Dinner: Chickpea Chili Recipe | MyRecipes

Recipe by Julianna Grimes Add this tasty chili dish to your winter month meal plans. It’s loaded with fiery flavors and served hot off the slow cooker. Serve over couscous with lime wedges and sprinkle with cilantro.

This recipe includes superfoods such as:

Cinnamon

Health benefits of Chickpea Chili Recipe | MyRecipes

Cinnamon is one of the best ingredients that someone with insulin sensitivity can eat. Half a teaspoon of cinnamon per day has been shown to be very effective at normalizing blood sugar levels. Cinnamon contains hydroxychalcone, which is thought to enhance the effects of insulin. It has also been suggested that Cinnamon prevents post-meal blood sugar spikes by slowing the gastric emptying rate - meaning that food digests slowly. (Reference: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11506060).

Ingredients

1 cup dried chickpeas
2 quarts boiling water
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 1/2 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup water
2/3 cup sliced pimiento-stuffed olives
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes, undrained and crushed
4 cups chopped peeled butternut squash
1 cup frozen green peas, thawed
6 cups hot cooked couscous
8 lime wedges
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

Place chickpeas in a saucepan; add 2 quarts boiling water. Cover and let stand 1 hour; drain. Place beans in a 6-quart slow cooker.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion; sauté 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in tomato paste and next 5 ingredients (through turmeric); sauté 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add onion mixture to slow cooker. Add broth and next 4 ingredients (through tomatoes) to slow cooker; cover and cook on HIGH 8 hours.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil; swirl to coat. Add squash; saute 5 minutes. Add squash to slow cooker. Cover and cook on HIGH 1 hour; stir in peas. Sprinkle with cilantro. Serve over couscous with lime wedges.