Vegetarian Three-Bean Chili (with Chocolate!)
 
 
This meal can feed a crowd relatively inexpensively, especially if you start with dried beans. I’ll be honest though: Most times I make this chili, I use canned beans to save time, making it a quick pantry meal that you can even pull together on a (less-busy) weeknight. I almost always double this recipe when I make it, because it keeps well in the refrigerator for a couple of days (just refrigerate any leftovers in a tightly covered container and add a bit of water to thin out the chili when reheating it), and it also freezes well. In fact, like most chilis, the flavor improves with time; I think it tastes even better the next day, so I will often make it a day ahead of serving. I am always grateful when my More Organized Weekend Self thinks ahead and makes an extra meal for the freezer for my More Frazzled Weeknight Self.

This recipe makes a thick and hearty chili. If you like a “soupier” consistency, add some water when adding the tomatoes to thin it out. Start with about ½ cup of water, then add more as needed during the simmering stage to reach your desired consistency.

One more note for those with food sensitivities/allergies or dietary restrictions: This chili recipe is gluten-free and vegan as written, unless you choose to serve it with the accompanying cornbread (which is neither gluten-free nor vegan) or with non-gluten-free or non-vegan toppings.
Author:
Serves: 4 to 6. (For my family of four—two adults + two hungry kiddos—I can usually get one dinner meal out of this batch of chili, serving each of us generously, plus 1 or 2 (or sometimes 3) smaller portions for lunches over the next couple of days.)
Ingredients
  • -- 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • -- 1 medium onion, finely diced
  • -- 1 large carrot, finely diced
  • -- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
  • -- 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • -- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
  • -- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • -- 1 tablespoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican oregano *
  • -- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • -- ½ teaspoon chili powder, or to taste **
  • -- ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
  • -- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • -- 1 (28-oz.) can diced tomatoes (preferably fire-roasted***)
  • -- 1 (28-oz.) can crushed tomatoes (preferably fire-roasted***)
  • -- 3 cups cooked black beans, or 2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
  • -- 1½ cups cooked chickpeas, or 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
  • -- 1½ cups cooked pinto beans or red kidney beans, or 1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans or red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
  • Optional toppings:
  • Shredded cheddar cheese or crumbled Mexican cheese (e.g., cotija or queso fresco), minced red onion or jalapeños, diced or sliced avocado, toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds), chopped fresh cilantro or parsley, sour cream or Greek yogurt, tortilla chips
Instructions
  1. In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and red bell pepper; sauté, stirring frequently, until the onion becomes translucent and is just starting to become golden and the carrot and red bell pepper start to soften, about 7 to 9 minutes.
  2. Add the garlic, cocoa powder, cumin, oregano, cinnamon, chili powder, salt, and pepper; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
  3. Stir in the canned tomatoes with their juices. Turn up the heat to high and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in all of the beans; simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the beans are heated through and the chili is slightly thickened, about 5 to 10 minutes more. (You can simmer it longer if you'd like; if it starts to get too thick or dry, add some water.) Taste and add more salt and/or pepper if needed. Serve hot with desired toppings.
Notes
* Most dried oregano sold in grocery stores today is the Mediterranean variety, which is grown throughout the Mediterranean region (including Greece, Italy, and Spain) and therefore pairs well with dishes from this region. It will work just fine in this chili recipe, but if you can find it, Mexican oregano adds a more complex flavor that complements the spices in this chili, and in other Mexican dishes, especially well.

** My kids do not like too-spicy chili, so this amount of chili powder works for us: just enough to give a little bit of heat, but not so much that they’ll refuse to eat it. Of course, feel free to adjust the amount of chili powder to suit your and your family’s preferences, keeping in mind that different brands of chili powder have varying amounts of heat, and they lose their potency the longer they sit on the shelf. (The particular brand I buy seems to be on the spicier side, so ½ teaspoon is perfect for us.) If you want even more heat, feel free to add a pinch or two of red pepper flakes or a finely minced jalapeño pepper.

*** Muir Glen is my favorite brand of canned tomatoes, and their fire-roasted tomatoes add an extra layer of flavor to this chili. If you can’t find them, regular canned tomatoes will work just fine, but the fire-roasted tomatoes are worth seeking out. (My local Target usually has them in stock, and they are often on sale.)
Recipe by Wholesome Family Kitchen at https://www.wholesomefamilykitchen.com/recipe-vegetarian-chili-with-chocolate-whole-wheat-cornbread/