There is nothing better on a chilly fall or winter night than a big, steaming bowl of chili with all the fix-in’s. But there are some of us (me included) who can’t handle one of chili’s main ingredients…beans. Sadly, it’s something that took me several rounds of The Whole30 Program to figure out!
So now, I leave the beans out and use vegetables in their place…and I have fallen in love with chili all over again.
While I’m pretty sure most Texans would be offended by my version of chili, my Hearty Beef and Vegetable Chili hits the spot for those of us who can’t handle beans, or anyone who is looking for a meal that is vegetable rich. Honestly, it’s so good you probably won’t even miss the beans. And you definitely won’t miss the digestive repercussions of the beans!
In a Dutch oven, or heavy bottomed pan heated to medium heat, I melt one tablespoon of Fourth and Heart Ghee and saute one small diced yellow onion until it’s translucent.
Then I add a pound of ground beef (usually from Moink, which you can read more about here as well as get a discount link) and saute it until its fully browned. Personally, I don’t drain the fat because I think it adds a nice mouth feel to the chili. But if you prefer, you can drain some or all of the fat that renders from the beef.
Next, I add two cans of fire roasted tomatoes (including the juice), one can of water, one chopped yellow onion, a container of mushrooms (cut in half), cumin, chili powder, oregano, paprika, salt and pepper. Then I cover the pan and cook it on medium heat for about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions and mushrooms are nearly fully cooked.
Then I add in a few chopped bell peppers and green beans (because they take less time to cook, if you added them in earlier they would overcook), cover and cook on low for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
And there you have it…Hearty Beef and Vegetable Chili. Enjoy it on it’s own, or serve it over zoodles, spaghetti squash, a baked white or sweet potato!
- 1 Tbs ghee
- 1 Lb ground beef
- 2 bell peppers, chopped
- 2 yellow onions, one small diced and one chopped
- 10 Oz button/baby bella mushrooms, halved
- 8 Oz of green beans, cut in half
- 2 Cans fire roasted tomatoes
- 1 Tbs chili powder
- ½ Tbs paprika
- ½ Tbs cumin
- ½ Tbs garlic powder
- ½ Tsp oregano
- ½ Tsp salt
- ½ Tsp pepper
- In a Dutch oven, or heavy bottomed pot heated to medium heat, melt the ghee and saute the diced onion until it's translucent.
- Add the ground beef to the pot and cook until its fully browned.
- Next, add both cans of tomatoes (including the juice), one can of water, the chopped onion the mushrooms, and all spices. Cover the pan the cook on medium heat for about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the bell peppers and green beans, cover and cook on low for another 10 minutes stirring occasionally.
- Enjoy!