Slow-Cooker Vegetarian Mixed Bean Chili with Parsnips, Carrots and Eggplant

This is the ultimate quick-fix meal. It takes forever to cook (either stove top or slow-cooker) if you use dried beans (and you should), but it’s simple because you just toss in whatever vegetables you have (almost) and lots of dried spices. It’s very economical, it’s fresh, and it tastes gourmet as long as you don’t overcook the vegetables. Trust me on the eggplant. As long as you put the pieces in a sieve with some salt for awhile to suck out the bitterness, you’ll like them. Or at least you won’t mind them, and you’ll be healthier for having sucked it up.

Slow-Cooker Vegetarian Mixed Bean Chili with Parsnips, Carrots and Eggplant

3 cups dried beans (I used a mix of chickpeas, canary beans and some red beans that weren’t kidney beans. It really doesn’t matter much)
7 cups water or broth
1/2 tsp turmeric
740mL diced tomatoes (or two large cans)
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
3 parsnips, peeled and chopped
1 eggplant + 1 tsp salt, eggplant peeled and chopped in 1″ cubes
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp paprika
2-4 large dried chili peppers (or to taste)
3/4 tsp salt (or up to 1 tsp if you use tomatoes with a lot of sodium. I also serve the chili with miso paste for extra digestion-aiding saltiness)
1 slice mace (or 1/4 tsp dried)
1 one-inch piece cinnamon, optional
Juice of half a lime or lemon, optional
1 1/2 tbsp non-pasteurized miso, optional

Slow-Cooker: Soak beans overnight in 9 cups cold water. In the morning, drain and place in a large pot with 8 cups water or broth and 1/2 tsp turmeric. Toss eggplant cubes with salt in bowl. Place in strainer over bowl or sink for up to 30 minutes. Rinse to remove excess salt, and pat dry with paper towels. Set aside. Bring pot of beans to a boil and skim off scum that rises to the top. Add all remaining ingredients and transfer to slow-cooker. Cook on low for up to 10 hours or on high for up to 6.

Stove-Top: Soak beans overnight in 9 cups cold water. In the morning, drain and place in a large pot with 8 cups water or broth and 1/2 tsp turmeric. Bring to a boil and skim off scum that rises to the top. Add all remaining ingredients except carrots, parsnips and eggplant. Add an extra cup of water to beans. Reduce the heat and simmer for an hour or up to an hour and a half (until the chickpeas or the oldest beans are tender.
Toss eggplant cubes with salt in bowl. Place in strainer over bowl or sink for up to 30 minutes. Rinse to remove excess salt, and pat dry with paper towels. Set aside. My chickpeas were the oldest). Add the carrots, parsnips and eggplant and simmer only up to 10 minutes. Check them after 5 to see if they’re tender, though. Add more chili powder to taste. Squeeze over the juice of half a lime or lemon if you want. It brings out the flavour of everything. Stir up to 1/2 tsp miso into individual bowls to serve. I don’t ad it directly to the chili because the next time you reheat the chili you’ll kill all the beneficial bacteria in the miso, but if you only add it to the hot bowls right before you eat it, you don’t.