When it’s cold and snowy out, I crave warm, hearty and nourishing meals like chili! I am always on the hunt for beanless chili recipes given that I don’t eat beans since I can’t eat beans and I’m always looking for ways to increase the nutrient density of all my recipes by adding in veggies where I can.
I was so excited when I stumbled across this Cauliflower Beef Chili from empoweredsustenance.com . Let me tell you all of the reasons why this recipe was a home run!
Why it’s the freaking best chili of all time
First of all, this recipe has cauliflower snuck in, that not only is amazing for sneaking in veggies for my picky eating kids, but also increasing the nutrients and lowering the calories of the chili! You guys know I am all about adding in veggies everywhere! The more you can fill up on nutrient dense, low calorie, fiber filling veggies, the less space you have for other less nutritious food, assisting you in losing weight and gaining energy. Also, cauliflower fights bloating, fiber, vitamin C, folate and is considered a fat burning vegetable! I mean, home run, right?!
Also, I love that it doesn’t have beans in it, since they are too carb dense for my low carb, paleo diet. But truthfully, (and I would tell you), you honestly don’t miss them at all!
Thirdly, it was literally the tastiest, smoothest chili I’ve EVER eaten! We were all floored when we ate it! My kids and husband had NO idea there was cauli mixed in!
It took under 30 minutes to make and was BE-YOND a maj hit with the fam! It will def be in our meal rotation!
How I served
Since I’m all about every meal being 70% veggies, I put a handful of baby spinach on the bottom of the bowl, then add the chili, a cooked veggie, in this case I added roasted broccoli and avocado for extra creaminess and fat! Remember, fat burns fat!
The kiddos had theirs with brown rice, broccoli and avocado and loooooveed it!
Paleo Cauliflower Beef Chili Recipe
INGREDIENTS
- 2 tbs. avocado oil or ghee
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 medium carrots, diced
- ½ tsp. unrefined salt
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 small head cauliflower, riced (see note)
- ½ lb. grass fed ground beef (use up to 1 lb)
- 1 Tbs. chili powder (use 2 Tbs. for more heat)
- 2 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 tsp. organic dried oregano
- 1 6oz jar organic tomato paste
- 26 – 28 oz container organic crushed or diced tomatoes
- ½ cup organic chicken stock, if necessary
- Chopped cilantro, for serving
INSTRUCTIONS
- Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the onion and carrots and the salt. Cook until softened, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook briefly.
- Add the ground beef and cauliflower. Cook until the beef is no longer pink, about 7 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients except the cilantro and another ½ tsp of salt. If chili is extremely thick, add some chicken stock to create desired consistency. (I added ½ cup stock.)
- Cover and cook about 15 minutes, until the carrots are softened and cauliflower is tender.
- Serve over baby spinach, zoodles or brown rice and enjoy! Add some avocado for some added creaminess and nutrition!
I’m wondering what is the driver for the high carb count on this? I’ve seen similar recipes with corn, and not quite the same level of carbs. Is it hidden in the seasonings perhaps?