This red chili is made with roasted red peppers instead of tomatoes, giving it a slightly different and wonderful flavor! In addition to being tomato-free ("nomato"), it's also gluten-free, has a lot of veggies hidden in it and can easily be made Paleo by skipping the beans. It's so good it'll be the only red chili you make!
- 2 ½ lb ground beef or ground turkey
- 2 15-oz cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed (or 1 29-oz can) **omit for Paleo/Whole30/low-carb option**
- 2 bell peppers, chopped (or 1 10-oz bag of frozen bell peppers, pulsed in a blender to break them into small pieces)
- 1 jar roasted red bell peppers, drained
- 1 ½ cups beef stock or bone broth
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 cups zucchini (about 2 zucchini or 1 ½ lbs)
- 2 Tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 Tbsp paprika
- 1 Tbsp cumin
- 1 Tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 - 3 tsp salt, depending on type of broth used and personal preference
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
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Heat a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, using a spatula to break it into small pieces. When it is almost cooked through, add the salt and spices. Continue mixing with the spatula until well incorporated. Push to the side of the pan when done.
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Add the avocado oil to the pan, if more cooking fat is needed. Add the onion, stir and cook for 3-5 minutes. When the onion is softened, add the minced garlic. Stir again and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
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While the onion is cooking, add the bell pepper to a blender and pulse until it's broken into small pieces. Add it to the onion and garlic, stir, and continue cooking to soften.
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Cut the zucchini into large pieces and add them to the blender. Drain the roasted red bell peppers and add them to the blender along with the beef broth. Blend until smooth.
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Add the pureed zucchini, roasted red pepper, and beef broth to the pan and stir all ingredients in the pan together.
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Drain and rinse the pinto beans. Add to the chili and stir again.
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Let the chili cook for another 5-10 minutes before serving. Add shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream, if desired. Enjoy!
If using a slow cooker, transfer all ingredients to slow cooker and cook on low for 4 hours or on high for 2 hours.