Easy Mushroom Chili Recipe

While chili is usually a hearty, meaty dish, it's sufficiently tasty that it can stand on its own even without the meat. While beans alone can add both the bulk and the protein you'd otherwise get from meat, recipe developer Catherine Brookes of gluten-free blog Blue Sky Eating makes her veggie chili even more filling and flavorful with the addition of mushrooms. While she's not a strict vegetarian, she tells us, "I like to have a few meat-free days a week, and this is one of my favorites." As to what the mushrooms add, she tells us they're "great for adding texture to meat-free dishes," adding that "mushrooms are a great source of B vitamins as well as vitamin D."

This recipe is a dish that can be put together in a hurry. Apart from the fresh mushrooms and the lime, everything else in it is a pantry staple. The prep time involved is minimal, like opening a few cans and chopping a few vegetables minimal, although you might be able to shave off a minute or two if you buy your mushrooms already sliced so you don't have to chop them yourself. Luckily, it doesn't take too long to cook either. Pair this healthy chili with the side dish of your choosing, and dinner's all set to go!

Did you buy the pre-sliced mushrooms? If not, that's okay — you can chop or slice them yourself. Mushrooms tend to shrink up a bunch as you cook them, so it doesn't really matter how you cut them. You'll also need to peel and dice an onion ... we know, it hurts. If you want a tear-free option, you can always use frozen, pre-chopped onions. If not, just grit your teeth, hold your breath, and dice through the pain.

When you're done with that, wipe your eyes (after washing your hands!), then take a cleaver, a mallet, a muddler, or anything else with some heft to it, and bash those garlic cloves. Slip the skins off, and those are good to go, though you can always mince them finely if you wish. Finally, mince the chile pepper. If you picked a really hot kind, you might want to use gloves for this, and again, you'll definitely need to rinse your hands and utensils well when you're done.

Add both types of tomatoes (the paste and the diced), and stir them into the sautéed veggies. Simmer the mixture for two to three minutes before adding the beans — Brookes says to drain these first, although if you forget, you can just simmer the chili a little longer until the liquid cooks out. (If you do drain the beans, though, be sure to save the liquid for some experimental baking!)

Add the lime juice as well, then taste the chili and add salt and pepper until it's just the way you like it. Simmer the chili for another four to five minutes, then turn off the heat and let it cool just a tiny bit before you dig in.