Christie asked me this weekend what recipe I used for chili and I had to fess up that it was a dish I just made up each time. No recipe used, just threw stuff in a pot until it was done.
So in honor of getting back to some posts after a break while I adjusted to my new job, here’s a recipe for chili. Serve this with some cornbread or brown rice for a very hearty, warming meal on a cold winter’s night!
The Stuff
- 6 cups of cooked beans (if using canned beans, aprox. 4 cans, make sure to rinse well first)
- 3 15oz cans of tomato sauce
- 2 15oz cans of diced tomatoes (I like using the fire-roasted kind with green chilies)
- 1 large onion, medium dice
- 2 green bell peppers, medium dice (or 1 bell and 2 Anaheim chilies)
- 5 large cloves garlic, chopped fine
- 2 Tablespoons chili powder
- 2 Tablespoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika (sweet or hot, depending on your preference)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- salt – to taste (if your canned tomatoes are salted you will probably not need any)
The Making
Bring a good sized stock pot (e.g., 8qt) up to medium-high heat and lightly coat with oil (e.g., high heat, spray canola). Add diced onions and saute for 5-8 minutes, letting them get dark in places is fine. Add garlic and continue to saute well for another 3 minutes. Add bell pepper and reduce heat to medium, saute for another 3-5 minutes
Add the rest of the ingredients, starting with all the tomato items. Fill each empty can half full of water, swish around to get all the tomato-y goodness, dump into the chili, and give a good stir.
Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for at least 30 minutes to let flavors blend. If the chili comes up to a bubble, reduce heat fully to low. A longer simmer is best before serving, the flavors really come together nicely.
Options:
- Mix it up on those 6 cups of beans! Try a mix of pintos, black beans, Anasazi beans, kidney beans, navy beans, chickpeas, etc.
- Throw in a cup of broken up bits of Soy Curls. They will rehydrate nicely in the chili and add a great chewy texture.
- Serve over roasted potato wedges
- Use as filling for enchiladas (this recipe makes a very stew-like chili)
- Pair with a big ol’ wedge of cornbread, crusty whole wheat bread or some brown rice
- Top with a generous dollop of guacamole
Just what a cold day needs...
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Our home variant, to create a vegan version of a chili we used to have in WI:
replace bell peppers with
1 red pepper, broiled, peeled, and seeded cut into small chunks
3 habanero peppers minced
1 less can of beans
3 additional halved cloves of garlic thrown in with the beans and tomato
serve over pasta – in particular we used the Harvest Grains blend from Trader Joe’s, which is mostly Israeli couscous
sprinkle vegan cheddar, I prefer daiya, and crushed corn chips on top
I’m impressed with the habaneros. I have some fear of them! I’ve done this in the summer with freshly picked, grilled Anaheim and Poblano peppers and it is awesome that way.
We do use a lot of beans. Generally we prefer things to be on the “stew” side (stand a spoon up in it kind of thick).
I love the Harvest Grains blend! I love to serve minestrone with it.