Craving a warm, hearty meal that’s both comforting and good for you? This Southern-Style Vegetable Chili, created by CancerChoices’ Senior Clinical Consultant and health-supportive chef Laura Pole, is just that. Loaded with vibrant veggies, hearty black-eyed peas, and bold spices, it’s not only delicious but also packed with nutrients to nourish your body.
Southern-Style Vegetable Chili
Servings: 10
Ingredients:
- 2 Medium Onions, chopped
- 2 medium Carrots, diced
- 1 small Butternut Squash (or 3 small sweet potatoes), peeled, seeded and medium-diced (can use frozen cubed butternut squash in place of fresh squash)
- 4 cups Diced Tomatoes (canned or fresh)
- 2 cups Collard Greens (or kale or mustard greens), chopped
- 3 cups Black-Eyed Peas (cooked and drained)
- 1 clove Garlic, minced
- 3 Tbsp. Chili Powder
- 1-2 tsp. Salt
- 1 Tbsp. Canola or other No-taste Oil
- Optional: 2-inch square of Dark Chocolate
- 1 tsp Hot Sauce ( like chipotle hot sauce)
Directions:
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until golden brown.
Add the carrots and butternut squash, sauté for about 30 seconds. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
Stir in the diced tomatoes, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
Add the collard greens and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes, covered, until the greens are wilted.
Add chili powder, vegetable broth, salt, and hot sauce. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 30 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
Stir in the black-eyed peas and simmer for 10 more minutes. Add more broth as needed to reach your desired thickness. If it gets too watery, simmer uncovered until thickened.
Adjust seasonings to taste, and stir in dark chocolate if desired, until fully melted.
Serving Suggestions:
Serve this delicious chili over brown rice or quinoa, or pair it with cornbread for a complete, comforting meal. For an added smoky flavor, sprinkle chipotle chili sauce on top.
Copyright 2011. Josie Hollingsworth/Laura Pole. All rights reserved.
Laura Pole is senior clinical consultant for CancerChoices. Laura is an oncology clinical nurse specialist who has been providing integrative oncology clinical care, navigation, consultation, and education services for over 40 years. She is the co-creator and co-coordinator of the Integrative Oncology Navigation Training at Smith Center for Healing and the Arts in Washington, DC. Laura also manages the “Media Watch Cancer News That You Can Use” listserv for Smith Center/Commonweal. In her role as a palliative care educator and consultant, Laura has served as statewide Respecting Choices Faculty for the Virginia POST (Physician Orders for Scope of Treatment) Collaborative as well as provided statewide professional education on palliative and end-of-life care for the Virginia Association for Hospices and Palliative Care.
For CancerChoices, Laura curates content and research, networks with clinical and organizational partners, brings awareness and education of integrative oncology at professional and patient conferences and programs, and translates research into information relevant to the patient experience as well as clinical practice.
Laura sees her work with CancerChoices as a perfect alignment of all her passions, knowledge and skills in integrative oncology care. She is honored to serve you.