Disclaimer: This will be the first of a string of entries that will soon be up. Bear with me here - I've got a back-log of a whole month's worth of recipes from my baking binge, after all.
There's nothing I love more than a bowl of hearty soup or stew on a winter night. But this year's winter here in Baltimore has been pretty weird. It's January, but the temperature outside is still in the 40's and 50's degrees F. Now don't get me wrong, I'm loving this mild weather; unfortunately, it's not exactly soup and stew weather. But dammit I'm tired of waiting for the weather to come around. And besides, I have a brother with a cold right now who could certainly do with a comforting bowl of soup (I know, I know, I am such a good sister. I try.)
This chili isn't anything special - it's literally a throw-together-whatever-I-have-on-hand kind of soup. I had a whole bunch of vegetables to use up so I just pretty much threw them together into a pot with some veggie broth, a can of black beans, spices, and some cilantro (trust me, the cilantro makes this dish).
I first sauteed an onion, a green bell pepper, and some garlic with a bit of olive oil in a large pot over medium-heat. When the onion became translucent, I added in a few carrots and a couple of potatoes, diced, and some frozen peas (probably about a cup or so) that I had to use up. Then add in about 1 1/2 cups of vegetable broth, some spices (I used oregano and thyme), and some salt and pepper.
