A chunky veggie chili made with sprouted beans and fresh spices and herbs for optimal digestion. Hearty kidney beans, sun-dried tomatoes, carrots, celeriac, parsnip, onion, ginger and garlic make up this warming comforting bowl of chili. If that’s not already enough flavor, we pack it with even more punch from chili powder, paprika, fennel, fenugreek, bay leaves, curry leaves and a few other little goodies.
It may be a long list of fresh ingredients, but when everything stews together, it’s heaven in a bowl and well worth the extra effort. When you get just the right texture and mix of spices, it’ll feel and taste meaty, even though there’s no meat.
All the spices and herbs contain numerous benefits, especially when bought fresh locally and whole, which is also how you get the best flavor. The ginger, bay leaves, and curry leaves all provide gastro intestinal protection so you aren’t left with the traditional chili aftermath.
Curry leaves are new to me, I found them at Dawson’s Market from a local farmer. Turns out, like every herb and spice, they have a lot of benefits and they added some extra peppery flavor.
The Spice Shaker
I used my favorite chili spice shaker combination, trust me when I say it can make anything taste like sausage. I made an Italian tomato sauce, and had a friend try it, she’s goes, “You need to tell me how you make your sauce taste like meat!” Well here’s my secret, I’ve been using it on almost every dinner lately, Dominick and I are addicted.
- 1 tbsp fennel seeds
- 1 tbsp fenugreek
- 1 tbsp mustard seeds
- 1 tsp coriander
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp peppercorn
Grind it on everything you want to have a “sausagey” flavor.
Sprouted Beans
Soaking and sprouting the beans removes the phytic acid, aka anti-nutrients which inhibit nutrient absorption and can cause stomach discomfort.
Typically you’ll soak the beans over night for about 8 hours, rinse and drain, then continue to rinse twice a day, morning and night, until little tails start to sprout.
The picture below is showing that you can jar the beans and store them for later. Usually when I soak beans, I tend to soak more than the recipe calls for so I can use them for other recipes at a later date. This way I save myself some time, and recipes that call for beans are easier to make on the spot like this chipotle bean burrito.
The process goes something like this, soak, rinse and drain 2 cups of beans instead of 1 cup, for about 2-3 days or until you see tails. Make half the beans for the chili, and continue to rinse and drain the other half until tomorrow when you’ll make the second batch. You can make them plain or flavor them up with your favorite spices and herbs.
Hope you enjoy this sprouted bean & veggie chili as much as I did, stay warm!
Sprouted Bean Chili for Optimal Digestion
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup kidney beans; soaked & sprouted
- 1 quart water
- 1 cup carrots
- 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes
- 1/2 cup celeriac
- 1/4 cup parsnip
- 1/4 cup onions
- 3-4 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp ginger
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
Spices & Herbs
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp; spice shaker mix; *see notes
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 10 curry leaves; optional
INSTRUCTIONS
- Soak the beans overnight for 8 hours, then rinse and drain twice per day until little tails have sprouted.
- Cut the veggies, carrots, celeriac, parsnip, and sun-dried tomatoes into bite-sized pieces. Quarter the onions and thinly slice the ginger and garlic.
- Add in the rest of the ingredients, and stir it all together.
- Slow cook on high for 4 hours, turn down to low for 1-2 hours. Or cook on low for 8-9 hours.
NOTES
*Spice Shaker can contain any of the following whole spices.
1 tbsp fennel seeds, 1 tbsp fenugreek, 1 tbsp mustard seeds, 1 tsp coriander, 1/2 tsp cumin, and 1/2 tsp peppercorn
