This chili leans heartier and meatier than your usual weeknight bowl, but the gut-health payoff really comes from the white beans (the same star ingredient in our lentil dal). Two cans of them go into the pot, delivering a serious amount of resistant starch and fiber for your gut bacteria to break down. Garlic and onion add their own prebiotic boost along the way, so this is a chili you can feel genuinely good about going back for seconds on.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2 cans white beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 2 cups beef broth
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a pot and cook ground beef until browned.
- Add onion and garlic, cook until soft.
- Add beans, tomatoes, broth, cumin, and chili powder.
- Simmer 25-30 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
| Calories | 330 |
| Total fat | 15g |
| Total carbohydrates | 26g |
| Dietary fiber | 7g |
| Protein | 24g |
| Sodium | 520mg |
Why This Is Good for Your Gut
White beans are packed with resistant starch and soluble fiber that gut bacteria ferment into butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid that serves as the primary fuel source for the cells lining your colon. Onion and garlic both supply inulin and other fructans, prebiotic fibers that help beneficial bacteria like Bifidobacteria thrive.
A hearty bowl of chili carrying more fiber than you'd guess, thanks to the beans doing quiet work. Want a lighter take? Our Turkey and White Bean Chili swaps the protein, and Chickpea Spinach Coconut Curry is another fiber-packed option worth trying.
This recipe is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional dietary advice.
