This chili pleases all palates in my house—it's not too spicy or too mild, but it's loaded with flavor. I love the combination of black beans and chickpeas, but you can use any type of legumes you like. What really makes the chili, in my opinion, are the toppings! Some sharp cheddar, a dollop of cumin-cilantro sour cream, and diced red onions are a must. Sometimes I even add some crushed tortilla chips.

　　

Ingredients

Serves 8

　　

Cumin-Cilantro Sour Cream:

1/2 cup light sour cream

　　2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

　　1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

　　

For the chili:

2 pounds 93% lean ground beef

　　2 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt

　　Freshly ground black pepper

　　1 tablespoon tomato paste

　　1 cup chopped onion

　　1 cup chopped red bell peppers

　　3 garlic cloves, minced

　　1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added black beans, rinsed and drained

　　1 (15.5-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

　　1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes with mild green chiles

　　1 (8-ounce) can no-salt-added tomato sauce

　　2 teaspoons ground cumin

　　1 teaspoon chili powder

　　1 teaspoon sweet paprika

　　1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

　　2 bay leaves

　　

Toppings:

1/2 cup grated reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese

　　1/3 cup chopped red onion

　　Crushed tortilla chips (optional)

　　

For the Cumin-Cilantro Sour Cream:

Step 1

In a small bowl, combine the sour cream, cilantro, and cumin. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

　　

For the chili:

Step 2

Set a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef, salt, and pepper to taste. Cook, using a wooden spoon to break the meat into pieces as it browns, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain all the liquid from the pan. Add the tomato paste, onion, bell peppers, and garlic, and cook, stirring, until the vegetables have softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a slow cooker. Add 1 cup water, the black beans, chickpeas, tomatoes, tomato sauce, cumin, chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, and bay leaves.

　　

Step 3

Cover and cook on high for 5 hours or on low for 8 to 10 hours.

　　

Step 4

Discard the bay leaves. To serve, ladle the chili into 8 serving bowls. Top each with 1 tablespoon of the sour cream mixture, 1 tablespoon of the cheddar, the red onion, and tortilla chips, if desired.

　　

Nutrition Per Serving

Calories: 349

　　Fat: 12g

　　Saturated Fat: 5g

　　Cholesterol: 77mg

　　Carbohydrates: 25g

　　Fiber: 7g

　　Protein: 34g

　　Sugars: 4g

　　Sodium: 725mg

　　Reprinted from Skinnytaste Fast and Slow: Knockout Quick-Fix and Slow Cooker Recipes. Copyright © 2016 by Gina Homolka. Photographs copyright © 2016 by Helene Dujardin. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of Penguin Random House, LLC.Buy the full book from Amazon.