When the weather starts to cool, one of the first dishes that comes to mind is a delicious bowl of hot chili topped with all the fixings!

I love a good chili cookoff and have actually won a few, believe it or not, with vegetarian chili!

You don’t have to make this recipe vegetarian. Here are some ways to tweak it to make it your own:

• Add ground beef when you cook the vegetables for a hearty chili
• Add ground chicken or turkey when you cook the vegetables for a less-fat chili
• Leave out the jalapeno and cayenne but add honey for a sweet and mild chili
• Or add another jalapeno or add a fresh chili pepper for an extra-spicy chili
• Add cubed steak when you cook the vegetables and 2 squares of a dark chocolate bar before you simmer for a luxurious chili

• 2 cups dry 10 bean mix, soaked overnight
• 1/2 cup dry chickpeas, soaked overnight
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• 1 jalapeno, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 large tomatoes, chopped or a bunch of cherry tomatoes, halved
• 4 cups homemade vegetable broth

Seasoning to taste:

• 2-3 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1-2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon of unsweetened cocoa powder or 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa chips
• 1 teaspoon salt – leave out salt if using any canned goods with salt already in them.
• 1/2 – 1 teaspoon cayenne (Leave out for mild)