Most people think of chili when the weather gets colder. Me? I did not make a single batch all winter. Vegetarian chili has been a fixture of my diet for years. I’ve been making a version with kidney beans since my college days, using a recipe printed out on a dot-matrix printer that is now yellowing with crinkled edges and oil sploches. Yes, when it comes to chili, I’ve been there, done that.
Not so much with black bean chili, though. And strangely, this year, when the weather started warming up is when I started to crave it. You probably won’t find me roasting root vegetables in the middle of July, but I find warm and hearty meals to be in order any time of the year.
Black beans are definitely one of my favorite kinds of beans, and foods with a “south of the border” flavor profile are where they really shine. Although recipes for black bean chili abound, I adapted this one from Isa Chandra Moskowitz’ Appetite for Reduction, an extremely useful cookbook I’ve mentioned here before. I love this recipe because you can have a pot of hearty, steaming chili in well under an hour. The adjustments I made to the recipe included adding a jalapeno pepper and doubling the amount of beans, among a couple other little things.
It worked out just right, and the chili was exactly what I needed to feel grounded and satiated during the transition of the seasons. To me this serves as a meal on its own, perhaps with some tortilla chips or a hunk of bread on the side.
Adapted by BistroKatie.com from Isa Chandra Moskowitz’ Appetite for Reduction
Serves 6
Time: 45 minutes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped small
1 bell pepper, chopped small
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped small
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 carrot, chopped small
1 zucchini, chopped to 1/2 inch dice
1 cup corn, frozen (thawed) or fresh
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
3 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 28-oz can diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 15-oz cans black beans
1 cup lightly packed fresh cilantro, chopped
juice of 1 lime
Heat the oil in a soup or stew pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, green pepper, and jalapeno pepper and saute until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for one more minute.
Add the carrot, zucchini, corn, and vegetable broth along with the chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper. When the mixture comes to a simmer, cover the pot, lower the heat slightly and simmer for 10 minutes.
Add the tomatoes (including the juice), tomato paste, and black beans. Raise the heat to bring it to a simmer again, then lower the heat and cook for 10 more minutes covered. Turn off the heat and stir in the cilantro and lime juice. Taste and adjust the seasonings if necessary. Enjoy!
© 2011 BistroKatie.com
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
My mouth is watering! I love the way you set this up to be easily printed! I haven’t seen any other blogger do that!
Hi Jody – Thanks for the feedback! I hope you enjoy the chili. All the best.
I can’t wait to try this recipe. I like the simple description and agree with Jody’s comment about the user friendliness of the layout and printing.
This recipe was great…. however, u forgot to indicate when to add the black beans…. but this was not a problem for me…. it might be for other people though…. thnx and love your recipes…. please keep posting…
Thank you Marcheid for pointing that out. I’ve made the correction. All the best and thanks for your kind words.