One of my most popular recipes, this “paleo” chili is packed with veggies, but they’ll never know because the
flavor is out of this world!

Chili is a staple at our house. Once football season hits, I make it at least weekly if not more. I love to pack it full of veggies and of course seasoning is key. I’ve been pouring over chili recipes for years and have come close to perfecting our favorite compilation of them all. My rule for cooking is: cook once, eat twice (or more!) so my recipes are always doubled, yielding large batches great for leftovers and freezing. And I personally think leftover chili is one of the most delicious kinds of leftovers as those flavors tend to develop even further with time. Yum.

Please see notes along the way in this recipe. I tend keep my ingredients pretty loose, a good guideline, but not hard and fast rules to follow. Don’t worry if you don’t have exactly what is called for, or if you know you don’t care for an ingredient on the list. Use what you have, get creative if need be. Cook, learn, and enjoy the process of creating, sharing and consuming a delicious, nutrient-packed bowl of warm and cozy goodness!

Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 hr
Servings: 8

INGREDIENTS

2 tbsp coconut oil
2 lbs. grass fed ground beef, bison, pork or ground turkey (or combo of any)
2 onions chopped
6 cloves garlic
3-4 zucchini chopped
1-2 green peppers sliced
1 pack sliced mushrooms
1-2 cups bone broth, organic broth or water
3-4 cans diced tomatoes (10.5 oz) with green chilies or with jalapenos/cilantro
1-2 cans organic tomato paste
3 tbsp dried oregano
3 tbsp chili powder
3 tbsp ground cumin
1/2 tbsp cinnamon
1/2 tbsp crushed red peppers (optional)
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp sea salt
Optional Toppings:
Chopped green onions
Black olives
Hot sauce of choice

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large saucepan; on medium to high heat, melt coconut oil and brown onions and garlic.
Add meat and cook until browned, stirring to crumble.
2. Add your spices (oregano through salt) and broth, stirring as you go, let simmer on low heat.
3. In a large stock pot or crock pot, add your canned tomatoes, tomato paste and veggies.
4. Add your meat mixture to your stock pot or crockpot, mixing all your ingredients together well. In the stock pot,
simmer on low-medium heat for a minimum of 30 mins. The longer the simmer the more developed your flavors
will be. In the crockpot, leave on low until you’re ready to eat it, minimum of 4-6 hours or even overnight!
Additional seasoning as you see fit.

Nutritionist’s Note:
You don’t have to use all the veggies listed and you can always add others. I love to add spinach, broccoli or even carrots too! I usually just use what I have on hand, but I really love the combination listed here. Chili is a great way to “hide” veggies for picky eaters. Cups upon cups of coarsely chopped spinach for example goes completely unnoticed in the delicious flavor of a good chili.

Love this recipe? Be sure to check out Katie’s FREE Simple + Seasonal Winter Cookbook!
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