Share this post! 🙂
Whole30 Italian Chili
I don’t know if Italian Chili is actually a thing. As a Texan born and raised, I eat a lot of chili. Many of my fellow Texans would probably raise an eyebrow at this recipe, but being a curious and creative cook means raising a few eyebrows every now and then!
One of my favorite Whole30 chili recipes is Melissa Joulwan’s Chocolate Chili over at The Clothes Make the Girl. Her blog, recipes, and cookbooks are really amazing for anyone who is just starting out on a Whole30 journey or needs a little Paleo and Primal inspiration in the kitchen.
So, I actually make her Chocolate Chili all the time. It’s excellent for freezing or making at the beginning of the week because it’s really hearty and reheats really well too (and my husband LOVES it).
But occasionally I like a little change, and this recipe came to life one night when I had a random, sudden craving for Italian meat sauce. Just, out of the blue. I thought, hmmm, why not? I was home alone, and felt like indulging myself.
So, I threw some things into my dutch oven and voila! It was so easy and delicious that I knew it would become a regular favorite— and I almost always have all the ingredients necessary to make it!
Even though it’s technically just Italian meat sauce, I call it chili so I can feel better about eating it as a meal 🙂
Instructions
Heat 1 tablespoon of the fat of your choice (ghee, coconut oil, avocado oil, etc.) on medium high in a large dutch oven or pan with high sides. Cut up your onion however you like it. I put mine in the food processor along with the garlic and process until it’s chopped pretty fine. But a rough chop works too if you’re into more texture. Mince or press your garlic. Add the onion and garlic to the fat and cook until the onions are getting soft, usually about 5-8 minutes depending on how fine they are chopped.
Crumble the meat into the pan and cook until the meat is nice and brown, about 12-15 minutes. You don’t need to stand at the stove the whole time, but I like to go over every few minutes to stir and chop the meat up into smaller bits.
Next, add the salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning and stir for about 30 seconds. Add the tomato paste and stir for at least a minute until everything is combined.
Add the chicken broth and water and bring it to a bowl. Turn the heat down and simmer the chili uncovered for at least 30 minutes. Sometimes I will simmer it for over an hour, the longer the better!
Just before serving, add 2 tablespoons of coconut aminos and stir it in. Serve over a heaping bed of fresh baby spinach, and garnish with fresh parsley and Kalamata olives.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds Ground beef Grass fed or organic when possible
- 1 medium Onion White, yellow, or red
- 8 cloves Minced or crushed garlic
- 1 tsp Salt Plus more to taste if needed
- 1/2 tsp Pepper
- 1 1/2 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1/4 tsp Cumin
- 2 6 oz cans Tomato paste Check ingredients for compliancy
- 1 1/2 cups Chicken or beef stock Check ingredients for compliancy
- 1 cup Water
- 2 tbsp Coconut aminos Optional
- 1-2 cups Fresh baby spinach Optional
Servings: people
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the fat of your choice (ghee, coconut oil, avocado oil, etc.) on medium high in a large dutch oven or pan with high sides.
- Cut up your onion however you like it. I put mine in the food processor along with the garlic and process until it’s chopped pretty fine. But a rough chop works too if you’re into more texture.
- Mince or crush your garlic through a garlic press.
- Add the onion and garlic to the fat and cook until the onions are getting soft, usually about 5-8 minutes depending on how fine they are chopped.
- Crumble the meat into the pan and cook until the meat is nice and brown, about 12-15 minutes. You don’t need to stand at the stove the whole time, but I like to go over every few minutes to stir and chop the meat up into smaller bits.
- Next, add the salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning and stir for about 30 seconds.
- Add the tomato paste and stir for at least a minute until everything is combined.
- Add the chicken broth and water and bring it to a bowl.
- Turn the heat down and simmer the chili uncovered for at least 30 minutes. Sometimes I will simmer it for over an hour, the longer the better!
- Just before serving, add 2 tablespoons of coconut aminos and stir it in. Serve over a heaping bed of fresh baby spinach, and garnish with fresh parsley and Kalamata olives.
Share this Recipe
Powered byWP Ultimate Recipe
Share this post! 🙂
Trackbacks/Pingbacks