Almost everyone I know who grows veggies has a yellow squash problem in the summer. It’s crazy prolific and sort of an unexciting vegetable, as veggies go. I created this “Use-It-Up” Veggie Chili as a way to solve that squash problem. And the green peppers problem. The extra ear of corn problem, too.
In fact, this chili is perfect for all of those veggies we often have too much of and need to use up before they go bad.
It’s also really easy to tweak and modify based on what you have to use up.
Like all chilis, this one improves if you let it sit a bit, so I highly recommend making it the night before if you’re having it for lunch and letting it just sit on the stove (burner off, of course) until you’re ready to heat it up and eat. If you’re having it for dinner, make it in the morning to let it sit through the day.
Use-It-Up Veggie Chili
Serves 4-6
Ingredients~
1 Tbs olive oil
1 small onion, diced
3-4 large cloves of garlic, minced
1 or 2 jalapeno peppers, minced
2 green peppers, diced
2 Tbs chili powder
1 Tbs oregano
3 cups yellow squash, peeled and cut into bite-size chunks
3 large tomatoes, cut into chunks (use as much of the juice as you can)
4 cups cooked beans — I use red chili beans and black beans, but any beans will do. This is the rough equivalent of 2 cans
1 or 2 ears of corn — remove the corn from the cob. Does not have to be pre-cooked
salt, pepper to taste
Directions~
Heat the oil in a large pot. Add in the onions, garlic, jalapenos, and green peppers. Stir well, keeping the onions and garlic from burning.
When the peppers start to soften, add in the spices and stir to thoroughly cover the onions, garlic, and peppers. Cook for about a minute before adding in the squash and tomatoes. Stir it all up to combine. Cook for a few minutes, until the tomatoes start to bubble, then add the beans and corn.
Stir it up, then reduce the heat and cover to cook for awhile. You can cook for 30 minutes or an hour for more depth of flavor.
Then let it sit until you’re ready to eat.
Serve with avocados, guac, or sour cream for garnish and bonus flavor.