,

Low Carb Chili Con Carne

,

This is a picture of my original chili recipe, including the beans.
I’ll update this the next time I make a batch of THIS recipe. ;)

No Beans, High Veg Chili Con Carne

This recipe is a modification of my original chili recipe (which you can find here) to drastically reduce the starchy carb content, making it suitable for eating during On-Protocol weeks during our 12-week weight loss program, The Balanced Burn.

The aim here was to maintain the same flavour and overall volume of food to make this chili just as satisfying as the original, but substituting chopped cauliflower for the beans to drop the carb content and adding in the previously-optional chopped greens to amp the veggie content up even more.

Again, chili purists will be up in arms over the inclusion of some of the ingredients, but this recipe ain’t about “chili perfection”, it’s about having a delicious meal option while pursuing a calorie deficit. 😉

Ingredients

  • 1 kg / 2 pounds extra-lean ground beef

  • 2 tsp sea salt, pepper to taste

  • 1 TBSP vegetable oil

  • 1 whole medium yellow onion (diced)

  • 2 red, orange or yellow bell pepper (seeds removed, diced)

  • 2 poblano pepper (seeds removed, diced)

  • 1/2 head of cauliflower (chopped)

  • 4 cups baby spinach, power greens mix or kale (finely chopped)

  • 6 cloves of garlic (minced)

  • 1/2 to 1-1/2 TBSP ground cumin

  • 1/2 to 1-1/2 TBSP chili powder

  • 1/2 to 1 tsp ground cinnamon

  • 1/2 to 1 tsp cocoa powder

  • 1/2 to 1-1/2 TBSP dried oregano

  • 1 can tomato paste

  • 1 can (796 ml) diced tomatoes

  • 360ml / 1-1/2 cups water

  • OPTIONAL: 1 or 2 canned chipotle chili peppers (finely chopped)

  • OPTIONAL: 1/4 pound okra, cut crosswise into 5mm / 1/4” thick slices (as a thickener)

  • Juice of 1 whole lime

  • Salt and pepper to taste

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

  2. Season ground beef with sea salt and pepper, mixing well by hand. Set aside while prepping veg.

  3. Dice onion and cook over medium heat with 1 TBPS vegetable oil until it starts to caramelize a bit - about 5-10 minutes depending on your stove and pot. ;)

  4. While the onion is cooking, dice poblano and bell peppers, then add them to the pot as they are diced.

  5. Turn heat up to medium-high, add a little more oil if needed and add the ground beef, mixing until evenly combined with the veg. Cook for about another 5 minutes, mixing frequently.

  6. Add minced garlic, tomato paste and all spices and herbs (and OPTIONAL chipotle chili peppers if you are using them) and mix well.

  7. Add the chopped cauliflower and finely chopped greens and mix well.

  8. Add the diced tomatoes and water and mix thoroughly.

  9. Increase heat to high and cook until it starts bubbling, stirring often to make sure it doesn’t stick on the bottom.

  10. Remove from heat. Cover, and place in the oven to cook for 60-90 minutes.

  11. If you like your chili thicker (or if you just like okra!), mix the okra into the pot in the last 15 minutes of cooking.

  12. Remove from oven, add the juice of 1 whole lime and mix well.

  13. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve!

Nutritional Info

For the Entire Recipe:

  • Calories: ~1,890 kcal

  • Protein: ~280g (1,120 kcal, ~59% of total calories)

  • Fat: ~67g (603 kcal, ~32% of total calories)

  • Total Carbohydrates: ~96g

    • Fiber: ~31g

    • Net Carbohydrates: ~65g (260 kcal, ~14% of total calories)

Per Serving (8 servings):

  • Calories: ~236 kcal

  • Protein: ~35g (~59% of total calories)

    • ~1.2 palm portions (1 palm = 20–30g protein).

  • Fat: ~8.4g (~32% of total calories)

    • ~0.8 thumb portions (1 thumb = 10–15g fat).

  • Total Carbohydrates: ~12g (~5% of total calories)

    • Fiber: ~3.9g

      • Women under 50: ~14–16% of the recommended 25–28g/day.

      • Men under 50: ~11–13% of the recommended 31–34g/day.

      • Women 50 and over: ~18% of the recommended 22g/day.

      • Men 50 and over: ~14% of the recommended 28g/day.

    • Net Carbohydrates: ~8.1g (~3% of total calories).

Fist-Sized Portions of Non-Starchy Vegetables:

  • Total Non-Starchy Vegetables: ~1,218g (kale, cauliflower, onions, tomatoes, etc.).

    • Fist-Sized Portions (Whole Recipe): ~12.2 fists (1 fist ≈ 100g).

    • Per Serving: ~1.53 fists (~1,218g ÷ 8 servings).

This nutritional analysis is an estimate only, based on available knowledge regarding the nutritional content of the individual ingredients. Nutritional content of foods is HIGHLY variable, so you should always base your dietary intake on whether it meets your needs and progresses you toward your goals rather than any theoretical numbers on paper.

Notes and Options

  • To save time and effort, I often chop the greens and garlic together in the food processor.

  • You can choose to chop the cauliflower to whatever size you prefer. You can leave it in bigger florets, or chop it into roughly bean-sized pieces to better approximate the texture of the original recipe (which is what I do).

  • Play around with the amount of the dry spices - I like mine with more spices, but if you're not used to it, start with less. E.G. I’ve gone as high as 3 TBSP on the cumin and the chili powder has varied from 1/2 tsp to 1 TBSP depending on how spicy I want to make it.

  • Feel free to add some of your favourite hot sauce, or the optional chipotle chili peppers - this recipe is fairly mild because a couple of members of my family have baby tongues…LOL.

  • Sometimes the canned tomatoes can be a bit too acidic, making the chili have a slightly unpleasant bite / tang after simmering. This can be remedied by stirring in 1/2 to 1 tsp of baking soda, which neutralizes the acid without affecting the flavour. Stir it in thoroughly, and give it at least 5 minutes to do its work.

Total Time: 90 minutes+ depending on simmer time