It’s hard to believe my due date is now less than two weeks away. It would be easy to fixate on that completely, but about a month ago Andy and I made a conscious decision not to sit around and wait for our son to make his grand entrance. Since then we’ve gone to restaurants we’ve wanted to try, checked out museum exhibits that have been on our list, and gone to lots of movies. (It’s Netflix-only for the foreseeable future!) We’ve completed house projects that have been on our “to-do” list for awhile. And most importantly, we’ve been making time for friends we won’t see quite as often as we adjust to life as a family of three.
A couple of Mondays ago I invited my girlfriends over for dinner. At that point the holiday parties were in full swing, and I wanted to make a meal that wouldn’t leave us wishing we’d worn stretch pants. Mindful of the fact that I’m still working, it had to be something I could make in advance and simply reheat when I got home from work.
For many winters now I’ve been making a vegetarian version of Mom’s Blue Ribbon Chili from her third book, CookSmart, but I’d never blogged the recipe. The weekend before my dinner, Mom and I threw together a double recipe of chili which made enough for my dinner for eight with a portion siphoned off for Mom and Dad.
The night of the dinner I simply opened a few bottles of wine, set out guacamole, salsa, and tortilla chips, followed by a big bowl of this hearty but healthy three-bean chili, topped with a dollop of Greek yogurt and a sprinkling of cilantro. The girls raved about it and asked for the recipe, so I knew it was worth sharing. As I start to think about cook-and-freeze meals for when the baby comes, this recipe is at the top of my list.
- ½ cup mild chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons oregano
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 large onions, cut into medium dice (about 4 cups)
- 1 can (28-ounces) crushed tomatoes
- 1 can each (15 to 16 ounces each) white beans, black beans, kidney beans, and hominy, drained
- 2 cups frozen corn
- 6 minced garlic cloves
- 1 ounce bittersweet chocolate
- Salt and ground black pepper
- Heat chili powder, oregano, and cumin in a small skillet over low heat, stirring constantly, until spices are warm, darker in color, and fragrant, being careful not to burn them.
- Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions; sauté until soft, 7 to 8 minutes. Stir in toasted spices, tomatoes, beans, hominy, corn, and 4 cups of water; bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to simmer chili, partially covered, until flavors are deep, rich, and unified, 30 to 45 minutes, adding water, if necessary, to keep stew moist, but thick. Stir in garlic and chocolate; simmer to blend flavors, about 5 minutes longer. Adjust seasonings, including salt and pepper to taste. Serve. (Can be cooled, covered and refrigerated for several days or frozen for several months).
I know I helped make that chili, so I know it’s vegetarian, but it looks so rich and meaty! And unlike my Blue Ribbon Chili in CookSmart, this one cooks up in just minutes. This Three Bean Chili has Super Bowl written all over it, eh? Lose the Greek yogurt and it works for just about any crowd–omnivores, vegetarians, and vegans.
I freaking love how simple this looks. Yum!
Using hominy in this chili is such a great idea! Love!
Mine came out too watery. Would reduce to 2 cups of water.
Hey Casey, I just made a double batch of this chili night before last and that was not my experience. By the time the chili simmers for half an hour to 45 minutes, it reduces significantly. I’ll be interested in other cooks’ experiences. Also if anyone else finds the chili watery, just stir in a little cornmeal!
Hi Pam! Unfortunately, I’m having the same experience with the chili not thickening up. Maybe because I didn’t have hominy? I did double the corn though as suggested. I just sprinkled in some cornmeal like you said so that should work. Please know that the flavor is so, so good, absolutely delicious! My 14 yo son is a vegetarian and he loves it and is dipping his baguette bread in to suck up all the juices!
Interesting, Beth. Maybe the hominy does absorb some of the moisture or act as thickener. I appreciate the feedback. So FYI chili cooks: If you’re not using hominy, consider cutting back on the liquid or stir in a little cornmeal to thicken!
The cornstarch worked PERFECTLY! Honestly, if I don’t have hominy again I will still use the 4 cups and add the cornstarch – the consistency was perfect and I don’t want to mess with perfection! Again, the flavor was is amazing, so full of depth that you don’t even miss the meat. Thanks for yet another winning recipe!!!
Is 1/2 cup of chili powder correct? I thought the seasoning was way too strong. The addition of the
chocolate just intensified the bad flavor. I’m sorry to say this chili is going to the trash. Very
disappointed in this recipe.
It is absolutely correct, Belinda. Sorry you didn’t like it. We love this chili and make it all the time. Guess we just have different tastes.