Bulgur and Bean Chili

It's Meatless Monday! :) I have been trying to eat "meatless" on Mondays for a couple of months now, and I hope that some of my readers will join me in making one or two days a week consistently meatless. Why go meatless? Because if every American ate no meat just ONE day a week, it would be like taking more than 19 million cars off the road. That's a lot of energy and a lot of pollution!

This is a great chili for meatless Monday. The bulgur provides a texture similar to ground beef in the chili and thickens it up quite a bit. It's also very nutritious. If you can't find it, look in the natural foods section of your grocery store or in a health foods store. Whole Foods has it available in the bulk bins. I am posting my version of this recipe, because I made a few changes to suit my tastes. To see the original version, click on the link below the title. It was plenty "kicky" enough for me this way and would have been way too spicy with the original recipe. I also topped mine with a dollop of fat free Greek yogurt.

Bulgur and Bean Chili

Adapted from WeightWatchers.com

1 1/2 tsp olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 small green bell pepper, chopped
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp minced garlic
3 cups water
28 oz crushed tomatoes in tomato puree
3/4 cup uncooked bulgur
1 tsp salt (or to taste)
1 cup frozen corn
15 1/2 oz can black beans, rinsed & drained
1/2 cup chopped cilantro (fresh)
1/2 tsp fresh lime juice

Heat oil in a large saucepan or dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and pepper, saute until tender (about 5 minutes). Add chili powder and garlic and saute until fragrant (about 30 seconds). Add water, tomatoes, bulgur, and salt; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in corn and beans and simmer, covered, 5 more minutes, or until corn and bulgur are tender. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro and lime juice.

Makes 6 servings, 1 1/4 cup each.