I’m holding consistent with my last post – it’s soup season! This makes a large batch, so it’s perfect for dinner now and freezing half for later. Or, if you’re cooking Thirty-Two Project style, ideal for feeding your family, and another family! Sometimes, I wish the current pace of my life lent to more leisurely cooking, instead of bordering on my near frenetic speed in the kitchen. I know this is a season. Audrey already plays more independently than she did a year ago, and soccer practice for Aidan means a wave good-bye, not parking myself in a lawn chair for an hour and a half to watch. But there’s not as much margin in my schedule as I’d personally like, and moving slowly throughout the kitchen is a luxury I’m not often afforded. This Quinoa Chili is not only a hearty, healthy meal, but ideal for those times when concentrated focus at the stove is minimal.

Southwest Quinoa Chili
2 TBSP coconut oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes, drained
1 6 oz can tomato paste
1 4 oz can diced green chiles
1 1/2 TBSP chili powder
1 1/2 TBSP cumin
2 tsp dried oregano
pinch cayenne
salt and pepper to taste
2 15 oz cans black beans, drained and rinsed thoroughly
2 large sweet potatoes, diced (about 4 cups)
8 cups vegetable stock
2 cups dry quinoa
1 cup frozen or freshly cooked corn
juice of 1/2 lime, about 1 TBSP
avocado or guacamole, to garnish
scallions, to garnish
cilantro, to garnish

Heat coconut oil over medium heat in large dutch oven or soup pot. Add onions and saute for about eight minutes, stirring occasionally so they get soft and golden. Add garlic and saute for another two minutes.

Add diced tomatoes, tomato paste, green chiles, chili powder, cumin, oregano, cayenne, salt and pepper. Cook for another two minutes, stirring frequently.

Add black beans, sweet potatoes and vegetable stock. Cook for 4 – 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in quinoa and let simmer for 25 minutes. You’ll feel like there is a LOT of liquid in the pot, and this can’t possibly turn into chili, but it does. Stir every few minutes, to ensure quinoa doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot.

After 25 minutes, the sweet potatoes should be fairly tender, and quinoa should be cooked (if not, give it a couple minutes more). Squeeze the juice of half of a lime on top. If your lime isn’t particularly juicy, squeeze the other half. Add your cup of corn. Give everything a good stir. Let simmer for a couple more minutes, until corn is heated through.

Eat some, share some, freeze some. Top with avocado/guacamole, scallions and cilantro when you’re sitting down to enjoy a bowl. Happy October!