Easy Vegetarian Chili

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups soup)

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• Carrots (3 or so) minced in a food processor
• 2 1/2 cups water, divided
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons chili powder (or more to taste)
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 (15 1/2-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (16-ounce) can cannellini beans or other white beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 or 2 cups of frozen corn
• 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese, (optional)

Preparation

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Add onion, garlic, bell pepper and carrots; sauté 3 minutes or until tender.
Combine ingredients, 2 cups of water through cannellini beans, with cooked onion mixture in crock pot, stir gently.
Combine remaining cup of water and tomato paste in a bowl, stirring with a whisk until blended.
Stir tomato paste mixture into bean mixture.
Cook on low in crock pot 4 hours or more if you want.

Serve with grated cheese and green onions on top and corn bread.

Even better subsequent days. (I am on day 3 of having this for lunch and it is so good.)

No Meat Baked Beans

1 lb dried navy beans
6 cups water
1 small onion, chopped
scant 3/4 cup ketchup
2 TB BBQ sauce
3/4 cup brown sugar
3.4 cup water
1 tsp. dry mustard
1/4 tsp. black pepper
2 TB dark molasses
1 tsp salt
1 TB liquid smoke

Soak beans in water overnight in large pot. Cook beans in water on stove until soft, about 90 min. (after trying this, we don't think you need to do this for as long - maybe an hour would be fine). Drain, discard bean water.

Mix together all ingredients in slow cooker. Mix Well.

Cover. Cook on low about 9 hours.