(If you’re new to cooking with dry beans, read up on everything you need to know about dry beans here.)
This rich, earthy chili combines complex flavors for the perfect winter meal. If you put it in the slow cooker in the morning you do not have to soak the beans overnight and you will come home at night to a tasty meal ready to eat. This is a good dish to use your dry beans and home-canned tomatoes from your food storage.
Serve it with corn bread and you will have a hearty vegetarian meal that is a complete protein.
Ingredients:
2 C black beans, rinsed and soaked overnight
OR 2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, rinsed and drained
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 pound portobello mushrooms
1⁄2 lb tomatillos
1 large onion, chopped
1⁄2 C chopped sweet red pepper
1⁄2 C chopped green pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp chili powder
2 tsp dried cumin
1-2 Tbsp minced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
11⁄2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
1 qt home canned tomatoes, diced OR 2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) diced tomatoes, undrained
2-3 C vegetable or chicken broth (use 2 C if you are using canned beans, 3 C if using dry, soaked beans)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Directions:
Peel the husks from the tomatillos and chop them. Coarsely chop mushrooms.
Heat oil in a large sauce pan. Add mushrooms and all the vegetables and sauté until almost tender.
Add garlic, herbs, cumin and chili powder and stir for another minute or two. Add tomato paste and chipotles and stir until tomato paste just begins to darken and caramelize. Stir in tomatoes and broth.
Put the beans into a 5-6 quart slow cooker. Pour hot vegetable mix over the beans. Cook on high for 4-6 hours, until the beans are tender. Adjust seasonings to taste.
Top each serving with sour cream and grated monterey jack cheese.
