A Different Kind of Chili
Fall is my favorite time of year. I love the crisp air, the magnificent colors, the excitement of people going back to school, college football, and looking forward to Halloween. As the weather cools I get hungry for Fall foods like apple cider, apple pie, stews, soups and of course, chili.
I have a folder where I keep all the recipes I want to try, and this week I found a chili recipe from a local caterer called Katherine’s Catering. I’m not sure how I got this recipe, but I used it as a base and customized it for my taste. It’s a vegetarian version of this favorite of foods…at least in this part of the country…and it’s a bit sweeter than other recipes I’ve tried, but not as sweet as Cincinnati Chili. Give it a try!
A Different Kind of Chili
Ingredients:
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon Chile powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon oregano
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 can green Chile peppers
- 1 small bay leaf
- ¼ cup honey
- 5 cups diced tomatoes
- 4 cups tomato juice (I drained the diced tomatoes into a measuring cup and added enough V-8 juice to make 4 cups)
- ¼ cup molasses
- 3 15oz cans of black beans, drained and rinsed
Steps:
Black Bean Chili
- In a large stockpot, sauté onions and garlic in olive oil for about 8-10 minutes, or until the onions are translucent.
- Add the spices (Chile powder through the bay leaf), and cook 2-3 minutes more.
- Add the honey, tomatoes, juice, and molasses. Stir, cover the pan, and simmer another 10-15 minutes.
- Puree 1 to 1½ cans of the black beans in a food processor (you will have to add a little of the juice to help the process).
- Add the pureed black beans to the stockpot with the remaining black beans.
- Simmer 30-40 minutes.
Note: You can also use a crock pot. After step one, put everything into the crockpot, stir well, and cook on low for 3-4 hours.
Garnish with your choice of:
- Fresh cilantro, finely chopped
- Diced tomatoes
- Sour cream
- Sharp cheddar or Monterey jack shredded cheese
- Tortilla chips
- Chopped onions
Serve with corn bread and a tossed salad and you have a great Fall meal.
Enjoy!
Dugan's Kitchen 