Vegetarian Chili

Vegetarian Chili sounded a little unreal when I first came across this recipe and it was a couple of years before I actually tried it. The result was that I liked it and have made it many times since. I like most things that contain chili and usually include vegetarian dishes when I'm trying to lose weight. This recipe seemed and an ideal compromise. Now I don't hesitate in suggesting that you try it, too.
Submitted by David McCarthy, Australia

Ingredients

1 medium green pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
29 ounces Mexican-style tomatoes (canned), undrained
15 ounces kidney beans (canned), drained and rinsed
15 ounces pinto beans (canned), drained and rinsed
11 ounces whole-kernal corn (canned), drained
2 1/2 cups water
1 cup rice (uncooked)
2 Tablespoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
sour cream or yogurt(optional)

Method

Saute green pepper, onion and garlic in oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until tender. Add tomatoes, kidney beans, pinto beans, corn, water, rice, chili powder and cumin; stir well. Bring to a boil.

Reduce heat; cover and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. To serve, top with sour cream. I once used plain Greek yogurt instead of sour cream and it worked well.