Crock Pot Bean and Barley Vegetarian Chili
Spend 10 minutes throwing ingredients into your crock pot before work, and you will come home to a healthy, hot, high protein meal (not to mention an amazing smell in your entire home).
Chili is a crowd pleaser, and it's a dish you can make in large quantities and enjoy all week long.
Prep time: 20 min; Total time: 2 days
Ingredients
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 c. beans, dried (or 2 cans)
- 28 oz. tomatoes, diced
- 1 c. barley, hulled or pearled
- 3 c. water
- 2-3 tbsp. chili powder
- 1 tbsp. cumin
- 1 green chili, diced (optional)
- 1 tsp. coriander (optional)
- 1 tsp. unsweetened chocolate powder (optional)
- Cayenne, to taste (optional)
- Salt, to taste
- Fresh ground pepper, to taste
- Grated cheddar or pepper jack cheese (optional)
Start the night before you want to eat by boiling a cup and a half of dried kidney beans in water for 5 minutes. Drain the water. Soak the kidney beans in water overnight, discarding the soak water once during that time and again when you finish soaking.
(If you are using canned beans, just start the morning of the day you want to eat chili and drain and rinse your beans.)
The morning of the day you want chili for dinner, combine all ingredients except for salt, pepper, and cheese in a crock pot. Set the crock pot on low and cook for at least 7 hours. When you get back, taste your chili and adjust spices, salt, and pepper as necessary.
Serve with grated cheese.
Tips
Add vegetables you have around the house to your chili - I recommend carrots, celery, zucchini,
corn, potatoes, yams, and peppers.
Garnish your chili with avocado, cilantro, or crisp tortillas.
If you use canned beans or canned tomatoes, check the amount of sodium on the cans. Look for products that are "Low Sodium" or "No Salt Added." To reduce the amount of salt in canned beans, fully rinse and drain them before using them. You can always add salt at the end, but you can't take it out.
Some like it hot - others don't. Add whatever you need to make your taste buds happy - extra chili powder, cayenne powder, fresh chilis, tobasco, you know your own tastes best. When using fresh chilis, remember that the seeds are very spicy. Add the seeds if you want to increase the heat, or leave them out if you don't.
Experiment with adding new flavors to give your chili a personal touch. Try 2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar, 2 tbsp. maple syrup, a few drops liquid smoke, or 1 tbsp. orange zest.
If you are going to be out of the house for a long time - don't feel obligated to come home for your chili. I've left this cooking on low in the crock pot for up to 15 hours and it tasted just fine!
Try using different beans (such as black beans) or different grains (such as brown rice or cracked wheat).
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