Vegetarian Chili w Cauliflower Rice

Soooooo good! I legit threw this together with whatever remained in my fridge and pantry. I know that sounds like bullshit but have I ever lied to you? I needed a healthy, hot, hearty meal and this hit the spot. Putting this together on the fly made it even more satisfying. Don’t you just love when that happens?

Ingredients:
A large onion, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
2 to 3 carrots, peeled and sliced
3 celery stalks, chopped
A pepper of your choice, large diced
An eggplant cut into chunks, sliced lengthwise first to peel most of the skin (you can leave skin on if you like)
Can each of red and black beans rinsed and drained (or one can beans and one can chickpeas)
Cup and a half veg stock
A small to medium zucchini, large diced
1/2 cup chopped parsley
2 packed cups of chopped kale
A large can plus a small can of tomato sauce
A 14 oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes, not drained
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp each smoked paprika and chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp each salt and pepper

Herbed Cauliflower Rice:
A bag of cauliflower rice, defrosted and drained
1/2 tsp each dried basil, smoked paprika
1/4 tsp garlic powder
Juice of half a lemon
Sprinkle of salt and pepper
1/4 cup veg stock

In a large pot, heat some olive oil and sauté the onion until fragrant and translucent, adding some stock to prevent pot from burning. Add the garlic, carrots, celery, and remaining stock. Cover pot to sweat the vegetables for 7 minutes. Add remaining ingredients, mix well. Cover and bring to a boil then lower heat and simmer for 30 to 45 minutes until the vegetables are all fork tender. Stir occasionally. Adjust seasonings to taste.

To make the cauliflower rice while the chili cooks, heat your largest sauté pan with some olive oil. Add the rice and cook for several minutes, stirring to dry it up. Add the seasonings, stock, the juice of the lemon half, and cook until all is combined, about 5 minutes on a medium flame. Serve under or alongside the chili. Chili night need not be heavy, meaty, and starchy!