I never thought I would ever be using beets in a chili. It’s one of those ingredients that doesn’t scream “chili” to me. No matter. I still have extra beets to use up and am game for something new. I am starting with a recipe from Wholesome Family Living for Superfood Chili. This chili recipe give the reader several options for superfoods to use. For the most part, the ingredients are the same for any red chili. I do want to take a moment and talk about the word “superfood”. This word is thrown out to denote a food with some super power. This food is supposed to give you everything your body needs in one bite. I will not call anything a superfood. I say they need to call it what it is. Liver is not a superfood, it’s a food very high in vitamin A. You get my drift. It also is more descriptive. Anyway, I am making some changes to this recipe and adding a couple of the options at the bottom. This will be a tomato-free option with lots of flavor and nutrition. Here are the original stats:

Here’s what I changed:

• I replaced the tomato products with pumpkin puree and umeboshi paste.
• I deleted the added salt to reduce the sodium.
• I replaced the beef broth with a low sodium variety to reduce the sodium.
• I added mushrooms for even more meatiness.
• I added a carrot to increase the vitamin A.

Here are the final stats:

Here is the final recipe:

Beet Chili

Serves 10

• 8 cloves of garlic, minced (or 2 teaspoons of garlic powder) 
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 pounds ground beef
• 1/4 cup chili powder 
• 2 Tablespoons cumin 
• 3 teaspoons salt 
• 2 teaspoons paprika 
• 2 teaspoons oregano
• 2, 15 ounce cans of pumpkin puree
• 1 tablespoon umeboshi paste
• 1 pound of frozen cauliflower rice
• 4 red bell peppers, diced 
• 1 carrot, diced
• 8 ounces of mushrooms, diced
• 4 large beets, peeled and diced
• 2 cups low sodium beef broth or broth of choice or water

1. Grab the large pot in your kitchen.
2. Add the onion and garlic to the pan. Sauté for 5 minutes, or until fragrant and soft.
3. Add the beef and cook until browned, using a spatula to break it up into small pieces.
4. Stir in the umeboshi paste, then add the pumpkin puree, and the spices, continuing to stir everything together.
5. Lastly, add the cauliflower rice, bell pepper, mushrooms, carrot and beets and stir until well mixed. If the chili is really thick, add the broth or water so that the chili doesn’t burn to the bottom of the pan.
6. Simmer the chili for 2 hours, or until the beets are soft. Stir every 20-30 minutes and add more liquid if needed.