Beef & Chickpea Chili with Cooling Cucumber Cilantro Sauce

By Heather Bainbridge

Serves: 5
Hands-on Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb. lean ground beef
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 jalapeño chile peppers, halved lengthwise, seeded and thinly sliced into half circles
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 2 cups chopped red onion
• 1 3/4 cups chopped fresh okra (or green bell pepper)
• 2 15-oz BPA-free cans unsalted chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 2 tbsp ground cumin
• 2 tbsp chile powder
• 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 7-oz plain Greek yogurt
• 3/4 cup peeled,seeded and chopped cucumber
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a large nonstick pot on medium-high, add beef and garlic and cook for 3 minutes, breaking up beef with a spoon. Add jalapeños, red bell pepper, onion and okra and cook for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is cooked through.
2. Stir in chickpeas, cumin, chile powder and cocoa powder. Cook for 20 minutes, stirring often to prevent sticking. Add 1 cup water and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until water evaporates, about 8 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, prepare sauce: In a small bowl, combine yogurt, cucumber and cilantro. To serve, divide chili among bowls and top with sauce.

Nutrients per serving (1 1/2 cup beef & chickpea chili and 1/3 cup yogurt sauce): calories: 389, total fat: 12.5 g, sat. fat: 5 g, monounsaturated fat: 3.5 g, polyunsaturated Fat: 2 g, carbs: 38 g, fiber: 11.5 g, sugars: 10 g, protein: 33 g, sodium: 323 mg, cholesterol: 63 mg