Winter Vegetable Chili

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
• 1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/2 pound parsnips, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/2 pound carrots, peeled cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon chile powder
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• Kosher salt to taste
• 14.5-ounce can diced or peeled Italian tomatoes
• 1 canned chipotle in adobo, plus 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 cup canned hominy, drained
• 1 cup canned red kidney beans, drained

Directions

1. Set a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat and warm the oil. Add the onion and cook, stirring now and then, for 5 minutes, until it has softened and turned slightly translucent. Stir in the garlic and cook just until you can smell it, about 30 seconds. Add the bell pepper, parsnips, and carrots, then cook for about 5 minutes more, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle in the chile powder, cumin, and salt to taste, mix everything together, and cook for about 1 minute.
2. As the vegetables cook, put the tomatoes, chipotle, adobo sauce, and water in a blender. Blend until the mixture is smooth.
3. Add the blended tomato mixture to the vegetables in the pot. Stir in the hominy and kidney beans. Reduce the heat to medium-low, set the lid slightly ajar so it covers about 3/4 of the pot, and let the chili simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Taste and add more salt if needed. Serve over brown rice if you have it around; the two are a very good match.