Trim Healthy Mama Pearl’s Chili Review

I think fall is the most wonderful time of year! You may have heard that a time (or two) here! Ha!  It is my favorite season.   I do hope you are enjoying this season.  

One of the comfort foods of fall is chili.  I like to have a Dutch oven of chili simmering on the stovetop while enjoying a cozy day indoors. Since the weather has been perfect for chili, I thought I’d look to see what Trim Healthy Mama offered.   I settled on trying Pearl’s Chili.  Pearl Allison and Serene Barrett are the authors of the Trim Healthy Mama plan.  I think this is the first recipe that I’ve tried that is attributed to one of the sisters from Trim Healthy Mama.  Please correct me if I am wrong.  Maybe I have reviewed other recipes here that are attributed to one of the founders? If so, I’m not remembering it at the moment.  Maybe I am blonder than I pay to be!

Back to Pearl’s Chili Review:

First, I have to say, this recipe is super easy.  Just two simple steps to having your chili simmering on the cooktop.  The simmer time is recommended 30 minutes to one hour.  It is also a NSI – no special ingredients recipe and they also give a dairy-free option.

At first, I followed the recipe to a T, then the last line of the second step says:

” Check the seasonings”

After I checked the seasonings, I found it needed more spices.  I have noticed that many times, in other Trim Healthy Mama recipes, I’ve read:

“Adjust it to own it”

Well, Mamas, you need to adjust it to own it.  So, here is what I added first:

Black Pepper – 1/4 tsp.
Cumin – 1/2 tsp.
Parsley – 1 Tbsp.
Oregano – 1/2 tsp.
Basil – 1/2 tsp

Then I checked again… It still seemed weak to me, so I added some bone broth and let it simmer a while longer.

It was smelling really good in my house, but The Salesman still thought it needed garlic, so I added more garlic.  The recipe did call for:

“Garlic powder to taste”

I obviously needed to add more.  The Salesman ate Pearl’s Chili for lunch a couple days and then said that he didn’t really care for the chili.  He said that he liked my recipe better. 

Although Pearl’s Chili was quick to make and hearty with more than generous protein portions of ground beef and beans, I found it lacking in the flavor department.  It needed something else, and I couldn’t seem to quite get it adjusted to own it.  Even with all the additions I made, it was not my favorite chili. I added a dollop of sour cream, a sprinkle of shredded cheese and finely diced onion to the top of my bowl.  

The recipe also gave serving ideas:

“Top the chili with Blendtons (page 476) or crumbled Mad Melbas (page 454) or Swiss Crackers (page 457), add a dollop of sour cream, and sprinkle on grated cheese.”

If you are interested in making Pearl’s Chili, here is where you will find the recipe:

Cookbook: Trim Healthy Mama
Chapter:  Family Soups