Chili is a great way to eat more of the disease-fighting lycopene found in cooked tomatoes. This version is also full of nutritious vegetables and protein-rich beans. It’s a hearty, filling meal that can be made ahead to reheat for lunch or dinner.

Yield: 4 servings

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• ½ cup diced onion
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1 green bell pepper, cored and diced
• 1 small eggplant, peeled and diced
• 1 jalapeno, seeds and core removed, minced
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• ¼ tsp smoked paprika
• 1 (15 oz.) can no salt added tomato sauce
• 1 (14.5 oz.) can no salt added diced tomatoes
• 2 (15 oz.) cans of low-sodium red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• ¼ tsp fine ground sea salt

Directions

1. Heat the olive oil in a medium soup pot over medium-high. Add the onion and garlic. Cook for 3 minutes.
2. Add the bell pepper, eggplant, and jalapeno. Cook for about 7 minutes, until the vegetables become tender. Reduce the heat slightly, if necessary, to prevent the garlic from burning.
3. Stir in the chili powder, cumin, oregano, and paprika. Cook for 1 more minute.
4. Pour in the tomato sauce and diced tomatoes. Stir in the beans. Add the salt. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes, until all ingredients are heated through.

Lori Rice, M.S., is a nutritional scientist and author with a passion for healthy cooking, exercise physiology, and food photography.