Quinoa (keen-wah) Chili

Husband-Tested Recipe from Alice’s Kitchen (Husband-Tested)
6-8 Servings

Quinoa is packed with nutrition and it’s high in protein, so this dish will be filling. Here’s a great meatless chili to serve on a cold day. This takes no time to make and you won’t miss the meat. For a little extra heat, try topping your chili with LocalFolks Foods Smoked Red Sauce, available at Lost River Market & Deli. Be sure to check out other Husband-Tested quinoa recipes! 

1 - 2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

1 medium sized onion, chopped

1 small green pepper, chopped

2-3 Tablespoons chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2/3 cup quinoa, rinsed well and drained

1 (14.5 oz.) can of diced tomatoes

1 (25 oz.) can of kidney beans or black beans, rinsed and drained

1 (15.5 oz.) can of hot chili beans

2 cups water (or add water to make the chili the consistency that you like)

LocalFolks Foods Smoked Red Sauce or Tabasco sauce, to taste

Sauté the onion, bell pepper and garlic over medium heat until the onion starts to become translucent.  Stir in the spices.  Stir in quinoa.  Add remaining ingredients.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat.  Cover and allow it to simmer for 20 minutes. 

If you wish, you can top the chili with cheese, avocado, green onions, tortilla chips and/or other traditional chili toppings. 

I went to http://www.acaloriecounter.com and typed in the recipe.  Here's what they calculated for Quinoa Chili which makes about 6-8 servings.  (I entered the recipe as if it served 6.)

Per Serving

289 Calories

14 gm Protein

5 gm Fat

49 gm Carbohydrates

0 gm Cholesterol

5 gm Sugars

13 gm Fiber

510 mg Sodium (Rinsing the beans and then using low-sodium canned tomatoes or even fresh tomatoes would greatly reduce the sodium.)

In any event, it's a BIG improvement over most chilies you'd get at a restaurant, especially a fast food one. It's also much better for you since it's without meat.

If you serve it with cheese, chips or crackers it would up the fat and sodium content. If you must have chips or crackers, try whole wheat crackers or baked low-sodium chips made with beans or lentils.  An avocado would add fat, but it would be the good kind and it would add even more fiber!