VEGETARIAN CHILI

Ingredients
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 green bell peppers, chopped
• 2 jalapeno peppers, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 (4 ounce) cans chopped green chile peppers, drained
• 2 (12 ounce) packages vegetarian burger crumbles
• 3 (28 ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes, crushed
• 1/4 cup chili powder
• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
• 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained
• 1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans
• 1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn
Directions
1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the onion, and season with bay leaves, cumin, oregano, and salt. Cook and stir until onion is tender, then mix in the celery, green bell peppers, jalapeno peppers, garlic, and green chile peppers. When vegetables are heated through, mix in the vegetarian burger crumbles. Reduce heat to low, cover pot, and simmer 5 minutes.
2. Mix the tomatoes into the pot. Season chili with chili powder and pepper. Stir in the kidney beans, garbanzo beans, and black beans. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer 45 minutes. Stir in the corn, and continue cooking 5 minutes before serving.

I learnt this recipe from my mother, as she used to cook this for me all the time. Seeing as I come from a considerably large family, it was important for my mother to be able to make a fast and easy recipe that would be capable of feeding all of us. One day, when I decided to try this recipe on my own, I was pleasantly surprise to find how easy it was to cook. Also, a very good aspect of this recipe is that it is extremely variable. In other words, people can add in or leave out any ingredient that they want and it still stays delicious. I shared it because as a student who lives on her own, I have relied on this recipe numerous times as a fast yet delicious and fulfilling meal. It is very easy to make a big batch of this and keep some for further meals if needed. Furthermore, the ingredients required are not too expensive, making this a recipe accessible to everybody. All of them can be found at any grocery store, as there are no uncommon ones. As for how it benefits our health, this recipe is filled with fresh vegetables and beans, which are very good for us. Also, since there is no meet in this particular kind of chilli, it does not encourage factory farming in any way.