Fighting Flu Season One Bowl of Chili at a Time
Winter months are coming, which means flu season is upon us! Chicken soup is often associated with aiding common cold and flu symptoms, but what about preventing them? Most people don’t think about getting their immune system ready with a cozy bowl of chili! A big bowl of chili filled with beans and vegetables can add a huge boost of vitamins and minerals into your diet. Chili is high in fiber, vitamins C and A, iron zinc, and potassium with the usual ingredients (tomatoes, peppers, beans).
One way to add even more immune boosting nutrients is by adding butternut squash! Most people don’t think of adding butternut squash into chili, but the sweetness pairs beautifully with the savory meat and vegetables. Here’s a recipe to try to keep that immune system strong and ready!
Ingredients:
1x 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1x 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
2x 15.5 oz. cans of cannellini beans (drained and rinsed)
1 lb. ground Italian sausage
1 bell pepper, diced
1 onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 cup of corn (fresh, canned or frozen works)
½ of a butternut squash, cut into small chunks
3 cups chicken broth
3 tbs chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tbs paprika
1 tsp onion powder
½ tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt (or to taste)
½ tsp black pepper
1. Saute Italian sausage over medium-high heat until halfway cooked.
2. Once the sausage is almost cooked through and starting to brown, add the chopped onions and garlic. Turn the heat down to medium and make sure you don’t burn the garlic (or anything for that matter!)
3. After the onions and garlic have cooked for a few minutes, add the beans, vegetables, crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, and chicken broth. Add all seasonings except for the salt (I like to add salt at the end to avoid over-salting). Give everything a good stir, cover, and let simmer until vegetables are tender.
4. Once everything is cooked through, add salt to taste. Serve with a topping of shredded cheese and a couple of tortilla chips (they're healthy for the soul!).
- NB
References:
https://spice.alibaba.com/spice-basics/nutrition-homemade-chili#:~:text=Homemade%20chili%20typically%20contains%20250,nutritional%20profile%20of%20your%20chili.
https://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/butternut-squash-health-benefits
Soup is my favorite comfort food and is the best around the cold months! My favorite soup is lasagna soup. I’m always open to trying new soups and yours is the next one I’m going to try this winter. Love seeing the legumes!
ReplyDeleteThis is great! I've never thought of chili as a health-food before, though now that I think of it, of course it is with all those legumes. I love making different soups around this time of year, especially grilled cheese with tomato soup, and potato kale soup. I will definitely try adding some squash to my chili next time I make it!
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