Vegetarian Chili That Any Runner Will Love

Earlier this month I featured a recipe for Turkey Macaroni. Gabby (one of RunnerDude's Blog's readers) emailed me with her tweaked vegetarian chili recipe that also uses macaroni. It's really simple and easy to make with a crock pot. Her teenage brother who shuns vegetarian dishes because "they're bland and never filling" absolutely loves this and is full after one bowl! Gabby says it's in the beans. She admits the list of ingredients is long, but she says the final product is worth it. The dish will feed an entire family with plenty of leftovers. It tastes better the next day and is full of protein and carbs, perfect to eat after a long run or hard track workout.

Gabby's Vegetarian Chili

Ingredients: • 2 cans (28 oz) diced tomatoes
• 4 cups (roughly 2 cans) reduced sodium vegetable broth
• 1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can (15 oz) white beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can (15 oz) red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 green bell pepper
• 2 cloves of minced garlic (I use a tbsp of garlic powder)

• 1 tbsp (or whole) minced jalapeno, fresh or from a can
• 1 packet of chili seasoning (also works with a packet of taco or burrito seasoning, had to improvise a couple of times when I ran out of chili seasoning and it comes out great!)
• 2 tbsp of Mexican oregano
• 2 tbsp of ground cumin
• 4 to 5 dashes of hot sauce (optional)
• half a pound of macaroni pasta (or 1/3 cup of couscous)
• 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
• 1/2 cup shredded Jack cheese (optional)
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a slow cooker combine all ingredients except pasta. Cover and cook on Low for 6 to 8 hours or High for 3 to 4 hours. 10 minutes before severing add the macaroni pasta. Cook pasta until desired texture. Just before serving top off with cheese and cilantro. Makes a lot.

Gabby's training for the Nike Women's Marathon (October, 2009) and raising funds for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society! I'm sure she'd love your support. Check out her fundraising website for more details on the event and how you can make a donation. You can also visit her blog for the latest training update!