Black Bean and Beer Chili
This high-protein chili is vegetarian-friendly and will fill you up on a fall evening or for lunch when you're watching the game!
Ingredients
- 3 ancho chilies, seeded and stemmed
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) or vegetable oil
- 1 pound crimini or portobello mushrooms, chopped
- 2 medium onions, chopped
- 1 medium bell pepper or mild frying pepper, seeded and chopped
- 1 Fresno or jalapeño chili pepper, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- Salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon smoked sweet paprika or paprika
- 1 tablespoon cumin (a palmful)
- 1 tablespoon coriander (a palmful)
- A couple of pinches of cinnamon
- 2 cans black beans
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 bottle Negra Modelo beer
- 2 limes, 1 juiced
- Extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded or crumbled
- Sliced scallions and chopped cilantro, for garnish
- Corn tortilla chips, for dipping
Preparation
Place the anchos in a pot and cover them with 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer gently to reconstitute the peppers.
Heat the EVOO, two turns of the pan, in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and brown. Add the onions, peppers, chili pepper and garlic; season with salt, pepper, paprika, cumin, coriander and cinnamon. Cook to soften the onions, 7-8 minutes.
Add the beans to the chili pot and stir to heat through. Add the tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce and stir for 1 minute more, then add the beer.
Puree the reconstituted anchos and their liquid in a food processor or blender. Add to the chili. Simmer to combine the flavors, then stir in the lime juice. Cut the remaining lime into wedges and serve with the chili at the table. Top the chili with cheese, scallions and cilantro and serve with a few chips alongside for scooping.
