Meaty, Meat-less Chili
Meatless but mighty is this sassy, spicy chili.
Ingredients
- 3 medium ancho chilies
- 4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
- 8 portabella caps, wiped clean, gills scraped, chopped
- 4 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 green or red chili pepper, thinly sliced
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- A scant palmful of smoked paprika
- A scant palmful of cumin
- A scant palmful of coriander
- A pinch of ground cinnamon
- 2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained (15 ounces each)
- 1 can fire-roasted diced or crushed tomatoes (15 ounces)
- 1 ripe avocado
- 1 cup sour cream
- Juice of 1 lime
- A handful of fresh cilantro or fresh parsley
- Toasted pepitas or sunflower seeds, for garnish (optional)
- A couple of handfuls of tortilla chips (optional)
Preparation
Stem and seed the ancho chilies and place them in a pot with the stock. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and keep warm.
Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat with 1/4 cup EVOO, four turns of the pan. Add the mushrooms to the hot EVOO and brown for 12-15 minutes, then add the garlic, onion, chili pepper, salt and black pepper and soften 5-6 minutes more. Season with a spice mixture of paprika, cumin, coriander and cinnamon.
Puree the reconstituted ancho chilies and stock in a food processor. Add the chili stock mixture, beans and tomatoes to the chili. Cook for 15 minutes until thickened, then turn off the heat, cool, cover and chill for make-ahead meal.
To reheat: Cover the chili and place over medium to medium-high heat, stirring frequently until the chili bubbles, then uncover and simmer until ready to serve.
Combine the avocado, sour cream, lime juice, cilantro, and salt in food processor and process into a smooth avocado-sour cream sauce for stirring into the chili.
Serve the chili in shallow bowls and garnish with the avocado sauce, pepitas, if using, and a few tortilla chips, if using.
