Mushroom Chili
Chili is one of our favorite meals to prepare in bulk and eat as leftovers throughout the week. One reason for that is that it’s a very versatile meal, and can be eaten over a bed of greens, with rice, or piled on top of a baked potato. Another reason is that the flavors of chili get better over time – it’s actually tastier when eaten a few days after it was prepared. Finally, it’s an especially hearty and filling meal, so it’s the perfect thing to have on hand!
Mush Add Mushrooms!
Mushrooms have a meaty texture and earthy taste that makes them an ideal addition to recipes like chili or pasta sauce.
They are rich in bioactive compounds like polysaccharides, polyphenols, and carotenoids, making them powerful antioxidants. Mushrooms also boost the body’s immune system activity, meaning that you become stronger and more effective at fighting against infections, toxins, or abnormal cells.
Research has even shown that mushrooms can help lower blood glucose and improve diabetes health in multiple ways, including slowing down glucose absorption, protecting the cells that make insulin, reducing inflammation, and helping the body use insulin better.
In a 2014 study, both healthy adults and people with type 2 diabetes were given the same dose of mushrooms. After eating the mushrooms, they were given a dose of glucose — similar to what happens during a glucose tolerance test. In both groups, blood sugar levels dropped significantly after taking the mushrooms. In people with diabetes, the mushrooms lowered the spike in blood sugar that usually happens after a meal (postprandial glucose) and also increased insulin levels. So expect good results after eating this recipe!
Just What You’ve Bean Wanting
Black beans are rich in protein, fiber, and complex carbohydrates, while being low in fat. This balance means that they naturally lead to a reduced spike of blood sugar levels after eating a meal. Black beans are also rich in antioxidants like anthocyanins, saponins, flavonols, and phenolic acids. These are what give black beans their deep color as well as much of their disease-fighting power. Eating black beans is associated with lower rates of diabetes, heart disease, and cancer – as well as having better health if you are already living with one of these diseases.
Forget Bone Broth! Vegetable Broth Is The Real Winner
Using vegetable broth as a base for chili adds rich flavor while keeping the dish low in fat and calories. It enhances the depth of the flavors while also enhancing the nutritional quality of the meal because the base ingredients of the broth bring vitamins, minerals, and a natural umami flavor.
Mushroom Chili
Ingredients
- 2 cups (388g) Yellow Onion, chopped - About 2 ½ large yellow onion
- 2 (6g) Garlic Cloves, minced - About ⅓ of a bulb
- 4 cups (384g) Mushrooms, sliced - About 1 ⅓ of a 10-oz package or 1 full 384g container
- 1 cup (221g) Vegetable Broth, low-sodium - About ⅙ of a 32-oz carton
- 2 cups (360g) Tomato, diced - About 2 large tomatoes
- 2 cups (344g) Black Beans, cooked - About 1 ½ cups from a drained 15-oz can
- 2 tsps (4g) Cumin, ground - Available in spice jars
- 2 tsps (2g) Oregano, dried - Available in spice jars
- 2 tsps (4g) Smoked Paprika - Available in spice jars
- 2 tsps (10g) Hot Sauce (Chipotle or Sriracha) - Available in 5-oz bottles
- 2 cups (328g) Corn, frozen or cooked - About 1 ⅓ cups from a 15-oz can, or 2/3 of a 16-oz bag of frozen corn
Instructions
- Warm a large pot over medium heat.
- While the pot warms, chop onion, garlic, and mushrooms.
- Put a small amount of vegetable broth into the pot, then add in the onion and the garlic.
- Sauté the onions until they are translucent and the garlic is fragrant then, add the mushrooms, tomatoes, black beans, cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, and chipotle hot sauce.
- Bring the chili to a simmer over medium-high heat, cover, and cook for 40 minutes.
- Stir the corn into the chili, then serve over sweet potatoes, regular potatoes, or rice.
Notes
- How to Eat the Chili: If you want to serve this chili over sweet potatoes, regular potatoes, or rice, don't forget to prepare them beforehand! Sweet potatoes and rice can be easily batch prepped and reheated easily.