End of Summer Vegan Chili to Celebrate #fruitsandveggiesmonday!

Although our summer garden is finally winding down and producing the last of its fruit, we had a few things to pop into a pot with lots of beans for a nice chili on a deary Atlanta day!  As it is Monday, I cannot let it pass without being a part of the fun #fruitsandveggieschallenge put on by the fabulous @lenasveganliving.  Hopefully this yummy pot of goodness will inspire some of you guys as everyone else's wonderful posts inspire me each week!

We managed to get one lonely little green bell pepper from the garden, along with a few jalapeno peppers and a Chinese eggplant this weekend to add to a few extra bits from the freezer and the store.  The bugs seem to really like our peppers, so it is rare for us to get many bell peppers that actually grow big enough to harvest.  I am sure the more we garden, the better we will continue to get at figuring out how to get the most out of it!

I try to batch cook all of my beans and freeze multiple varieties at a time since I use them so frequently, so I always have plenty in the freezer to pull out quickly for things like chili!  My sister got me some great containers a few years ago to organize them and make them look like a lovely display. :)

As usual, I look forward to seeing what everyone is munching on this week! Have a great week everyone!

 End of Summer Vegan Three Bean Chili

Makes 6-8 Servings

• 1 medium onion, peeled & chopped
• 1 small green bell pepper, seeded & chopped
• 1 small red bell pepper, seeded & chopped
• 1-2 small jalapeño peppers, seeded & chopped
• 1 small Chinese eggplant*, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 heaping tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
• 3 (15-ounce) cans of beans, rinsed & drained--can be any combination, but I used black beans, dark red kidney beans, & pinto beans
• 2 (15-ounce) cans no salt added diced tomatoes
• 1 cup corn (fresh or frozen)
• 1 (10-ounce) frozen package winter squash purée
• 1 cup water

Place a large stockpot on the stove top and warm up over medium heat.  Add your onions and peppers to the pot, cooking for 5 minutes or until soft.  Next, add in your eggplant and garlic to continue cooking for an additional 5 minutes, stirring frequently and adding a splash of water as needed to prevent sticking.

After your vegetables have softened, measure out your spices and place in the pot with the vegetables.  Stir and cook for about a minute to toast the spices, then mix in all of your additional ingredients in the pot.  Increase the heat if needed to bring the chili up to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer partially covered for an hour.

Serve with your toppings of choice or just enjoy as is!

*Chinese (or Japanese) eggplant is the more slender and long variety as compared to the more bulbous Italian version.  Feel free to sub whatever you have on hand, or even omit.  I just wanted to use up the last of our garden's bounty!