This garden chili uses fresh garden tomatoes, peppers, and onions for a super simple crockpot supper that is homegrown and homemade. Toss in a jalapeno or other hot pepper for some added heat, or keep it mild – it tastes great either way!
I love eating fresh food from the garden. With tomatoes coming on in full swing at my house, and the slight drop in temperature that often comes this time of year, now is the perfect time to break out the beans and crockpot, and make this delicious Garden Fresh Chili for dinner.
It doesn’t feel more like fall than a bowl of hot chili and a side of cornbread.
This garden fresh recipe is a great way to (easily) use up that bounty of tomatoes coming out of the garden.
Toss in an onion, some garlic, peppers, and seasonings … it’s what autumn in late September tastes like, all in a bowl.
Making Garden Fresh Chili
Start with the Beans. Like any good pot of beans, this garden fresh chili starts with dry beans. Canned beans can certainly work in a pinch, but using dried beans significantly reduces the cost of this pot of beans.
Because we’re starting with dried beans, this does require we think ahead.
Dried beans need to be started bout 18 hours before the planned meal time. I like to presoak my beans in cold water overnight before adding my other ingredients and starting my beans to cook.
Add Variety, Looks can be deceiving. When it comes to chili beans, variety is a good thing. For this Garden Fresh Chili recipe, I like to use a selection of Pinto, Great Norther, Kidney, and Black beans. This adds not only some added color to the pot, but the (if not subtle) change of flavor really adds to making this dish the delicious batch of chili that it is.
Also keep in mind that looks can be deceiving. Trust the recipe and only add the said amount of beans. It might not look like enough sitting under that layer of water in the crockpot, but trust me, this will be plenty.
Use fresh garden vegetables. Using fresh tomatoes, onions, peppers, and garlic, this recipe is a great way to use up garden vegetables. Store or market-bought vegetables go into this chili with a similar feeling of freshness as garden picked. You don’t even have to open a can – just use all those fresh vegetables you have on hand (even those going thick-skinned in the crisper drawer).
When you can use a blender – use it! I like to throw this chili together with the help of my countertop blender. I use an old school Osterizer Classic; it’s nothing fancy but it has never failed me yet. After thoroughly washing and scrubbing by tomatoes, I add them to the blender and blend them to a thick, chunky “puree”, which I then add directly to the beans. Leave a little tomato juice in the bottom half of the blender, and blend that onion into eyewatering pulp. Also blend, or course chop, peppers and garlic if desired.
With or without meat. Mine is a family of meat eaters, so we always vote to add the meat at our house. However, this recipe can taste just as hearty and delicious without the ground beef. As an excellent source of protein, the beans can stand alone and still make this chili stand out.
Long and Low. Just like a good piece of meat needs to cook long and slow to become a tender, juicy roast, beans need to cook long and low to turn out fully cooked and delicious … and to not make you regret you ate beans two hours later.
Directions
The night before
- Start by adding the dry beans to the crockpot you plan to cook them in (a deep stock pot works too if you plan to cook your beans over the stovetop).
- Cover your beans with cold water. There should be at least 1 inch of water above your layer of beans.
- Leave the beans to presoak overnight. This helps to soften the beans, which decreases cooking time.
In the morning
- Drain the water from your beans. Then rinse a second time. Rinsing beans a second time helps to reduce the gas and bloating that can often follow eating a pot of beans.
- Cover beans a second time with at least 1 inch of water and a sprinkle of salt, and cook on HIGH for about 2 hours. Drain once cooked.
- While the beans are starting to cook, prepare your vegetables and brown the ground beef. Blend your tomatoes to make a thick, chunky “puree” to add to your pot of beans. The pureed tomatoes will be very watery – this is how you want it. The liquid from the tomatoes will help soften the beans while simultaneously infuse them with flavor.
- Add onion, peppers, garlic, sugar, and spices. [Check the note above on When you can use a blender – use it!]
8. Add additional water if necessary. Based on how juicy or meaty your tomatoes, you may need to add additional water for your beans to cook.
9. Adjust cooker to LOW, and allow to cook 6-8 hours. Check beans with a fork to be sure they are fully cooked before eating. Fully cooked beans should mash easily. IF beans are not fully cooked, return heat to HIGH and continue cooking until beans are tender.
Garden Fresh Chili Beans
6
quarts30
minutes8+
hoursThis garden chili uses fresh garden tomatoes, peppers, and onions for a super simple crockpot supper that is homegrown and homemade. Toss in a jalapeno or other hot pepper for some added heat, or keep it mild – it tastes great either way!
Ingredients
2 cups dry beans
8-10 cups pureed tomatoes
1 large onion
4-5 cloves garlic
3-4 medium bell peppers
1 hot pepper, optional
2 lbs ground beef
2 Tbls brown sugar
2 Tbls chili powder
1 tsp cumin
salt & pepper
Directions
Soak beans. Cover beans with 1-2 inches of cold water and allow to soak overnight in a large crockpot or stockpot.
In the morning, drain beans. Then rinse and drain again.
Cover beans a second time with 1-2 inches of cold water. Cook on HIGH for 2 hours.
Brown ground beef and set aside.
Once beans have cooked for 2 hours, rinse a third time before adding pureed tomatoes. Add onion, peppers, garlic, sugar, and spices.
Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours.
Serve hot.
What to serve as a side?
Chili is kind of a meal on its own, but like any meal, it’s always nice to have some sides to choose from at the family dinner table.
To me, chili just wouldn’t be chili without a slice of cornbread o the side. This delicious Garden Fresh Chili Beans recipe pairs great with a slice of corn bread drizzled in honey (check out my recipe for Crusty Sweet Corn Bread here).
On the lighter side, a green salad can be a refreshing addition to this hearty meal.
Cottage cheese with peaches or pineapple can add a light and rich zing that both compliments and contrasts with the hearty, garden flavors of the chili.
Stewed apples or applesauce add to the garden fresh experience of this dish, bringing that feeling of fall full power to the dinner table.
Hotdogs and corndogs can add a fun “tailgating” vibe to this meal.
For working and stay-at-home peoples
This homemade chili comes together … well, slow. But it’s easy to make and requires little time in the kitchen. Whether you are a working out of the home or are home all day, this recipe can come together so easy – not to mention how autumnally delicious and hearty it tastes.
Don’t work from home?
For those working away from their home (at least, not within the four walls and front door we all gather and sleep in) – don’t feel intimidated by this recipe.
Simply start the beans the night before, drain first thing in the morning, and start the beans to cook. Start the meat to brown on low in a covered cast iron skillet. Those beans can cook on high while you shower, style your hair, try on several shirts before you finally choose one to wear, eat breakfast – whatever it is that you usually do in your morning routine.
Take five minutes to blend up vegetables and add them to the pot. Sprinkle the browned beef. Hit the LOW button on your way out the door, and …. Voila! Dinner is ready the minute you step through the door after an exhausting day at work.
How to store extra chili
With chili this good, it’s hard to believe there could be any leftover. But this recipe creates a hearty, delicious, protein-packed batch of chili beans that makes a lot.
Here is a brief list of what to do with all that extra chili you have still sitting in your crockpot at the end of inner.
- Leftover. Next day chili is just as good as it was on day one. Eat it with leftover cornbread or whip up a fresh batch of cornbread or cornbread muffins. I enjoy storing leftover soups, stews, salads, and (in this case) chili in a half-gallon mason jar. I find the half-gallon size fits easily in my refrigerator, and it sticks out, which helps my leftovers to not get lost in the refrigerator like they sometimes can in smaller, flatter storage containers.
- Freeze it. I love the freedom of simply freezing leftovers. Sometimes we simply don’t feel like eating the same meal two nights in a row, or maybe the weather has changed and the meals you had earlier in the week simply doesn’t mesh well with the temperatures outside. Or maybe you’ve already eaten leftovers once or twice that week, and have grown tired of eat that dish. No matter your reasoning, I suggest you always keep the option to simply freeze now and enjoy later in your back pocket.
- Canning. Pressure canning your leftovers is also an option. This is not my favorite option, simply because of the added work, precision, and time commitment required for canning. Nevertheless, if you feel like you have adequate leftovers to justify running your pressure cooker, this can also be an option.
Storing leftover chili in a mason jar in the refrigerator takes up less space and is easy to spot in the fridge. For longer term storage, simply transfer chili to a gallon-sized freezer bag, label, and store in the refrigerator for up-to 6 months.
Chili Love
This easy Garden Fresh Chili ticks all the boxes for a recipe you’ll love.
It’s easy. It’s simple. And best of all, it’s garden fresh. ♥
