veggie chili

last week i attended a chili cook-off at a friend's house and i ended up making a vegetarian chili at the very last minute using a recipe i found using the whole foods iphone app. not only was the chili fairly easy to make (minus all the chopping), it won me a trophy for best vegetarian chili! ok, so maybe there was only one other vegetarian chili in the running and maybe i added avocado and cilantro as garnishes to make my chili super gourmet, but still!!

i was totally impressed by this chili and i think you will be, too.

ingredients:
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrot
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 cup chopped fresh mushrooms (i used regular and portabella)
1/4 cup dried mushrooms, soaked in hot water for 20 mins, then drained and chopped (i skipped these)
2 jalapenos, seeded and finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp ground cumin
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup uncooked bulgur wheat
1/2 cup cooked kidney beans, drained
1/2 cup cooked black beans, drained
1/2 cup cooked navy beans, drained
2 tbsp tamari
2 tbsp finely chopped cilantro

method:
heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. add onions, celery, carrots, bell peppers, fresh mushrooms, dried mushrooms, and jalapenos and cook for 3 minutes. add garlic, chili powder, oregano, and cumin and cook for 1 minute longer. add tomato paste and brown with vegetables for 1 minute longer. add tomatoes, bulgur, beans, and 1 to 2 cups water (enough to cover ingredients). simmer for 45 minutes, or until bulgur is tender. stir in tamari and cilantro and serve.