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Spicy Fatfree Chili

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Submitted by neetze

Spicy fat-free chili with chewy wheat berries, pinto beans, green chiles, and jalapeno relish. A fiery vegetarian chili with serious texture and zero added oil.

YIELD

1 servings

PREP

30 min

COOK

60 min

READY

90 min

A fat-free vegetarian chili that uses whole wheat berries as the texture element instead of ground meat. The berries stay pleasantly chewy even after a long simmer, giving you that satisfying bite a good chili demands without any oil or meat.

Cooking the wheat berries separately is key. They need about an hour in simmering water to soften and develop their nutty flavor, and they absorb liquid unevenly. Drain any excess water before stirring them into the chili pot, or the whole thing turns soupy.

The spice load is heavy: a quarter cup of chili powder and multiple tablespoons of cinnamon build a Cincinnati-style sweet-heat warmth, and the combination of picante sauce, green chiles, and jalapeno relish keeps the heat genuinely spicy without relying on fresh chiles you might not have on hand. Taste as you go and scale back if your crew is heat-averse.

Kitchen Tips

  • Soak the wheat berries overnight if you want to cut the cooking time roughly in half. Unsoaked berries need the full 60 minutes.
  • Start with 2 tablespoons cinnamon and work up. Three tablespoons is a lot; taste and add rather than dumping it all in.
  • Let the finished chili rest 10 to 15 minutes off heat before serving. Chili flavors deepen as they sit.
  • Serve over brown rice or with warm corn tortillas to bulk up the meal.

Variations

  • Add black beans along with the pinto beans for more color and protein variety.
  • Stir in a spoonful of cocoa powder and a shot of strong coffee for deeper mole-style complexity.
  • Top with diced avocado, chopped cilantro, and a squeeze of lime instead of cheese to keep it fat-free.

Ingredients

1 237
CUP ML WHEAT BERRY
uncooked, hard *
2 2
EACH ONIONS
chopped
2 473
CUPS ML PINTO BEANS
cooked
3 45
TABLESPOONS ML CINNAMON
approximately
¼ 59
CUP ML CHILI POWDER
approximately *
16 462.4
OUNCES ML/G PICANTE SAUCE
29 838.1
OUNCES ML/G CHILI, CANNED
1
X TOMATOES
to taste *
7 202.3
OUNCES ML/G JALAPENO RELISH *

Directions

Cook the wheat berries in 2½ cups of water (it will take about an hour).

Combine the remaining ingredients and simmer while the wheat berries are cooking.

Add the wheat berries when they are done and enjoy!

If the wheat berries do not absorb all the water, drain them before adding to the chili.

They should be a little chewy.

* not incl. in nutrient facts Arrow up button

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Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 2162g (76.3 oz)
Amount per Serving
Calories 1751 29% from fat
 % Daily Value *
Total Fat 57g 87%
Saturated Fat 23g 115%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 158mg 53%
Sodium 10302mg 429%
Total Carbohydrate 84g 84%
Dietary Fiber 78g 310%
Sugars g
Protein 171g
Vitamin A 90% Vitamin C 122%
Calcium 113% Iron 274%
* based on a 2,000 calorie diet How is this calculated?
Trans-fat Free, High Fiber
 

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