Slow Cooker Quinoa White Chili with Roasted Poblanos

I've lately become a fan of poblano peppers.  I always thought they were insanely spicy for no real reason, but they aren't.  In fact, when I made this chili, I was worried the whole time it was slow cooking that I wasn't going to want to eat it because it would be too spicy.

Everything else sounded great: quinoa for protein, not to mention cannellini beans, plus exciting spices like cloves, oregano and smoked paprika.  No tomatoes here: this is a white chili, with onions and green peppers, and of course, the roasted poblanos.

When it was done, I made other people taste test it first to make sure it wasn't crazy spicy - and it wasn't.  At all.  Poblanos get a bad rap, but don't worry: I am here to share them with you (be ready for more poblano recipes in the next few weeks!).  It was delicious!  It had a great flavor from the surprising addition of not-your-average-chili-spices and was filling and hearty without needing meat. I made this for Kenzie's birthday along with the buffalo chicken meatballs  so that there would be something for me to eat, but even though that was my thinking, lots of people were pleasantly surprised by this chili.  I think you would be too.

I apologize for being a bad blogger lately.  Life is insane.  Between taking 2 CAGS courses plus the SEI course, and life, and work, and feeling like I have an appointment every single night, I'm busy.  But that is no excuse, so I'm working on it :)

Recipe:

slow cooker quinoa white chili with roasted poblanos
from Oh My Veggies
makes 6 - 8 servings

Ingredients:
2 medium poblano peppers
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, diced (about 2 cups)
1 medium green pepper, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon kosher salt
4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
4 cups cooked cannellini beans (2 15-ounces cans, drained)
3/4 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed under cold water and drained
5 - 6 dashes Tabasco sauce (optional)
fresh lime wedges and other toppings such as sour cream, shredded cheese, cilantro, etc.

Instructions:

1) First, roast your poblanos.  Turn the oven on to the high broil setting and move the rack to about one-third of the way from the top of the oven.  Wash and dry whole peppers and place on a cookie sheet.  Place in the oven and broil for 2 - 3 minutes, until the tops are blackened, then turn carefully with tongs and continue broiling until most sides are blistered and blackened.  But watch carefully - ovens can vary greatly, so keep a close eye on the peppers and remove them if the start to smoke more than just a little.

2) Remove the blackened peppers from the oven and carefully tent a large pier of foil over the top.  This helps the peppers to "sweat" and will make the skin easier to peel off when it's time.

3) While the poblanos are cooling assemble the rest of the chili.  Heat the olive oil in a medium sauté pan over medium heat.  Add the diced onions and green peppers.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 5 - 6 minutes.

4) Add the garlic, oregano, cumin, smoked paprika, cloves, and salt.  Cook, stirring, for none minutes.

5) Add a cup or so of broth and stir to make sure all the bits of flavor are scraped up into the broth.  Carefully pour into the slow cooker along with the remaining vegetable broth, cannellini beans, quinoa, and Tabasco if using.

6) Carefully peel the skin off the poblanos and remove the stem.  Remove the seeds for a milder chili; keep them for a hotter chili.  Finely dice and add to the Crock Pot.  Stir gently to mix all of the ingredients together.

7) Cook on low for 8 - 10 hours or high for 3 - 4 hours until the quinoa is tender and the chili is relatively thick.  Taste and add additional salt and pepper to taste.

8) Scoop into bowls and squeeze a lime wedge over each serving.  Garnish with additional toppings if desired.