I’d hoped to get out for a run earlier in the day, and the sunshine midday had me *really* wishing I could ditch the laundry-folding, vacuuming, floor-cleaning and organizing I had going on much of the day (stellar Saturday, I know. Try not to be jealous). But these things needed my attention–it was a long week of snow days and work deadlines, and things had piled up–and so it wasn’t until late in the day when I finally was able to head out for much-needed fresh air and pavement pounding.

Before I left, though, I chopped up and sauteed some fresh veggies–yellow onion, green pepper, jalapeño–for a white bean chili I’d been craving all day. We’ve been trying new recipes from the plant-based Forks Over Knives cookbook the past couple of weeks, and this is one of them. I added these veggies, plus minced garlic and cumin seeds, to a crock pot of tomatoes, white beans and vegetable broth. And while I ran 4 miles in my neighborhood, this chili simmered for my family, filling our house with a delicious-spicy smell.

When I say cold, I mean COLD. Though the sunset was so pretty I had to stop for quick picture.

But throughout my run I kept thinking of the chili waiting for me.

Some of you have asked for the recipe, so here it is. It serves 6. I added extra Great Northern beans — the recipe calls for 30 ounces, I had a 48-ounce glass container. Joe loved it, and our kids liked it, too. I served it with all-natural corn tortilla chips. This is definitely a new favorite. Enjoy!

White Bean Chili with Jalapeno and Lime

1 large yellow onion, peeled and diced
1 large green pepper, seeded and diced
3 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
6 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 tablesoons cumin seeds, toasted and ground (I used ground cumin seeds, not toasted)
One 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
4 cups cooked navy or other white beans, or two 15-ounce cans, drained and rinsed
3 cups vegetable stock, or low-sodium vegetable broth
Zest of lime and/or juice of two limes
1 cup finely chopped cilantro
Salt to taste

Place the onion, green pepper, and jalapeno peppers in a large saucepan and sauté over medium heat for 7 to 8 minutes. Add water 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time to keep the vegetables from sticking to the pan. Add the garlic and cumin and cook for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, beans and vegetable stock and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, covered, for 25 minutes. Add the lime zest and juice and cilantro and season with salt.