Veggie chili

RECIPE Veggie chili

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium red onion, chopped

1 large red bell pepper, chopped

2 medium carrots, chopped

2 celery ribs, chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt, divided

4 cloves garlic, pressed or minced

2 tablespoons chili powder

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 large (28-ounce) can or 2 small (15-ounce) cans diced tomatoes with their juice

2 cups vegetable broth or water

1 bay leaf

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, plus extra for garnish

1–2 teaspoons sherry vinegar, red wine vinegar, or lime juice

Preparation

Heat oil in a Dutch oven or a large stockpot over medium heat. Throw in onion, bell pepper, carrots, and celery and season with salt and pepper. Stir and cook those bad boys for 7–10 minutes, until they’re soft.

Spice time! Sling in garlic, chili powder, cumin, paprika, and oregano (extra points for doing it from the other side of the kitchen and shouting “KOBE!”). Let everything sizzle for 1 minute, until it smells like a good-ass chili.

Mix in every bean at your disposal and the diced tomatoes and their juice. It’s also time for the broth and bay leaf. Stir everything together and simmer all that business for 30 minutes, keeping an eye on the heat to keep a steady simmer going.

Take the masterpiece off the heat and get rid of the bay leaf. To make the texture Oscar-worthy, move 1 1/2 cups of chili to a blender, whirl it until it’s smoother than Ryan Gosling dressed as Prince, and return it to its friends in the main pot. (If you don’t have a blender, mash the chili with a potato masher.)

Once the texture is spot-on, stir in the cilantro and add salt and sherry vinegar to taste.

If you’re in a daring mood, you may want to up the amount of cayenne pepper or mix in some fresh diced jalapeños. If you’re doing this, you may also wish to send #ThoughtsAndPrayers to your digestive system for the morning after.

Don’t add more heat than you can handle. You don’t look as cool as you think with your nose running that much. (However, we spoke to an expert to learn whether spicy food can burn calories — learn more here.)

Be sure to keep anything spicy away from your eyes as well. You won’t want people to think you’ve been watching “The Notebook” as much as you have.

And if you want more Mexican deliciousness, have a look at these recipes that go beyond the humble hand-held glory of the burrito.

Tips

Top your chili with any combination of sour cream, Greek yogurt, scallions, fresh cilantro, and shredded cheese. Alternatively, you can add whatever you damn well please.

Those looking to go vegan or dairy-free can add avocado or tortilla chips instead. You can also bulk it up with some cooked quinoa or brown rice.

One of the unbridled joys of chili is the ability to store it and return to your new love as often as you please.

Those who know their batch won’t last the week due to extreme tastiness can keep it in the fridge for 4 days. Those looking for a batch that will last for months can make the chili truly chilly by freezing that sucker.