On Thursday nights, I volunteer with an animal rescue group called Stray Cat Blues. Anyone who knows me knows that I am obsessed with animals. I drive myself crazy looking at animals that need to be fostered or adopted- but I know that Kevin and I really can’t take any in at this time. We have our hands full with our cat, Conan, and our puppy, River. I also don’t think our cat would take kindly to another cat in the house, and he definitely would not be okay with another dog. For this reason, I started volunteering. If I can’t bring them here, at least I can help them get adopted by other families. I have been volunteering at the rescue every Thursday evening after work, and for this reason, crock pot meals have become a lifesaver. I don’t really have time to make dinner when I get home, so it’s really helpful to just let the slow cooker do all of the work for me. This is good for you guys too- because if I’m making a lot of crock pot meals, you can expect to see a lot on here as well. This recipe is for Black Bean & Quinoa Chili and it is a tried and true favorite and Fall/Winter staple in our household. It makes a ton, so we eat it for lunch the next day and usually still have more. It is so warm, hearty, and filling with just the right amount of spice. I serve it with shredded cheddar, sour cream/plain Greek yogurt, and sliced avocado. The recipe is vegan, so if you want it to keep it that way, just top with avocado or vegan sour cream. Enjoy!
Active Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 8 hours
Serves: 6
Ingredients: 1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed 1 15-ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes 1 4-ounce can diced mild green chiles 1 cup frozen corn 2- 3 cups vegetable broth (use higher amount if cooking longer than 6 hours) 1/2 red onion, diced 1 bell pepper, diced 2 teaspoons garlic powder 2 teaspoons cumin 2 teaspoons chili powder 3/4 cup quinoa
salt and pepper, to taste
sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, avocado, for serving
Directions:
Combine all ingredients (except the toppings) in a crockpot. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Stir to combine, salt and pepper to taste, and serve with your choice of toppings.
Nutrition Information per serving (without toppings):
Calories: 269 Fat: 2g Carbs: 55g Protein: 12g Sodium: 674mg Sugar: 2g
*Nutrition information is based on the products I used personally in this recipe. Different products may yield slightly different information.
Source: Everyday Reading: Crockpot Quinoa Chili
