13 Bean Vegan Crockpot Chili

I kind of suck because I didn't manage to take any pictures of the chili. I kept meaning to and then all of the sudden the chili was gone and it was too late. Anyway, we really liked this chili. The spice was mild, but that probably depends on the jalepeno strength. Feel free to add some cayenne to this to kick it up a notch.

13 Bean Vegan Crockpot Chili
1 lb. 13 dried bean soup mix ***
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 jalepeno, minced
1 Anaheim Pepper (or another jalepeno), diced
2 carrots, diced
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp thyme, crumbled between your fingers
1 tsp mexican oregano**
1/2 tsp sage
1/4 tsp cayenne
2 tsp chili powder (the mix of spices that includes cumin)
1 tsp ancho chile powder
28 oz diced tomatoes
~4-5 cups boiling water
1 1/2 c. fresh or frozen corn*
3/4 pkg natural boca crumbles
2 tsp+ salt to taste.

Sort for pebbles and rinse the beans. Soak them overnight or use a quick soak method. Rinse thoroughly after soaking. Throw away the spice packet that might have come with your beans.

Get all of the spices measured out and place them in a small bowl.

Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a skillet over med-high heat. Add the bell peppers, onions, anaheim chile, jalepeno pepper, and carrots. Cook until soft and slightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute or until fragrant. Add the spices and cook for another minute. If the spices start to stick to the pan, deglaze it with a little water.

Move the vegetables to a large crockpot. Add the beans, tomatoes, corn and enough water to cover and give the beans an inch or two of extra water for expansion. Cook on low for 8-10 hours (but note that we will add more stuff to the pot about 2/3 of the way through). Stir about 1/2 way through if you are around.

After about 6 hours, add the boca crumbles and stir. Add a little more water if necessary.

When the cooking time is done, add salt to taste.

Serve over rice or polenta.

Serves a zillion.

* We had grilled frozen corn that we had put away from the CSA overabundance. Grilled corn is fabulous in this.
** You can substitute regular oregano
*** or a mix of beans