Chili con Carne

With just a hint of heat, this classic beef and bean chili pairs perfectly with a crisp tossed salad or warm cornbread.

Oct 11, 2022

The leaves are changing, the temperatures are cooling, and for this born and raised Midwest girl there’s nothing better than a pot of chili simmering on the stove this time of year. From a health standpoint, one of the biggest challenges to making chili is keeping the sodium in check.

Typical ingredients in chili recipes such as canned tomato products, canned beans, beef broth, and of course salt, all contribute to the sodium content. In an effort to maximize flavor while minimizing the sodium, let me share a few ingredient tweaks.

Use tomato paste instead of tomato sauce

Many recipes rely on canned tomato sauce to form the base of the chili. For rich tomato flavor with a lot less sodium, I use tomato paste diluted with water in place of tomato sauce. A 15-ounce can of tomato sauce typically contains about 2,000 milligrams of sodium. One 6-ounce can of tomato paste has 100 milligrams sodium.

Drain and rinse the canned beans

The sodium content on canned food labels for items like beans and vegetables includes the sodium that’s in the liquid in the can. According to the Canned Food Alliance, draining and rinsing canned food reduces sodium content by up to 41%. Interestingly, draining alone results in a 36% reduction in sodium.

Cut back on added salt

It’s common to see chili recipes call for two or more teaspoons of added salt. Two teaspoons of salt contain 4,600 milligrams of sodium. I added three-quarters of a teaspoon of salt which provides just over 1,700 milligrams sodium. When making chili, as well as soups and stews, I like to add the salt at the very end of the cooking process. I find when salt is added at the end, the flavor is more pronounced.

Add a little vinegar

It probably sounds weird, but a splash of an acidic ingredient like vinegar or lemon juice (lime juice works too) added at the end of cooking brightens and enhances the flavor. It’s a great trick to improve the taste without adding more salt.

If you have the time, make this recipe a day in advance. Homemade chili always tastes better the day after it’s made. Also, don’t let the 9-serving yield for this recipe scare you away. Chili freezes really well. Pour leftovers into airtight containers and pop them in your freezer. For best quality, use within three to four months.

To your health,

Darlene

CHILI CON CARNE

Yield: 9 servings

Serving Size: 1 cup

Prep: 25 minutes

Ready: 1 hour and 25 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 pound ground sirloin
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped green pepper
1 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons minced jalapeno pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
2 cups water
1 can (28 ounces) whole peeled tomatoes
2 cans (15 ounces each) dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
3 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
9 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream
9 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion

DIRECTIONS

In a large pot over medium-low heat, cook ground beef until crumbled and cooked through. Drain and discard fat from meat. Add celery, green pepper, onion, jalapeno pepper, garlic, and Worcestershire sauce to cooked beef and continue to cook until vegetables soften, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Add tomato paste, water, whole canned tomatoes crushed by hand into bite-size pieces and juices, beans, brown sugar, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and cayenne pepper. Stir to combine, reduce heat to low, cover, and allow to lightly simmer for 1 hour.
Remove from heat, add vinegar and salt and stir to combine. To serve, place 1 cup chili in a bowl and top with 1 tablespoon sour cream and 1 tablespoon sliced green onion.

Nutrition Information per Serving

256 Calories, 8 g Total fat, 3 g Saturated fat, 0 g Trans fat, 41 mg Cholesterol, 428 mg Sodium, 27 g Total carbohydrate, 6 g Dietary fiber, 11 g Total sugars, 4 g Added sugars, 17 g Protein, 0 mcg (0%) Vitamin D, 120 mg (10%) Calcium, 3 mg (15%) Iron, 697 mg (15%) Potassium