Yet another variation on chili…I tend to just make these up as I go. This one’s more beans than meat and has the added nutritional bonus of barley. The ingredient list is longish — I might try a simpler variant next time.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lg spanish onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1 19oz can red kidney beans
• 1 19oz can white kidney beans
• 1 14oz can butter beans (lima beans)
• 1 14oz can black-eyed peas
• 1 12oz can corn niblets, ideally peaches + cream corn
• 1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
• 1 14oz can diced tomatoes (drained)
• 14 or so white or cremini mushrooms, quartered
• 2 lg red peppers, chopped
• 5 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 c cooked hulled barley
• 1/8 to 1/4 cup chili powder (I used 1/4c today but will reduce to 1/8c next time)
• 1 tbsp chipotle chili powder
• Fresh ground black pepper

Method

1. In a large stock pot (6.5 quart or bigger), heat oil over med heat. Add onion and garlic and saute for 5-7 mins or so. Toss in ground beef and stir occassionally until the meat is thoroughly browned. Add chili powders and some black pepper, and continue cooking for 5-10 mins.
2. Add mushrooms and stir, cooking for 5 mins or so, then add the red peppers and celery chunks. Stir and cook for another 5-10 mins.
3. While the vegetables are cooking, open, drain, and rinse all 4 types of beans and the corn niblets. Add to the pot, stir, then add the crushed and diced tomatoes.
4. Turn down to minimum heat, cover. Let this sit on the stove stewing away for 45-60 mins.
5. Remove from heat, stir in barley, let sit for 15 mins or so.

Serve topped with fresh grated cheddar cheese and fresh, thickly-sliced and lightly buttered bread and/or tortilla chips. Serves a lot of people, or 2 people for about a week.