Cashew Chili

2 15-oz. cans beans (nutrition info calculated using kidney beans, no salt added, but black beans or black soy beans will give you similar results)
2 15-oz. cans diced tomatoes with green chiles, no salt added
1 cup chopped or diced onion (I buy it already chopped, from the prepared produce aisle, to save time; if you want to chop it yourself, this is 3 small white onions' worth)
1 red bell pepper, diced (green works too, but red looks better in chili)
1 cup diced celery (again, I buy it prechopped from the prepared produce/salad bar aisle; if you want to do it yourself, it's 2 stalks' worth)
1 tbsp minced garlic (from a jar)
1 small can tomato paste
1 Tbsp. ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. ground cumin
1 Tbsp. dried oregano flakes
1 bay leaf
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar or cider vinegar - use a dark vinegar, not a white vinegar
1 cup raw, unsalted cashews (check Trader Joe's or the bulk bins of your local Whole Foods or Wild Oats)
1/3 cup raisins

This looks like lots of ingredients, but if you buy the onion and celery pre-chopped, there's almost no prep.

Heat a LITTLE bit of olive oil or canola - your choice of oils, just a smidge - and saute the onion, peppers, celery and garlic until they are translucent, about 5 minutes. Move them to a biggish stew pot or Dutch oven. Add the beans and tomatoes, INCLUDING the liquid from the cans. Add all the rest of the ingredients. Stir thoroughly. Bring to a boil. As soon as it bubbles, cover the pot, lower the heat, and simmer for one and a half hours (1.5 hours or 90 minutes).

Serve hot. This tastes really good served with cornbread seasoned with cumin, or corn chips and green salsa.

Serves 8. If you're serving fewer and have leftovers, don't forget to remove the bay leaf before storing, or all you'll taste the next day is bay leaf!

Number of Servings: 8

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user BUNRAB.