Three-Bean Chili

Name: Three-Bean Chili
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Cuisine: United States
Ingredients: 3 tbsp olive oil; 2 onions, chopped; 2 red peppers, chopped; 1 carrot, finely diced; 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped; 2 tbsp tomato paste; 1 tbsp ground cumin; 1 tbsp sweet smoked paprika; 1 tbsp ancho chili powder, or mild chili powder; 1 tsp dried oregano, Mexican if possible; 2 chipotles in adobo, chopped, plus 1 tbsp of the sauce; 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder; 2 cans (2 × 14 oz) chopped tomatoes, 2 × 400 g; 1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, 400 g, drained; 1 can (15 oz) black beans, 400 g, drained; 1 can (15 oz) pinto beans, 400 g, drained; 400 ml (1⅔ cups) water or Vegetable Stock; 1 tbsp soy sauce; 10 g (1¾ tsp) fine sea salt, plus more to taste; 1 lime, juiced; sour cream, grated cheddar, sliced scallions, cilantro, tortilla chips, any or all

A hearty, smoky vegetarian chili that does not miss the meat

Serves: 6
Hands-on: 25 min
Total: 1 h 20 min
Level: Easy

This chili gets its depth from things that do the work meat usually does: toasted dried chilies or chipotle for smoke, tomato paste and soy for savoriness, a little cocoa for roundness and plenty of slow-softened vegetables. Three kinds of beans give it texture.

Ingredients

3 tbspolive oil
2onionschopped
2red pepperschopped
1carrotfinely diced
4 clovesgarlicfinely chopped
2 tbsptomato paste
1 tbspground cumin
1 tbspsweet smoked paprika
1 tbspancho chili powderor mild chili powder
1 tspdried oreganoMexican if possible
2chipotles in adobochopped, plus 1 tbsp of the sauce
1 tbspunsweetened cocoa powder
2 canschopped tomatoes (2 × 14 oz)2 × 400 g
1 cankidney beans (15 oz)400 g, drained
1 canblack beans (15 oz)400 g, drained
1 canpinto beans (15 oz)400 g, drained
400 mlwater or Vegetable Stock (1⅔ cups)
1 tbspsoy sauce
10 gfine sea salt (1¾ tsp)plus more to taste
1limejuiced

To serve

sour cream, grated cheddar, sliced scallions, cilantro, tortilla chipsany or all

Diet: Vegetarian
Allergens: soy, gluten, celery, milk
Origin: United States
Season: Autumn, Winter

Method

Heat the oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onions, peppers, carrot and a pinch of salt and cook until soft and starting to brown, 12–15 minutes. 13 min
Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook, stirring, until the paste darkens, 2 minutes. 2 min
Add the cumin, paprika, chili powder, oregano and cocoa and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant.
Add the chipotles and adobo, tomatoes, all the beans, water, soy sauce and salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer gently, partly covered, stirring now and then, until thick and rich, 45 minutes. Mash a ladleful of beans against the side to thicken it more if you like. 45 min
Stir in the lime juice and taste for salt and heat. Serve with your toppings.

Why it works

Meat brings savoriness (umami) and fat; this chili replaces them with soy sauce and tomato paste for glutamates and plenty of olive oil to carry the spice flavors. Cocoa adds bitterness and body that make the chili taste rounder and darker without tasting of chocolate. Lime at the end wakes everything up.

Common mistakes

Rushing the vegetables: they are the flavor base.
Too much liquid: simmer until it is thick enough to mound on a spoon.

Variations

With sweet potato: Add 400 g diced sweet potato with the tomatoes.

Make ahead and storage

Keeps 5 days in the fridge and 3 months frozen. Even better on day two.

Notes

Without the soy sauce (use 1 tsp extra salt) and toppings, the base is gluten-free. Stock cubes may contain celery. Milk only from the sour cream and cheese toppings; leave them out and the chili is vegan.