3 Pepper Healthy Chili (With Grass-Fed Beef & Tempeh)

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Nothing satisfies hunger faster than a hot and hearty bowl of chili…even in the summer! Unfortunately, the typical chili recipe is less than healthy, and certainly not very figure-friendly. To boost nutrition and slim things down a bit, I have a little trick of mixing nutrient-rich and fiber-rich whole soy tempeh with grass-fed beef (a “flexitarian” way of eating your beef…but with a hefty dose of soy too!) I also added tons and tons of antioxidant-rich, fiber-rich and super filling (but ultra slimming) beans.
What’s Tempeh?
Originally from Indonesia, tempeh (pronounced TEM-peh) is a fermented and highly nutritious “whole” soy food. It has a deliciously mild mushroom-y nutty flavor and chunky, chewy texture. Tempeh is a vegan source of complete protein and is super rich in fiber. It’s also loaded with disease-fighting phytonutrients, vitamins and minerals. And besides all of that it’s perfect for mixing with grass fed ground beef!
You can find tempeh sold in a cake-like patty in the refrigerated section of your supermarket or natural foods store (it’s usually located right alongside the tofu). Although tempeh is super versatile and can be marinated, seasoned and grilled, pan-fried or grated into soups and salads, for this recipe you’ll simply want to crumble it and mix it right in with the grass-fed beef.
Why Grass-Fed Beef?
Because cows are supposed to eat a diet of grass, not the deviant grain diet conventional farmers give cows in order to get them to grow fatter faster. This little cow-fattening grain diet trick is highly effective, but it’s absolutely not healthy for the cows or for YOU, the cow-eater! Feeding cows a deviant diet of grain not only causes the cows to get fatter than they should be but it also makes them sick (and sick cows need antibiotics). Grain-fed beef is nutritionally inferior to grass-fed beef and has much more pro-inflammatory and artery-clogging saturated fat and omega-6 fat, much less good anti-inflammatory omega-3 fat and less nutrients in general.
What’s the Tempeh-Grass Fed Beef Combo Taste Like?
Delicious!!! I promise if you have a meat-loving spouse (like I do!) he or she won’t have the slightest clue that you’ve diluted their beef with soy (besides, who would do such a thing?!?!) But seriously, the tempeh has such a mild flavor that the beef totally takes over. By the time you add all the delicious spices nobody will have any idea what you’ve been up to. The end result is a super savory and smoky-spicy (thanks to the three peppers) Mexican inspired chili with bold flavors and rich textures. Best of all, this easy and healthy whole foods recipe yields plenty of leftovers!
Ingredients (Serves: 8)
4 large poblano peppers
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
12 ounces grass-fed extra lean ground beef
Sea salt, to taste
1 package (8-ounces) tempeh, crumbled
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1 can (4.5 ounces) chopped green chiles (found in the ethnic section of your supermarket)
2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped, seeds removed
1 large onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, chopped
1 bottle of Mexican beer (such as Negra Modelo)
2 cans (15 ounces each) pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (15 ounces) crushed organic fire-roasted tomatoes (such as Muir Glenn)
2 cups organic vegetable broth (such as Pacific Natural Foods)
2 limes, halved
Optional:
Chopped scallions
Organic cheddar cheese
1. Preheat the broiler to high. Char the poblano peppers under the broiler to blacken their skins evenly all over, 12-15 minutes, turning as needed. Place the charred poblano peppers in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let the peppers “sweat” for 10 minutes. Once the peppers have cooled enough to handle, peel and seed them. Coarsely chop and set aside.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and salt to taste. Cook, stirring occasionally for 2 minutes. Add the crumbled tempeh, chili powder, and cumin. Cook, stirring occasionally for 2-3 minutes, or until beef is cooked through. Add the chopped green chiles and chipotle peppers. Cook for an additional 2 minutes. Remove the beef-tempeh mixture from the pot using a slotted spoon and set aside.
3. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pot and heat over medium-high. Add the onions and sauté 4-5 minutes, or until onions are soft. Add the garlic and sauté an additional minute. Season with salt to taste.
Add the beer and simmer, scraping up any browned bits, for 2-3 minutes. Add 1 can of the beans to the pot; mashing them into the onions using a potato masher or wooden spoon. Stir in the second can of beans, leaving them whole.
4. Add the tomatoes, broth, and reserved beef-tempeh mixture. Cover and simmer 5 minutes. Add the beans, cover and simmer 5 more minutes. Add the lime juice. Adjust seasoning and serve. (Optional: top with chopped scallions and cheddar cheese.)

Ivy is a healthy lifestyle coach who runs http://www.HotandHealthyLiving.com. Along with her husband, Andy Larson, M.D., Ivy is the author of the bestselling Gold Coast Cure, Fitter Firmer Faster and Whole Foods Diet Cookbook. A popular figure among national media outlets, Ivy has appeared on such shows as Good Morning America, CNN, and Fox News. She currently makes regular appearances on Lifetime Television.