The best thing I make...

This is the best thing I make.  Period.

It's easy.  It's versatile.  It's healthy. It's tasty.  It's chili.

It's fall so therefore it's pumpkin candle, boots, and chili season.  It's one of my favorite times of year, and not just because it's better hair weather.  This is the perfect time to break out the old crockpot and make some delicious vegan chili.

I make this chili all year round.  I love this recipe so much because everyone enjoys it, carnivores and vegetarians alike.  It's got a little spice but not too much spice.  It's got a balance of protein and veggies. And it's perfect to serve with bread, and I am always looking for any excuse to eat bread.

This is my fall variation of this recipe, but the basic chili has four ingredients, all from Trader Joe's.  I've played around with adding different vegetables such as peppers, but the recipe with just the four ingredients covers all your bases.  I hope you love it as much as my family, my friends, and I do!

Ingredients

• one 28 oz. can of diced tomatoes (undrained)
• 1 package of soy chorizo
• 1 can of black beans (drained)
• 1 container of Trader Joe's mirepoix (diced carrots, onions, and celery)

Optional (I used this for this chili)

• 1 can of organic pumpkin puree

Again you can use any veggies you like, you do not need to buy the precut veggies.  I usually prefer to cut my own veggies since it's so much more economical, but the precut mix is so perfect for this chili.  

Basically you are going to drain your beans and throw everything else into a pot and stir together.  Just be careful with the soy chorizo, it's in a plastic package, it's a little misleading if you haven't cooked with it before.  When I first bought it I thought it was a solid sausage, but it's actually a crumble.  Just make sure you squeeze it out of the plastic.  I may be married to  know someone who cooked the plastic once.  Now that I have a crockpot in my life, I'm going to use it as much as possible.  However, I've made this recipe on the stove for years and it's come out great. With the crockpot today I cooked mine on low for five hours.    

I topped my chili with some Daiya cheese and chopped tomatoes.  Everything is better when it's served with a hunk of bread!  Enjoy!