making it for the tree hunt outing ever since.  Even my carnivorous family counterparts will admit it’s scrumptious.

Vegetarian Chili (Gluten-Free Optional)
Serves 10-12

¼ cup olive oil
4-8 cloves garlic
2 large onions
½ cup chopped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley (or substitute regular parsley)
2 red bell peppers
4 medium zucchini
5 medium carrots
1 can white or yellow corn
2 large potatoes
4 (28 oz.) cans diced tomatoes
4 tablespoons chili powder
1 heaping tablespoon ground cumin
1 heaping tablespoon dried basil
1 heaping tablespoon dried oregano
1 heaping tablespoon dried dill
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon Original Himalayan salt
1 teaspoon fennel seed
8 oz. Soba noodles (optional)
3 (16 oz.) cans beans, drained (white acre peas, black eye peas, small white beans, great northern beans, butter beans, cannelloni beans, garbanzo beans, or dark red kidney beans)
6 tablespoons lemon juice or the juice of one lemon
1 bunch green onions, sliced on the diagonal

1.) Using the “s” blade of a food processor (or chop by hand) chop garlic, onions, parsley and bell peppers.  You’ll want to leave theses veggies chunky, so only fill the processor half full at a time, and use pulse button.
2.) Heat oil over medium heat in large pot; stir in the mixture and let it begin to cook.
3.) Continue using the “s” blade of your food processor to chop zucchini, carrots and potato—again, leave chunky.  Stir the mixture into the pot as you go.
4.) Add canned tomatoes (make sure to drain completely), corn, chili powder, cumin, basil, oregano, dill, pepper, salt, and fennel seed; Mix well and bring the pot almost to a boil, stirring occasionally.
5.) Turn heat down & cook on low, uncovered, stirring often for 30 minutes.
6.) Mix in the beans and lemon juice; cook for another 15 minutes.
7.) In a separate pan, bring salted water to a boil; break up and cook spaghetti until al dente; drain & rinse with cold water.
8.) Add cooked spaghetti to the chili pot.
9.) Serve garnished with green onion, sour cream and cheese (of course, you can also substitute with vegan sour cream and cheese alternatives).

***Fun to serve with tortillas or Ritz crackers for scooping!

Gluten-Free Optional-

A recent trip to the doctor’s office confirmed my body is downright intolerant of gluten, so this year I prepared my chili with gluten-free pasta. I was a tad concerned that the consistency would be mush once I added it to the chili, but it turned out beautifully.

I used Orgran’s Spaghetti no. 5 because it was available at my regular grocery store, but if you can find Ritrovo, I would recommend using their pasta.  It’s the best brand that I’ve had when it comes to gluten-free rice pasta (Gluten-Free Girl agrees). I would recommend adding the noodles to the chili a bit undercooked (a tiny bit firmer than al dente).  They will cook the rest of the way in the chili, and you can better manage how soft they become.

ENJOY!