Vegetarian Chili

I've been making vegetarian chili for years, and we'll never get tired of it! I've recently started cooking all of my beans from scratch, rather than opening up a can. I cook them in the crockpot and then freeze them until I am ready to use them.

1 onion, diced
olive oil for sautéing
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 large tomato, diced
1 can kidney beans, half of the juice drained (equal to about 1.5 cups of beans with juice)
1 can black beans, half of the juice drained
1 can garbanzo beans, half of the juice drained (or you may use cannelini beans)
1/2 cup medium salsa (or tomato sauce with a little cayenne)
3/4 to 1 cup water
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
salt to taste
1 green pepper, diced

optional ingredients:
1/2 cup frozen corn
1 can of sliced olives
diced red pepper

toppings:
cheese
sour cream
green onions
diced avocado

Sauté onion in oil for 5 minutes until soft. Add garlic and tomato and sauté 5 minutes more. Add the remaining ingredients (including the optional ingredients) except the diced green pepper. Add the water last, using just enough to bring it to your preferred consistency. Bring to a boil, and let simmer for 20-30 minutes (or more). Five minutes before it's done, add the green peppers. Serve steaming hot with desired toppings.