Quinoa Chili

This is a recipe that I found at allrecipes.com.  It has a great flavor and is really filling as well as really nutritious.  I made some adjustments to the recipe, of course, it seems like I always do that.  The original recipe calls for ground beef but I omitted that from mine and made it vegetarian style.  If you want to add in some kind of meat you can.

Quinoa Chili

1 cup uncooked quinoa

2 cups water

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon ground cumin

2 (15 oz) cans diced tomatoes

1 (15 oz) can black beans rinsed and drained

1 (15 oz) can kidney beans rinsed and drained

1 (15 oz) can corn rinsed and drained

2 green bell peppers, chopped

1 zucchini, chopped

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried parsley

about 5 cups chicken stock (optional)

salt and ground black pepper to taste

1/4 cup fresh cilantro

tortilla chips (optional)

Directions

Bring the quinoa and water to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the quinoa is tender, and the water has been absorbed, about 15 to 20 minutes.  

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Season with chili powder and cumin; cook 1 minute more to release the flavor of the spices. Stir in the tomatoes, black beans, kidney beans, corn, green bell peppers, zucchini, oregano, and parsley. (The mixture will be pretty thick so to make it more soupy I added about 5 cups of chicken stock-this is optional). Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Simmer until the bell peppers are tender, about 20 minutes. Once the bell peppers are tender stir in the the quinoa (and meat if you are using meat).

If you would like you can serve the chili over tortilla chips and top with a dollop of sour cream, cheese, and cilantro.  Enjoy!