VEGGIE QUINOA CHOCOLATE CHILI

Hooray for sweater weather and coming home to warm crockpot cuisines! This week we’re featuring all slow-cooked recipes and first up is Elle Penner with her veggie quinoa chocolate chili. Fluffy quinoa and tender veggies drown in chili-tomato sauce thickened with baker’s chocolate. Plus, you can stew it over stove-top OR crank it up crockpot style.

under 4 hour 5 mins
lunch dinner
Updated on 6 January 2024

Ingredients for servings

    chili

  • 0.5 cup quinoa thoroughly rinsed

  • 1 cup water*

  • 1 small onion chopped

  • 0.5 large butternut squash chopped into 0.5 inch chunks (about 3 cups)

  • 2 bell peppers

  • 1 large zucchini chopped

  • 15 ounce black beans drained and rinsed

  • 15 ounce red kidney beans drained and rinsed

  • 45 ounce diced tomatoes

  • 4 cloves garlic minced

  • 1 jalapeno pepper diced

  • 3 tablespoons chili powder to taste

  • 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder or 3-4 small squares unsweetened bakers chocolate, to taste

  • 1.5 tablespoons ground cumin

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

  • to taste Salt

  • to taste black pepper

    • Optional Garnishes

  • avocado slices

  • cheese, Greek yogurt (instead of sour cream)

  • tortilla chips

Directions

  • Stove Top Instructions

  • In a medium sauce pan, combine the quinoa and water. Cook over medium heat until water is absorbed (15-20 minutes) and set aside. (If you have a rice cooker, use that instead.)

  • In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the butternut squash, cooking for 5 minutes. Next, add the onion and bell pepper and cook another 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, jalapeño and zucchini. Cook 5 more minutes (~15 minutes total) until vegetables are tender. Add the black beans, kidney beans, tomatoes, and tomato sauce.

  • Stir in the cooked quinoa. Season with chili powder, cumin, cocoa powder/bakers chocolate, salt, and black pepper. Heat through and reduce to a simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

  • Freeze leftovers for a quick, healthy & delicious meal on a busy night.

  • Slow Cooker Instructions

  • In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the butternut squash, cooking for 5 minutes. Next, add the onion and bell pepper and cook another 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, jalapeño and zucchini. Cook 5 more minutes.

    • Add all your ingredients to the crockpot

    • stir-fried veggies, quinoa, 1/2 cup water, black beans, kidney beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin, cocoa powder/bakers chocolate, salt, and black pepper.

  • Stir to mix then cover and cook for 4 to 6 hours on the low setting.

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