Did you know this blog takes requests? I didn't really, either. However, I was asked by a friend of mine - and secret reader of this blog - if I had any great chili recipes. That made me think....did I?
I didn't, actually...until now.
In an effort to make a really hearty chili that wasn't loaded down with meat, I went hunting for vegetarian recipes. I found this recipe on Epicurious.com. However, it didn't seem very much like, well, chili. Where is all of the spicy stuff?!
I thought that the autumnal ingredients in the soup could handle some heat, so I've adapted it a bit. I added more chili powder and cumin, included some jalapeno, and threw in a bit of cayenne pepper. Also, for presentations sake, I swapped out part of the black beans for garbanzo beans - they keep their consistency when cooked and made the soup from looking so dark. I encourage you to serve this when you cook it so the greens still have their oomph.
This recipe is incredible. Trust me. You won't miss the meat.
Since we're all looking for hearty, heart-warming meals to make in these winter months, I am hosting a chili cook-off! This way, we can all exchange recipes and see all different varieties of this cold weather favorite. Here are all of the details:
- The RWT Chili Cook-Off will start on December 5th and go through December 31st. In that time, post your favorite chili recipe to your blog.
- There are no rules. I encourage all sorts of recipes and ingredients. They don't all have to have ground beef in it! Add pork, veggies, sausage, beans, chicken...let your imagination go wild.
- After the closure of the challenge, a winner will be chosen (i haven't decided if this is going to be a democracy or not) and awarded a food-related prize!
- Send your cook-off submissions to [email protected]. Include in your email: your name, your blog name, your location, the permalink to your post, and your recipe name.
- Good luck!
Black Bean Chili with Butternut Squash and Swiss Chard - adapted from the original recipe found here on epicurious.com - makes 4 main-course servings
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 1/2 cups chopped onions
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 medium jalapeno, seeded and diced into small pieces (include the seeds if you want to up the heat)
- 2 1/2 cups 1/2-inch pieces peeled butternut squash
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 3 tablespoons chili powder
- 3 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried red chili flakes
- 2 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed, drained
- 1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
- 3 cups (packed) coarsely chopped Swiss chard leaves or kale leaves (from 1 small bunch)
- Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic; saute until tender and golden, about 9 minutes. Add jalapeno and squash; stir 2 minutes. Stir in cayenne pepper, chili powder and cumin. Stir in beans, broth, and tomatoes with juices; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until squash is tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in chard or kale; simmer until chard or kale is tender but still bright green, about 4 minutes longer. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle chili into bowls and serve.