I've recently moved from California to Seattle, Washington. And I've made many observations in these past few weeks, one of which is that the grey, wet rumor is true. According to everyone I speak to, it looks like soup and chili weather will stick around for quite some time.
We were having friends over for dinner last weekend and sat down with some of our favorite cookbooks to decide what sounded fun to cook. One half of the couple is vegetarian, so we started leaning towards something meat-less yet warm, hearty, and satisfying.
Chili! In my experience, there are endless vegetarian chili recipes out there -- some as simple as pouring a can of beans and tomatoes in a pot and adding a bit of spice while others are an all-day simmering affair. This one rests comfortably inbetween these two approaches and has the most rich and layered flavor of any chili (vegetarian or not) I've ever tried. It was inspired by a recipe in Bon Appétit a while back that added butternut squash to chili, and I loved the idea. And thankfully, our dinner guests loved our version. In fact, I decided to post it today largely because they immediately asked for the recipe; I figured if I was typing it up for them, you all would enjoy it, too.
A few notes to get us started: the chipotle pepper is an important part of the sauce. They'll be in a little can in the Latin section of your grocery store or any Mexican market. I've found them in a few grocery stores here in the Northwest without any difficulty. If you can't locate them near your home, you can use an additional 1/2 teaspoon of chili powder, or experiment with a smokey Spanish paprika. It won't have the same heat at all, but it will still be delicious.
Also, a note on cooking beans: the time varies each and every time I make a pot of them and this is largely determined by the freshness and type of bean. If you're using very old dried beans, they're going to take much longer to cook. So the cook time for this recipe probably seems vast (2-4 hours); I would just plan ahead so you're not finishing up the chili the second folks walk in the door. I'd much rather do a quick reheat than explain to guests that the beans are taking a little longer than expected.
And last, the sweet potato and quinoa actually cook in the chili. You're going to want to add the sweet potato and quinoa when the chili has about 45 minutes left to go, so use your best guess as to when the beans are still pretty firm on the outside but are surely softening on the inside. If you're like me and don't mind your sweet potatoes and quinoa quite soft (it is chili, after all), just toss them in after 1.5 hours of cooking time and call it a day.
Black Bean, Sweet Potato and Quinoa Chili
Adapted from Bon Appétit
As with most soups, stews, and chilis, think of the water quantity as a rough guide. You may find towards the end you'll need to add more water as both the beans and quinoa start absorbing it.
Serves 4-6
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
5 garlic cloves, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 14.5-ounce can fire-roasted tomatoes
1/2 pound dried black beans, rinsed well
1 chipotle chile from canned chipotle chiles in adobo, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons kosher salt + more to taste
1 1/2 cups sweet potatoes (2-3 small), cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
sour cream, to top (optional)
green onions, chopped, to top (optional)
fresh cilantro, chopped, to top (optional)
Heat the oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and beginning to brown, 6-7 minutes. Add garlic, chili powder, and coriander and stir. Cook together for 1 minute.
Stir in the tomatoes with their juices, beans, chipotle pepper, and oregano. Add 5 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover with lid slightly ajar and simmer until beans are flavorful and tender, anywhere from 2 - 4 hours (depending on the age of your beans).
After 1 1/2 hours of cooking, add the sweet potatoes, quinoa, and salt. Place the pot's lid back on slightly ajar and allow to simmer on low heat until the beans are soft and the sweet potatoes and quinoa are cooked through. Add more water if the chili becomes too thick. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with sour cream, cilantro, and green onion.
Can make two days ahead. Store in refrigerator. Freeze leftovers.
Related: Vegetarian Black Bean Espresso Chili
(Image: Megan Gordon)
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Comments (21)
Do you have any alternatives to chili that does not have tomatoes in it? I can't eat tomatoes anymore and miss chili so badly, especially during the winter months!
@Becca - that's truly tragic! Though I have never tried any, aren't there recipes for white chill? Otherwise, I'd experiment with mole as a base instead of tomatoes.
I never thought to put quinoa in chili before. It sounds great, I'll have to give this a try. I think I'd try it with pinto beans though, since they are my favorite!
Pshaw, it's been lovely in Seattle lately! We've had some really beautiful clear days lately, and today it's snowing like mad just north of Seattle! Although it is still quite cold, so chili does sound awfully nice... I love the idea of adding quinoa and sweet potatoes, may try this recipe this weekend.
Becca - I can't eat tomatoes anymore either and it's been quite an adjustment. When a recipe like chili calls for tomatoes I substitute red peppers and a bit more broth/water.
is it blasphemous to use a can of black beans? (never cooked beans from scratch and I'm a little scared :/ )
Sounds good! I've made vegetarian chili with couscous as well, to give it a nice texture. This one also has two beans and cauliflower.
Substitue for tomatoes? Some red wine and maybe tomatillo sauce? That's a tough one to overcome. Is it the acid level in the tomatoes? If so, what about low acid varieties like Romas and only adding a small amount?
Yum, this sounds good. I think I would probably serve the chili over the quinoa. I like chili with a little more soupiness and I think the quinoa would soak it all up in the pot. We are supposed to have a fairly warm weekend here in CO, so I'll save this for the next snow storm and report back on how it turns out:)
Sounds super delicious! So up my alley. One question, though. I'm sure this must work, otherwise you wouldn't have posted it, but I was always under the impression that acid in tomatoes made beans tough & that they had to be added towards the end of cooking the beans once they've gotten fairly tender, in the same way salt is added at the end. I've made my share of mistakes that ended with tough beans. Such a bummer. Especially when so much time goes into prep...and you're hungry for something that hits the spot. Any thoughts on this would be appreciated. Would love to try this, but am wary of tough beans!
Such a great combination! I was short on time so I threw the cubed sweet potato in a 375 oven tossed with some olive oil, salt, and cayenne while the red quinoa cooking in one pot and the onions, garlic, beans, tomatoes, and cup of water simmered in another. I threw the quinoa in for the last 5 minutes to absorb the flavors and topped the chili with the roasted potatoes, avocado, cilantro, and green onion! super fantastic.
and yes i used canned beans!
I am eating THIS for lunch RIGHT NOW! It's a winning recipe for sure. I didn't add any salt, because I figured the chipotle and the roasted tomatoes had enough sodium, and I don't miss the salt at all. It's a little spicy, almost too much for me, so maybe next time I'll use 3/4 a pepper and a little less chili powder. I added 3 cups sweet potatoes instead of 1.5, and extra quinoa also. I also soaked the beans prior because I didn't want to be cooking for 4 hours. So good.
Sounds amazing! Not sure how I missed it the first time, but thanks for the sweet potato post/reminder!
I didn't have coriander so used ground cumin, and doubled the sweet potatoes. It's delicious! I'm used to spicy food and to me, this has a mild, pleasant heat. The leftovers will be perfect for packed lunch.
Sounds wonderful, althoughliving in Texas I prefer to use a crockpot for everything that requires simmering for an extended time. Has anyone tried this in their crock pot? Any tips? If not I will let you know how it it turns out or anything I would do different. Being as I usually throw in all the ingredients in the pot before heading to work, I will probably just the add cooked Quinoa once I get back home from work and give it 30 mins.
Yes I'd also like to know how people have made this in the slow cooker. It looks delicious!
@becca0727
My wife has a tomato allergy. It stinks!
If you can't eat Tomatoes, why not eat "Nomatoes?"
OK before I sound crazy, it's a real thing: You can make Nomato Sauce at home and it's red and savory and very zesty. It contains 0% tomatoes. Also it's so easy to make, anyone who knows how to boil water can make this! Once you make it, stir it into your chili and add whatever spices your heart desires:
http://www.food.com/recipe/basic-nomato-sauce-tomato-free-tomato-sauce-359835
I kept the sweet potatoes larger and I think my quinoa needed a little longer to cook. Despite my mistakes, though, this was absolute delicious! I'm trying to eat less meat, and getting quite bored of three-bean chillis so this was a welcome change. Thank you!
I cannot wait to make this!!!! I might add more quinoa becuase I'm obsessed with it, but other than that this looks perfect!
I can't thank you enough for this recipe. I've been a vegetarian for four months, and I think today s the fourth time I've made this chili. It's hearty, flavorful, and never once does my meat eater boyfriend say, "this needs beef". I too added a bit more quinoa and sweet potatoes, and about a fourth cup chocolate just befor serving. (As a mole addict I love chocolate in chili.)
One of our very favorite dinners!