A hearty, slow cooked chili loaded with fresh summer vegetables.
Usually when I make chili the kitchen utensil getting the most action is my can opener. But, with mountains of late summer garden produce needing to be used, I took on the task of creating a fresh summer vegetable chili instead.
Aside from a few small tweaks, the fresh-made chili made isn’t too different from my usual canned version. To be honest, the biggest challenge is the tomatoes. While canned tomatoes have the advantage of coming pre-peeled, starting from fresh means having to peel them to obtain that perfect saucy consistency (without any papery skins floating around).
Once that’s taken care of though, everything is just thrown in a slow cooker. And using fresh veggies does have its advantages. Corn kernels cut from the cob are supremely juicy and flavorful. And throwing the cob in too extracts even more buttery corn flavor. Bell peppers add sweetness, while spicy peppers bring in some heat. Although I don’t usually include zucchini in my chili, I found it contributes to the bright, vegetal flavors and smooth, velvety texture (and, trust me, I had plenty to spare).
The beans are still canned because they’re just too dang convenient. But, since this chili intends to highlight seasonal produce, I opted to keep it meatless. It is, however, infused with a hearty blend of spices, like any good chili should be.
Once it melds into a summery stew, I like to sprinkle with feta and basil, and serve with a slice of sourdough skillet cornbread for ultimate seasonal comfort.
-Ryne 09/15/2023
How to peel tomatoes for a summer vegetable chili.
Don’t be intimidated if you’ve never peeled tomatoes, the process is honestly quite simple. Just cut out the core, score an “x” on the bottom, boil for about a minute, chill in an ice bath, and then the skin will peel right off. The recipe will walk you threw this step-by-step, but you can also check out this video for more details:
Summer Vegetable Chili
Ingredients
- 2 lb (about 8 medium) tomatoes
- 1 yellow onion roughly chopped
- 10 cloves garlic smashed
- 8 oz (about 1 medium) summer squash cut into chunks
- 1 bell pepper cut into chunks
- 3 jalapeño or Fresno chilis seeds removed if you prefer less heat, and finely chopped
- 1 ear corn kernels and cob separated
- 1 15-oz can pinto beans drained
- 1 15-oz can kidney beans drained
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp paprika
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- Feta cheese for topping
- Leafy summer herbs (such as basil, dill, and chives) for topping
- Cornbread (optional) for serving
Instructions
- Heat a large pot of water over high heat. Prepare an ice bath in a large bowl.
- Cut the stems out of the tomatoes and score an “X” on the bottom of each with a paring knife (you only want to pierce the skin and not too much of the flesh).
- When water boils, add tomatoes (working in batches as needed) and boil for about 1 minute or until tomato skin begins to separate from flesh. Smaller tomatoes may need less time. Remove with a slotted spoon to the ice bath.
- Once tomatoes have cooled, remove them from the ice bath and peel off the skin with you hands and discard it.
- In the pot of a slow cooker, combine peeled tomatoes with all the other ingredients (including the corn cob, but excluding the feta cheese, leafy herbs, and cornbread). Stir until ingredients are evenly distributed.
- Cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-6 hours.
- Stir chili and divide into bowls. Top with feta cheese and leafy herbs. Serve with cornbread if desired.
