This is my recipe for vegetarian chilli. I love it! If I had to choose between a carne version and this vegetable laden chilli, it would be no contest, vegetables win it! This is simple, quick if you need it quick, but even better if you have time to let it simmer.

This is a spicy version but it is very easy to tone down, just half all the spicy stuff, afterwards, if it is not spicy enough for you, add more at the end.

2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
2 leeks, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, minced
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1 tablespoon ginger, minced or grated
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon on my own ground chili blend (chipotle, and a few other hot peppers)
1 cup red kidney beans (I use whatever I have on hand)
1 pound mushrooms, sliced
960ml tin whole tomatoes (smooshed with the back of my spoon)
2 large carrots, sliced
1/2 cup corn nibblets (I use frozen)
2 zucchini, sliced
Salt and pepper

Heat up a big pot over medium high heat, add the oil and let that heat up.

Add in the leek and celery, saute for about two minutes, just until the leeks and celery soften up a bit. Add in the jalapeno, garlic ginger, cumin and your chili blend, stirring it quite a bit so nothing burns. Heat it for about a minute.

Add in the beans along with just a little bit of water (maybe a tablespoon or so). Let this cook for about two to three minutes, stirring occasionally but not too much (or else you will have re-fried beans).

Next add in the mushrooms and stir that up, it will look like a lot of mushroom, but the mushrooms will lose their bulk as they release their water and flavor into the chilli! Just a minute or two of that, then add in the tomatoes, carrots and corn.

Set the burner to low and let this simmer for at least 20 minutes, longer is better though.

Add the zucchini, along with any salt or pepper, about ten minutes before serving the chilli, this let's them keep a little crunch. Even so, the zucchini are delicious the next day when they have had time to marry with the rest of the chilli.

I like to enjoy my chilli with a little bit of sour cream and some sriracha sauce on it (because I put THAT shit on everything!) or the next day, I like to make a vegetarian sloppy joe and cover it with cheese! (picture tomorrow!)

This chilli does not freeze well, but it will keep for a good four or five days if it lasts that long.