Wheat and Black Bean Chili

Don't tune out just because the word wheat is in the title. This Wheat and Black Bean Chili is really, really good! I loved it. The kids weren't too big on the texture of the wheat, but loved everything else about it. It's hearty, spicy and just plain good! Oh! Did I mention it's healthy too?

2 tablespoons oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 large yellow bell pepper,chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed
2 (14 ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1-2 canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced (I only took a couple spoon fulls of the sauce off the top of the peppers. That stuff is spicy! I think my entire can only had 2 peppers in it. If I used both of them I think I would have killed us all with the spice. Moral of the story? Start out with less and add more if you would like.)
2 cups broth (I used beef)
2 teaspoons light brown sugar
1 cup whole wheat
1/2 teaspoon salt
Juice of 1 lime
1 avocado, diced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Place wheat and salt in a medium sized pan. Add 3 1/2 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 1 hour (you can do this step ahead of time and refrigerate until ready to use). Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add beans, tomatoes, chipotle to taste, broth and brown sugar. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 25 minutes. Stir in cooked wheat and heat through, about 5 minutes more. Remove from the heat. Stir in lime juice. Garnish each bowl with avocado and cilantro.

Recipe from Eating Well.