Black Bean Chili

Nothing says warm and hearty like a big bowl of chili. I mean it! And the combinations are endless. I love a good white bean and turkey chili, the classic beefy kind, or a veggie-filled recipe. In fact, I've been craving a good, healthy meal full of all the vegetables I've been missing out on lately. The holidays have my diet all out of whack, so this vegetarian black bean chili recipe was just the thing I needed to start off the new year.

What you'll need:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 2 medium red bell peppers, chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 T chili powder
• 2 t dried oregano
• 1.5 t ground cumin
• .5 t cayenne pepper
• 3 15 oz. cans of black beans
• 1 16 oz. can tomato sauce
• Sour cream
• Cheese (I chose a 4-cheese blend)
• Chopped green onions

1. Heat the 1/4 cup oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.

2. Add chopped onions, bell peppers, and garlic and sauté for about 10 minutes until the onions have softened.

3. Mix in the chili powder, oregano, cumin, and cayenne and stir for 2 minutes.

4. In the meantime, drain your black beans, but reserve 1/2 cup of the liquid for the chili.

5. Mix in the beans, tomato sauce, and 1/2 cup of black bean liquid.

6. Bring the mixture to a boil and stir occasionally. 

7. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for about 15 minutes until the chili thickens.

8. Season to taste with salt and pepper and then serve with sour cream, grated cheese, and green onions. 

Enjoy!

What are your favorite cold-weather recipes?