Zesty Wheat Berry-Black Bean Chili

This rib-sticking chili offers a hearty mix of wheat berries, beans, peppers and onion. Feel free to add an additional chipotle pepper to crank up the heat in this one-pot meal. Cooked wheat berries will keep for up to 1 month in your freezer and there’s no need to thaw them; just stir them directly into the chili.

Makes: 6 servings, about 1 1/2 cups each
Active Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 large yellow bell pepper,chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed
2 14-ounce cans no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
1-2 canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced (see Tip)
2 cups vegetable broth
2 teaspoons light brown sugar
2 cups Cooked Wheat Berries, (recipe follows)
Juice of 1 lime
1 avocado, diced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

This recipe calls for Cooked Wheat Berries

Preparation
Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes.

Add beans, tomatoes, chipotle to taste, broth and brown sugar. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 25 minutes.

Stir in cooked wheat berries and heat through, about 5 minutes more. (If using frozen wheat berries, cook until thoroughly heated.)

Remove from the heat. Stir in lime juice.

Garnish each bowl with avocado and cilantro.

Tips & Notes
Canned chipotle peppers (smoked jalapeños) in adobo sauce add heat and a smoky flavor. Look for the small cans with other Mexican foods in large supermarkets. Once opened, store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator or 6 months in the freezer.

Nutrition
Per serving: 386 calories; 11 g fat ( 1 g sat , 7 g mono ); 61 g carbohydrates; 14 g protein; 15 g fiber; 703 mg sodium; 311 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (130% daily value), Fiber (72% dv), Folate (48% dv), Iron & Vitamin A (25% dv).

Carbohydrate Servings: 3
Exchanges: 3 starch, 1 vegetable, 1 very-lean meat, 2 fat

Source: EatingWell