This winter has been a very soupy one. Soupy in a food sense for sure. I cannot get enough of making soup. You can let it simmer in a big pot as you walk the dog, it can cook all day in a slow cooker, and it’s good for lunch for days and days.

If snow could be soup, then winter has been soupy in a snow sense too. I haven’t seen grass in what feels like an eternity, but is probably more like two or three weeks. Winter will never end.

We got hit pretty hard by the Storm of Doom last week. First, two inches of ice, followed up by five to six inches of snow. I happily did a little sledding on Saturday. My bum did not happily sled. It is in fact largely bruised now.

Now as the ice was falling last week I thought about how this amazing chili recipe would be the perfect thing to be trapped in your house with. Then it occurred to me that when you’re house-bound, you can’t leave to get ingredients for chili at the grocery. So I would just be taunting you.

Now that the roads are passible and there’s still quite a bite in the air, I say have some chili! I’ve been looking for a good and flavorful vegetarian chili all winter and I think I’ve found a winner! It’s spicy for sure, a little sweet, thanks to the barbecue sauce, sticks to your ribs, and Joy the Baker says the steak seasoning is the secret to all the wonderful flavors. I trust Joy. She’s got taste and she’s funny.

Uh, also, I tried to take a photo, but it looked not so great. I’m trying to get the hang  of this food photo thing. It’s tricky! Any tips?

Recipe post-jump.

Vegetarian Chili
adapted from Joy the Baker
makes one big pot

I cooked this part in a pan and then in a slow cooker while I was at work one day. You can also cook it all in a large pot.

In regards to the beans, I used dry beans (directions to cook them below*). You can also use canned beans though. One can is 15 ounces.

3 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 sweet potato, peeled and diced
3 small cloves of garlic, diced
1 medium jalapeno pepper, seeds removed and diced
1 cup beer (or vegetable stock if you like)
3 heaping tablespoons steak seasoning
2 heaping tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
1/3 cup barbecue sauce
15 ounces black beans
15 ounces kidney beans
15 ounces navy beans
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
2 or 3 cups vegetable stock, depending on how soupy you want it.
1 cup corn kernels, frozen

In a large pan, or a large pot like a dutch oven, over medium flame, heat olive oil.  Add onions and saute until translucent and slightly browned.  Add the bell peppers and sweet potatoes and cook for four or five minutes, until they begin to soften.  Add garlic, jalapeno, and all of the spices into the cooking vegetables.  Cook for two minutes.

Add one cup of beer to the hot pan and scrape the bits off the bottom of the pan. If you are using a slow cooker, transfer the beer and vegetables over at this point. Add the barbecue sauce, beans, diced tomatoes, and vegetable stock. If you’re using the slow cooker, add the corn here as well and turn the slow cooker on to let it do it’s magic. If you’re using a big pot on the stove, bring everything a low boil and cook for about 15 minutes.  Add the frozen corn and cook for another 5 minutes.  Serve warm topped with pepper jack cheese and sour cream or plain greek yogurt. Lasts up to six days in the fridge or a lot longer in the freezer.