Cauliflower Chili
While we love a hearty bowl of Texas chili, we’re also trying to eat less meat. Enter this cauliflower chili from Lindsay Grimes Freedman’s new cookbook, Cauliflower Power. It’s the bowl of our wildest dreams because—hello—cauliflower, but it’s also super healthy and ready in about 30 minutes.
“There’s nothing more satisfying and comforting than a pot of chili,” Freedman writes. “It’s a hearty meal that becomes more flavorful after a day or two, which means it’s even better when eaten as leftovers. Here cauliflower florets stand in for meat, maintaining the hearty and flavorful quality that everyone loves in a chili.”
Sweet potato, beans and plenty of spices round everything out—the sour cream, corn and cheddar garnishes are just gilding the lily.
Excerpted from Cauliflower Power by Lindsay Grimes Freedman (Artisan Books). Copyright © 2019.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons avocado oil
2 cups (270g) small to medium cauliflower florets
1 large sweet potato, cut into ½- to 1-inch pieces
1 yellow onion, coarsely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
One 28-ounce (794g) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
One 15-ounce (425g) can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons chili powder
4 teaspoons ground cumin
½ teaspoon chipotle chile powder
¼ teaspoon sea salt
Sour cream, fresh (or frozen and thawed) corn kernels, chopped fresh cilantro, avocado slices and shredded cheddar, optional, for serving
Directions
1. Heat the avocado oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the cauliflower, sweet potato and onion, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the veggies begin to soften and the onion starts to brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for about 3 minutes.
2. Add 2½ cups (600mL) water, the diced tomatoes, black beans, chili powder, cumin, chipotle chile powder and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook until the chili thickens a bit and is less watery, 5 to 10 minutes.
3. Transfer to individual bowls and serve with the desired toppings: sour cream, corn, cilantro, avocado slices and cheddar. The chili will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for about a week.
185 calories
6g fat
29g carbs
8g protein
7g sugars