Vegetarian Chili

I wish I had added some meat to this, but it is pretty good, I think. Tri-tip, chicken, or even a spicy sausage would be good.

There are standard ingredients and some that might not be too standard but add a lot and are not hard to find. This is a mixture of a bunch of different recipes and my own twisted mind. Surprisingly, I think it worked out well.

Vegetarian Chili

1 lb dry pinto beans

• Rinse the beans
• Place beans in a container and fill with water
• Cover and let it soak overnight

3 qt vegetable stock, plus a little extra for later
2-3 ancho chilies
2 bay leaves
2 chopped jalapeños
1 tbsp ground black pepper

• Drain the beans and place in a large stock pot
• Add enough vegetable stock to cover the beans by 1.5 inches or so
• You may need to add a bit of stock now and again if it reduces too much
• Add the rest of the above ingredients and bring to a boil on high
• Decrease the temperature to med-low and simmer for about 2 hours, or until soft

2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2 bell peppers, seeded and chopped
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp sweet parika
1 tbsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp hot chili powder
1/4 tsp - 1 tsp ground cayenne
1 tsp dried mexican oregano
3 chopped garlic cloves

• With about 30 minutes of cooking time left on the beans, place the olive oil in a pan
• Place over medium heat and heat until the oil shimmers
• Add the onions and stir until softened - 3-5 minutes
• Add the bell peppers and stir for another 2 minutes
• Lower the heat to medium-low and stir in the dry spices for 2 minutes
• Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, remove from heat
• When the beans are done cooking, scrape the onion mixture into the pot of beans and stir

16 oz can of fire-roasted diced or chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp salt
1/4 c tomato paste
2 tbsp pickapeppa sauce
2 tsp Tamari Shoyu
1/4 c honey

• Add the remaining ingredients and simmer the chili, stirring occassionaly for 30-40 minutes
• Remove the bay leave and the stem of the ancho chilies

If you want to thicken the chili without adding a roux or flour slurry, crush some beans on the side of the pot and stir it back in.

Ancho chilies are dried pablanos, so they are rather large. For a milder chili, remove some or all of the seeds from the jalapeños.

Pickapeppa sauce is Jamaican in origin and should be in most grocery stores. Worcestershire sauce is a sort-of okay replacement.

Tamari Shoyu is a nice Japanese soy sauce and should be easy to find.

Use fewer or more chilies to adjust flavor and heat.

You can add cheese or fresh chopped onion or whatever you like in your bowl of chili. A crusty bread or cornbread goes well with any chili.

This makes a lot of chili, but I forgot to measure it. I had it four days straight and there was still a lot of it left.