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Vegetable, Corn and Black Bean Chili

Source of Recipe

From "Williams-Sonoma Comfort Food"


Recipe Introduction

"Chili has a magical ability to warm you up from the inside out. This version is rib-sticking, but doesn't contain an ounce of meat, with a perfect combination of vegetables and legumes. This makes a large batch, all the better to store in the freezer for a quick lunch, supper, or loaded nachos (using the instructions below)."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 1 large yellow onion
â—¦ 1 large red bell pepper
â—¦ 2 zucchini
â—¦ 2 celery ribs with leaves
â—¦ 1 carrot
â—¦ 1 jalapeño, seeded
â—¦ 1 can (28 ounces) canned tomatoes
â—¦ 2 cans (15 ½ ounces) black beans
â—¦ 2 cloves garlic, minced
â—¦ 2 tablespoons chili powder
â—¦ 1 teaspoon each ground cumin and dried oregano
â—¦ 1 ½ cups (9 ounces) fresh or thawed corn kernels
â—¦ ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
â—¦ Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
â—¦ Monterey jack cheese and scallions, for serving


Recipe

Prep your ingredients for cooking. Chop the yellow onion. Seed the bell pepper. Cut the bell pepper, zucchini, celery, and carrot into ½-inch dice. Finely chop the jalapeño. Chop the canned tomatoes and reserve the juices. Drain and rinse the black beans.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, zucchini, celery, carrot, jalapeño, and garlic and cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, about 10 minutes. Add the chili powder, cumin, and oregano and stir well. Stir in the tomatoes with their juices and bring to a simmer.

Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the tomato juices are lightly thickened, about 20 minutes. Stir in the beans and corn and cook until they are heated through, about 10 minutes more. Stir in the cilantro, if using. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon into bowls and serve at once, with bowls of Monterey jack and scallions for passing at the table.

Makes 6 to 8 servings



• Change It Up:
To make vegetarian chili nachos, preheat the broiler.
Arrange a layer of tortilla chips on a baking sheet. Scatter a generous serving of the chili and shredded Monterey jack cheese over the chips. Scatter another layer of chips on top and top with more chili and shredded cheese. Place under the broiler and cook until the cheese is melted, keeping a close eye on the nachos, as they burn easily, 3 to 7 minutes. Remove from the oven, let cool slightly, then top with sliced jalapeños, fresh cilantro, sour cream, hot sauce, and mashed avocado.