Chili is a contentious subject in our house. J asserts that (vegetarian) chili is all about beans and not much else. Perhaps because we didn't have it when I was growing up and I was introduced to it by housemates after I had become vegetarian, my idea of chili is probably more the hippie version. When I make chili I want it to be a one-dish meal, so I use a lot of vegetables. Even though tonight's chili contained 3 cans of beans, the first words our of J's mouth were "Where are the beans?" Needless to say there were plenty, but the vegetables were also visible and plentiful and still maintained their flavors. I usually add some bulgar a few minutes before serving, to absorb extra liquid. I hate watery chili, J hates when I add bulgar. But tonight I wanted to serve it over some leftover rice, and it didn't seem to need thickening anyway.
This recipe makes 6-8 large servings, at about 2 cups each. Enough for another dinner and lunch and maybe freezing some too.
Chili
- 1 large fennel bulb, about 1.75 lb., chopped chunky (if not using fennel, use a small onion and 2 stalks of celery)
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 T cumin
- lots of freshly ground pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp chili powder (or cayenne plus oregano)
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped in various size pieces
- 2 small zucchini, about 1" in diameter
- 1 thin white sweet potato, cubed
- about 10 mini carrots, chopped
- 1 portobello mushroom, chopped
- 1 poblano pepper, roasted on gas burner, sweated in paper bag, then peeled & seeded
- 2 or 3 c lapsang suchong tea
- 1 large can fire-roasted tomatoes, chopped (Muir Glen organic, very thick)
- 2 15-oz cans chili bean mix (black, pinto and kidney beans)
- 1 25-oz can kidney beans
- handful fresh basil leaves
- 1/4 c chopped parsley
- 1/4 c chopped cilantro
- 1 T almond butter (peanut butter works too, but don't overdo it)
- optional: 1 tsp brown sugar
In large dutch oven, heat some olive oil and add the fennel. When it starts to wilt, add peppers, mushroom, sweet potato, carrot and zucchini. Other good things to add include celery and parsnips (for the record, J thinks root vegetables have no place in chili). Add the tea and cook until the vegetables are nearly done. Then add tomatoes and beans. Cook until most of the liquid has evaporated and some of the beans start to dissolve, thickening the mixture (you could hold half the beans until later so that stay intact). Add herbs toward the end, especially cilantro, which loses flavor after it cooks for awhile (or save the cilantro for garnish). The whole thing takes about 45 minutes.
A note on lapsang souchong: I use this tea because it lends a nice smoky flavor. I have also used coffee (one cup) and/or a little bit of chocolate to give the chili a nice rich background flavor. I think coffee/chocolate works especially well with black beans (you can substitute black beans for the large can of kidney beans).
To serve: Pour about 2 cups chili over 1 cup rice in individual bowls. Top with:
- finely chopped scallions, 1-2 per person
- lowfat sour cream
- grated cheese (monterey jack is good)
