I found this recipe years ago! In fact, the printed date on the recipe is 2009. This is definitely a favorite, although I tend to forget about it. We make crock pot chili fairly regularly, so I have to be careful on chili-esque overload. The great thing about this recipe, though, is that it comes together so quickly! As in, less than 30 minutes. This is the perfect mid-week meal when the last thing you want to do is spend hours in the kitchen. Unless your kitchen has wine, in which case, I will gladly spend hours there 😉
I adapted this recipe from Whole Foods’ Mexican Taco Stew. If you haven’t checked out their website for recipes, you should know that it is a great resource. They also have some great categories for whatever requirements you may have when menu planning. I especially like their budget category and have made many recipes in that category over the years. The original recipe calls for taco seasoning. While I’m sure Whole Foods has a great option free of preservatives, I have really moved away from using any pre-packaged spices. After our g-free experiment and years of reading about the food industry in general, I’ve adopted the philosophy of making as much of my food at home and that includes spice mixes. Not only can I better control preservatives and hidden ingredients, such as gluten where it doesn’t belong, I hardly ever have to worry if I have a certain spice in the pantry. I also added additional zucchini to the recipe to make sure we’re getting enough greens. Then, I don’t have to worry about a side salad 😉 Add a little Greek yogurt and shredded cheese for some oomph!
Bon Appétit!
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 TBS chili powder
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 2 cups organic low sodium chicken broth
- 2 zucchini, cut into bite size pieces
- 1 1/2 cups black beans (or 1 can)
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 1 jar of salsa
- Over medium high heat, brown ground beef in a soup pot. Remove, drain, and set aside. Then, sautée the onion and garlic in the soup pot until translucent. Add the ground beef to the onion and garlic. Add in the spices and stir until combined. Add in the remaining ingredients, cover, and simmer for at least 15 minutes.