Autumn Quinoa Chili

Wednesdays in our house are busy days...Sydney has Girls on the Run before school, I go into the office for 6 hours, then there is Jazz after school. So Wednesdays are usually leftovers or takeout. But I came up with a plan...

I prepped to use the slow cooker the night before (which took all of 10 minutes)...

Then in the morning, I set up the slow cooker, and poured the prepped contents INTO the crockpot, plus added vegetable stock...

And when I got home at 4pm, dinner was ready. The house smelled great, and I could focus on catching up with Sydney and helping her get ready for jazz. The recipe makes a lot, and even my meat loving husband gave it rave reviews. I used a seasonal salsa from Trader Joes to really give this an autumn twist, but if you can't get that kind, or don't like it, you can use whatever your favorite salsa is. The quinoa and black beans provide a hearty dose of protein, while the sweet potatoes are loaded with Vitamin A (Beta Carotene) which is great for our immune system and vision.

So I present to you, my Autumn Quinoa Chili recipe.

Autumn Quinoa Chili

Ingredients (choose organic and locally sourced when available)

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks 

1 can black beans, drained

1 cup frozen sweet corn

1 onion, chopped

2-4 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 can fire roasted tomatoes

1 jar salsa (I used Trader Joes Fall Harvest Salsa which 

has pumpkin, apples, and butternut squash in it, but you can 

use any type you like. This is also where you can add/decrease 

the heat easily) 

1 tablespoon cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

1 cup dry quinoa (you can adjust depending on how much you like/dislike quinoa)

2 cups vegetable broth

salt and pepper to season

Instructions

1. If you are prepping the night before - place everything in a Ziploc bag EXCEPT for the vegetable broth, and refrigerate over night.
2. Place all ingredients into the slow cooker. Add vegetable broth.
3. Mix, and place the top on the crock pot. Turn on low and cook for 6-8 hours. You can also cook on high for 4 hours.
4. Serve with avocado slices, tortilla chips, hot sauce, jalapeno pepper slices, (non vegan options - shredded cheese & sour cream). (Nutrition Facts DO NOT include optional toppings).
5. Makes 6 servings

Nutrition Facts
Servings 6.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 310
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 4 g	6 %
Saturated Fat 1 g	3 %
Monounsaturated Fat 1 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 0 mg	0 %
Sodium 542 mg	23 %
Potassium 704 mg	20 %
Total Carbohydrate 60 g	20 %
Dietary Fiber 8 g	31 %
Sugars 10 g
Protein 10 g	21 %
Vitamin A	170 %
Vitamin C	23 %
Calcium	10 %
Iron	33 %
* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA.