Three Bean Chili

I didn't actually watch most of the Superbowl. To be honest, I don't know anything about football, except that the men wear bright spandex and throw around an oddly shaped ball. I watched it to see Madonna's halftime show, which was actually pretty cool. 

Anyway, the Superbowl is always a time for chili and chicken wings, and since I am a vegan for the most part, I don't do chicken wings (and, Martha Stewart has the right of it: if we eat so many millions of chicken wings on Superbowl Sunday, what happens to the rest of the poor bird?!). Here is the chili I made. I was looking for a pretty chili that didn't have the usual deep, dark, spicy flavors. I like those flavors, but I also like to change things up.

So I did. 

This chili is bright. Like, a punch in the face from the sun after a long, rainy Seattle winter bright. It's also sweet, because of the roasted veggies, and well spiced, though you can always add or remove jalapenos to your liking. If you want to alter the heat, don't mess with the chipotle. It's there as a flavor component, not as a heat element. Without it, your chili will be a less awesome. Instead, substitute milder chilies for the jalapenos, or just leave them out. No big deal. 

Three Bean Chili 

serves 6

1 lb total weight of Anasazi, Black, and Great Northern beans soaked for several hours, cooked until soft, and drained (in a pressure cooker, 15 psi for 12-14 minutes)

2 medium red bell peppers, roasted, peeled, and chopped into half inch chunks

1 medium yellow onion sliced into 1/2" rings

1-2 jalapenos, or hot chilis of choice, roasted, peeled, and minced.

1 medium yellow onion, diced

3/4 lb ripe tomatoes, cut into large chunks

3 cups water or veggie broth

2 Tbsp tomato paste

1/2 of 1 chipotle chili**

1/2-3/4 tsp cumin seed

1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 heaping tablespoon chopped fresh garlic (about 4 large cloves)

1-3 Tbsp olive oil, coconut oil, or combination

salt to taste

green onions cilantro for garnish

Serve with whole grain tortilla chips, cooked rice, or sourdough rolls

Preheat broiler and place oven rack into lower 1/3 of oven. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil. Lay out the onion ring slices and brush or spray lightly with olive oil. Put in preheated oven and cook until onion is lightly charred in places and softened most of the way through, around 7-10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool until you can handle them without melting yourself (I often skip this step, but only do so at your own risk!). Chop them up into little pieces, picking out any bits that went black instead of lightly charred (the outer rings are usually the ones that get burned in my oven. Also, I tend to forget about things in the oven, so yeah...)

Heat a large pot over medium to medium high heat. Add oil. When it is fragrant, add the fresh onion and sautee until the onion is starts to go transluscent. Add the garlic and cumin and cook until the onion is fully transluscent. Add the chopped charred onion at this point, and cook until it is fully softened. Add the chopped fresh tomatoes. You want the heat fairly high for this part, so you may need to turn it up. Cook the tomatoes until they break down and no longer smell raw. Allow much of the water from the tomatoes to reduce. Continue to stir often so that nothing burns to the pan. You want to reduce the liquid, not scorch it. Add the roasted chilis, the chipotle, and the beans. Stir. Add the water, ground coriander, and tomato paste. Allow to simmer on the stove for 15 minutes or so, long enough to let the flavors mingle, but not long enough to break down the vegetables. Season with salt to taste. Turn off the heat and let the chilli cool off for another 15-20 minutes. This step seems stupid, but it was important for letting the flavor develop. Stir and adjust seasonings if necessary. I liked this best served with rice and garnished with green onions.  

**I'm talking about canned chipotles that come in adobo sauce near the Mexican foods in your grocery store. Since most people don't just eat an entire can of these babies in one meal, I like to toss the remainders in a sandwich bag in the freezer. I shave off what I need, when I need it. This method is great because it's easier to chop them when they're frozen, and the plastic bag protects your skin from the capsaicin in the chili. If you've ever rubbed your eyes after chopping chilies, you know all about capsaicin. (If you don't know all about it, you shouldn't chop chilies and rub your eyes to find out what all the fuss is about. Your life will suck for a couple of hours.)