[Lunula]

Hi all - I'm a terrible veggie eater (I just hate the taste/texture) but I know I need more. I recently started making a great slow-cooker turkey chili (made with black beans and white cannellini beans).

I was wondering...is there a veggie I can add (not tons of it, just trying to start small) that would:

1) Not change the flavor of the chili (i.e., something very mild or that would soak up the chili flavor)
2) Does not change the texture of the chili (i.e., I don't want to bite into something and say, "Oh! A piece of squash!" or whatever)

I'm looking for something that will be easily absorbed (not literally) into the recipe but that will add some nutrition. Any ideas?

[swtbttrfly23]

Try shredding some carrots-adds just a touch of sweetness, and if you shred them and cook them in they will almost disintegrate into the sauce. Or you could do the same thing with some squash or pumpkin. It will add bulk but won't be overly 'veggie'.

[Lunula]

Ah! Great idea - I'll try shredding a carrot or two when I make it this weekend. Interesting about the pumpkin - I love pumpkin - I'll try a little and see if it changes the taste. We make about an 8-cup recipe, so I'll try adding a little at a time. Thanks!

[kateleestar]

Bust out your blender. I've been adding veggies to my veggie-challenged husband's food for over a year now and he has never EVER said anything about it. One time, my record, I had 17 veggies total in some pasta sauce. And it tasted just like the pasta sauce I usually make. I'll blend squash, spinach, peas, carrots.. you name it, together and add it to chili, pasta sauce, soups, stews, stirfry, lasagna... whatever I'm making and it tastes darn good, lol.

Good luck! You might also want to try googling sneaky chef or that seinfield gal that hides veggies in kids food. I checked her book out of the library and it helped TONS.

[Munchy]

Zucchini and squash are so mild, and surprisingly you can food process mushrooms and add them half and half to ground beef and not know the difference - at least my "I'm allergic because I don't like the flavor" dad doesn't know and my ex husband didn't either.

[124chicksinger]

Agreed on the carrots. When I make black beans and rice, I use carrots, peppers, celery and onions, all pureed in the blender. Same thing with beef gulosh. You don't even know they're in there.

[ERHR]

I put bell peppers and onion in my slow-cooker chili and they don't change the flavor at all. Mushrooms are great in there too but they may be too detectable for you.

[Riddy]

Originally Posted by ERHR

I put bell peppers and onion in my slow-cooker chili and they don't change the flavor at all.

Agreed. And red peppers are sweeter than green, so they're even less noticable if you chop them small.

[PreciousMissy]

I've also heard some people use jars of baby food since they're already pureed. I haven't tried it myself since I can never remember when I'm at the grocery store.