Slow Cooker Sprouted Chili
There is a foot of snow on the ground outside the window where I am writing right now, and I’ve decided…I’m not gonna fight it. Snow is to be expected where I live (although not so much so early!), so I figure we’ll just roll with it…

…and have some really good winter food to go along with it!

Slow Cooker Sprouted Chili
Everyone loves a good slow cooker recipe, although I have to admit I am not much of a slow cooker girl. I love getting my stock pot out and getting veg down in the pot with a load of butter to flavor up whatever I am making.

But chili and slow cookers go hand in hand. There is just something about that long, slow simmer that makes for the best, flavor packed meal.

Slow Cooker Sprouted Chili
So a few times a winter I make a load of chili to stock up my freezer, and it makes for really nice, quick pull out lunches or dinners on busy days.

Slow Cooker Sprouted Chili
This chili is kid friendly enough on the heat that all 3 of my girls eat it. And I have one that is particularly sensitive to spicy/hot food. Don’t let the jalapenos scare you! Once the seeds and ribs are out, the heat is gone for the most part, and you have a super delicious, sweet pepper left that gives the chili a wonderful flavor. A healthy dollop of sour cream helps back of the heat as well!

Slow Cooker Sprouted Chili
If you like more kick to your chili you can add more, and/or bump up the chipotle or chili seasonings. I am a big fan of adding more of the chipotle powder. If you are a fan of some spice give that a try – the smokey heat is amazing.

Sprouting the beans before you get them into the slow cooker will make for a much more pleasant digestion experience 🙂 If you know what I mean! Sprouting beans not only makes the nutrients in the beans more available for your body to absorb, but it also makes them less “gassy” to digest, and is easier on the gut. It involves very little hands on time and red beans sprout very easily and quickly.

Slow Cooker Sprouted Chili
Add your own personality to your chili! We are huge garlic fans, and while we don’t bat an eye at putting a head of garlic in the pot, some may think that is crazy! (Although I highly recommend trying it! I believe a head of garlic in a pot of anything will change your life!). Either way, play around with the seasoning profile and veggie option to your taste! I like big chunks of veg in my chili so they don’t cook down to nothing by the end, but you can chop how you wish!

Slow Cooker Sprouted Chili

Slow Cooker Sprouted Chili

Renee - www.raisinggenerationnourished.com
Chili and slow cookers go hand in hand. There is just something about that long, slow simmer that makes for the best, flavor packed meal.
5 from 4 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 hours
Total Time 10 hours 10 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 10 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 1-1 1/4 lb dry organic red beans
  • 1-2 lb grassfed ground beef browned (depending on where your budget is – 1lb works just as good and I do that often!)
  • 2 medium onion chopped
  • 1 small/medium head of garlic minced (about 8 cloves)
  • 2 zucchinis large chop
  • 2 green peppers large chop
  • 3 jalepenos seeded and de-ribbed, then chopped
  • 2 quarts beef bone broth chicken broth works too if that is what you have. Homemade preferable – see Tips below for how to make your own easily in the slow cooker!
  • 15 oz organic tomato sauce 1 can
  • 30 oz organic diced tomatoes 2 cans
  • 1 ½ TB organic chili powder
  • 1 tsp organic paprika
  • ¼ tsp organic chipotle powder
  • 1 ½ TB sea salt to taste (if you are using broth that is already salted you can back off on this)
  • Optional TB or 2 of organic pure cane sugar to cut the tomato acid if needed.
  • Optional whole sour cream or shredded raw cheese to garnish

Instructions
 

  • The red beans need about 8 hours to soak and then about 24 hours to sprout, so start them a couple days before you want to make the chili.
  • Put the dry beans in a large bowl and fill with water to cover about 3 inches. Put the bowl under the light in your oven to stay warm over night to soak, about 8-10 hours.
  • Drain the beans, put them back in the bowl WITHOUT WATER, and place them under the light in your oven until they sprout – it will take about a day. Rinse and drain the beans a 3-4 times during the sprouting time.
  • Put the sprouted, uncooked beans in the slow cooker, along with the rest of the ingredients and cook on low for 10 hours.
  • Top with whole sour cream, or raw shredded cheese if desired!
Keyword slow cooker sprouted chili, slow cooker sprouted chili recipe
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Tips:

  • Here is how to make your own bone broth in the slow cooker! Too easy! And will fill your chili with nutrient dense, rich flavor!
  • I get these canned organic diced tomatoes and tomato sauce at Costco. Tomatoes are one of those dirty dozen produce items that I almost always buy in organic.
  • Peppers are another dirty dozen item, so spices like paprika, chili powder, and chipotle powder are important to buy in organic.
  • I buy dry organic beans in bulk at our local health food store, but ask around at farmer’s markets and look into co-ops – that is a typical item for those venues too.
  • This amount of chili makes enough for my family of 5 to have dinner plus a little over 3 quarts left for the freezer. This makes a great quick pull out lunch or dinner, and the flavors only get better over time!
  • I use a large 8 quart slow cooker for this recipe.
  • Here is how I make the gluten free cornbread you see in the photos to go with your chili! Get a big spread of real butter up on top too!

This post was shared at Real Food Wednesdays and Allergy Free Wednesdays!

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34 Comments

  1. I need to try chipolte in my chilli, I bet it is to die for. I love using the slow cooker for chilli, it just makes everything so perfect. Great recipe.

    1. Naomi I think it depends on the bean. The red beans in the chili do fine. I have miserable failed with black beans and garbanzo beans in the crockpot. The red beans do great as long as you go the 10 hours or longer. I thought they might get mushy when I first tried but they have a nice soft bite like you want in a bean.

  2. This looks like a perfect recipe!! The pictures, the sprouting; I definitely want to dive into a bowl right now; you make it look so good!! It’s great that you’ve figured out the sprouting piece!! Thanks, pinning! 🙂

  3. 5 stars
    Yay! A great recipe for properly prepared chili. Hooraaaaay! Ingredients all sound fantastic and I love that it’s in the slow cooker. Pinning this one!!! Thank you! 🙂

  4. 5 stars
    I love that you sprout the beans before cooking the chili. Most of my friends look like I have two heads when I tell them I do that. Oh, and garlic? There is no such thing as too much garlic!