A vegetarian recipe for chili with beans, tomatoes and corn

Sometimes the easiest way to incorporate more vegetables into your diet is to choose dishes that simply wouldn't be the same without them. In this chili recipe, vegetables take centre stage.

• Preparation time: 15 minutes.
• Cooking time: 45 minutes.
• Serves 6.

Ingredients:

• 30 ml (2 tbsp) canola oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 medium red pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
• 1 small carrot, peeled and diced
• 1 small celery stalk, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 45 ml (3 tbsp) chili powder
• 30 ml (2 tbsp) sweet paprika
• 10 ml (2 tsp) dried oregano
• 5 ml (1 tsp) ground cumin
• 1 can (796 ml/28 oz) whole tomatoes with their liquid, chopped
• 2  cans (450 g/15 oz each) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can (450 g/15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
• 250 ml (1 c) water50 ml (1⁄4 c) salt-reduced soy sauce
• 500 ml (2 c) frozen corn kernels

Instructions:

1. Heat oil in a large non-stick saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, pepper, carrot, celery and garlic. Cook until vegetables are softened, or about five minutes.
2. Stir in chili powder, paprika, oregano and cumin. Cook one minute.
3. Add tomatoes, beans, water and soy sauce to saucepan. Simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Stir in corn. Simmer a further 10 minutes, then serve hot.

• Clear your arteries with the fibre in beans, the vitamin C in carrots and the vitamins C, B6 and folate in peppers.

Each serving provides:

• 274 calories
• 15 g protein
• 7 g fat (including 1 g saturated fat)
• 0 mg cholesterol
• 48 g carbohydrates
• 13 g fibre
• 856 mg sodium

• While black beans, white beans and yellow corn are a hearty foundation for this protein-rich vegetarian chili, any bean will do.
• You can also substitute an equal amount of canned (or cooked from dry) lentils for the beans used in this recipe. If you use lentils, add them with the corn near the end of cooking and simmer just the final 10 minutes.

Chili is the ultimate comfort food, and the perfect dish for a chilly evening. Try it today for a satisfying meal that will quickly become a family favourite.