Vegetable Chili

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Ingredients

2 Tablespoons unrefined extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium carrots, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 sweet bell pepper (red, orange or yellow), seeded and chopped
1/2 bunch Swiss chard, stems diced and leaves cut into 1-inch pieces, about 5 cups
1/2 jalapeno, chili, seeded (leave the seeds in to make it hotter) and minced
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 jar or box of whole plum tomatoes, crushed and keep the juice or 2 pounds fresh tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 bay leaf
5 cups or 3 cans (15 ounces each) cooked beans (such as red kidney, pinto or black), drained and rinsed
2 1/2 cups water or vegetable stock
2-3 teaspoons sea salt (I use 3 teaspoons)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, plus extra for garnish (optional)
Garnishes: cubed avocado, lime wedges

This is a flavorful stew with lots of warming spices (but not spicy) to fuel your internal fire and keep you feeling toasty.

Submitted by:
Pamela Salzman A certified holistic health counselor and Healthy Child Healthy World Parent Ambassador, Pamela shares her approach to nutrition through her natural foods cooking classes and website, a resource for her healthful, family-friendly recipes and nutrition tips.

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MAKE IT

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add carrots, onion, bell pepper, chard stems, jalapeno and garlic, and cook until softened, about 10 minutes. Add oregano, cumin and chili powder and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 mintues.
Add tomatoes with the juice, bay leaf, beans, water, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 1 hour.
Discard the bay leaf. Add the Swiss chard leaves and cook, uncovered, until mixture has thickened slightly, about 20 minutes. Stir in chopped cilantro. Serve with cooked brown rice, millet or quinoa.

CLEAN IT

I like to cook big batches of beans from scratch and freeze them for later use, but you can certainly use canned here. My favorite brand is Eden, one of the only companies NOT to use BPA in its cans.