Pulse Power
Ellen Kanner is big on beans. In this International Year of Pulses, Kanner, a noted vegan writer on food and nutrition at Soulful Vegan, wants to spread the word on all the reasons pulses – dry peas, ...
Use gloves when handling the jalapeño pepper. If you prefer your chili with a kick, keep seeds and ribs intact. Fresh poblano and pasilla peppers are quite mild. Dried, they give off a little bit of heat and a smoky flavor. If you can’t find whole dried peppers, substitute ½ teaspoon of ancho chile powder.
Ingredients
- 1 16-oz. bag dried navy beans
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 medium carrot, diced
- 1 small jalapeno pepper, deseeded, ribs removed, diced
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ dried poblano (ancho) or 1 whole pasilla (chilaca) pepper, crushed with mortar and pestle
- 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, strained, juice reserved
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 6 cups organic vegetable stock
- Salt and pepper
- Salt and pepper
- 1 lime, cut into wedges
- Fresh cilantro, finely chopped
- Blue corn chips, coarsely crushed
Instructions
Pick through the beans to remove any foreign particles. Rinse, then soak overnight in the fridge in enough water to cover with at least 2 inches above beans – they will swell. Change out the water once in between. Drain and rinse beans under cold water and set aside.
Over medium heat, add oil to a large stockpot. Add onion and carrots and sauté, stirring continuously for 1 minute. Add jalapeno and saute, then add cumin and crushed dried peppers. Coat vegetable mixture with dried spices and cook for about 20 seconds, then add tomatoes and garlic. Stir mixture just until garlic becomes fragrant, about 1 minute, being careful not to burn it. Next, add soaked beans, stock and juice from tomatoes and increase heat to medium-high. Cover and let come to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Continue cooking for about 1½ to 2 hours or until beans are soft, stirring occasionally. Taste for seasoning. To serve, ladle chili into bowls. Squeeze in a lime wedge and garnish with cilantro and corn chips.
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