Chili

This is less of a recipie, and more of a framework. The ingredient list can be modified substantially while still yielding great chili.

The scale is also flexible. I tend to make about 18 liters at a time in a large stock pot, then portion it into containers, and freeze it. These frozen portions make wonderfully convenient and healthy meals.

By default this recipe is vegetarian, but meat can be added if desired. For insance, ground beef cooked in a pan with the same sort of seasoning that is added to this chili would work well.

The use of salsa here is for convenience. You can, as I used to, add diced tomatoes, tomato paste, onions, peppers, and garlic separately, but salsa is basically just that, pre-mixed. You lose out on some of the browned flavours that come from sautéing those ingredients, but you can make up for it by using smoked paprika, and/or chipotle powder.

I prefer to have the only sources of spice in the chili be the chili powder, and the salsa. This results in a chili with very little spiciness. It can be served with a variety of hot sauces at the table for those who want more heat. This allows those who have a low spice tolerance to still enjoy the chili.

Ingredients #

Instructions #

  1. Pressure cook any dried beans just with water until tender. Search online for cook times for each variety of bean. Alternatively, use canned beans, drained and rinsed. This can be done ahead of time, with the cooked beans stored in the fridge or freezer.
  2. Add the salsa to a large pot, and heat to a gentle simmer.
  3. Add the beans. Stir to combine. These can be added slowly, mixing between each addition, to avoid having a large unmixable clump of beans.
  4. Add spices to taste. Chili powder should be the dominant spice. Stir to combine.
  5. Add soy sauce and dark chocolate to taste. Stir to combine.
  6. Simmer for at least 1 hour, stirring occasionally. I usually let it stay on the heat for 2-3 hours.
  7. Add (frozen) corn during the last few minutes of cooking.