(No Chicken) Chili

Raina's Chili
Makes 8 servings (serving size 1.5 cups)

1 lb ground pork or mild Italian pork sausage (casings removed), or ground turkey (meat is totally optional, it's good vegetarian too)
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons chili powder (I usually use about 1.5 tablespoons chili powder + .25 tablespoon cumin + .25 tablespoon paprika + .25 teaspoon cayenne)
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
4 cups water, divided
2 14-oz cans diced tomatoes (undrained)
1 14-oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 14-oz can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 14-oz can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1 14-oz can cannellini/great northern/any white beans, rinsed and drained
1 6-oz can tomato paste
cheddar cheese (for garnish, optional)
sour cream (for garnish, optional)

1. If using meat, brown meat in a skillet, breaking up into small pieces.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a dutch oven/soup pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; saute 3 minutes or until tender. Add 3 cups water, chili powder, sugar, worcestershire, diced tomatoes, and all beans. Stir to combine.
3. Combine remaining cup of water and tomato paste in a bowl, whisk until blended. Stir tomato paste mixture into pot. Add meat, if using. Give it all a good stir. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer at least 5 minutes.

The story behind this recipe: Our friend, Raina passed this along, which she says is modified from a Cooking Light recipe. Her notes: I generally let it simmer as long as possible (up to an hour) but it's good after 5 minutes too. Ladle soup into bowls. Top with cheese and sour cream, if using. It's easy and relatively quick. Tastes delicious with cornbread!