6-8 servings, <50 minutes

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 bay leaves
2 tsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp dried oregano
2 tsp salt or to taste
2 zucchinis, chopped
2 green peppers, chopped
1-2 jalapeño hot peppers, de-seeded and chopped
3 cloves garlic, diced or crushed
2 (28 oz / 800 g) cans whole tomatoes
1/4 cup (30 g) chili powder
2 tsp ground black pepper
3 (15 oz / 425 g) cans beans such as kidney, pinto, or black
2 cups (300 g) corn kernels, fresh or frozen

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the onion, and season with bay leaves, cumin, oregano, and salt. • Cook and stir until onion is tender, then mix in the zucchini, green peppers, jalapeño peppers, and garlic. Reduce heat to low, cover pot, and simmer 5 minutes.

Mix the tomatoes into the pot. • Season chili with chili powder and pepper. • Stir in the beans. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer 30 minutes. • Stir in the corn, and continue cooking 5 minutes before serving.

Tips: Taste how hot the jalapeño pepper is before deciding how much to use. The heat level can very quite a bit, and some may have no heat at all. • For a “meatier” chili throw in a package of ‘ground’ veggie meat. • Save $: sort and soak dry beans the night before instead of using canned beans. Increase cooking time by 10-15 minutes to allow beans to soften completely.