I was all set to make Black Bean Vegetable Chili ( The New Basics Cookbook , page 520), but Sigrid isn't much of an eggplant fan, so I substituted beef for the eggplant. And then I added some TVP to thicken it up. It was really tasty. ingredients- 2 onions, finely chopped
- 2 zucchini, finely chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and finely chopped
- 1 yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded, and finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
- 5 T. olive oil
- 1 lb. beef (some stew-type cut), cut into 1/2 in. cubes (the original recipe called for 1 eggplant, cut into ½ in. cubes, sweated with 1 T. kosher salt for 1 hour, then patted dry, and sauteed in ¼ c. olive oil)
- 8 plum tomatoes, cut into 1 in. cubes
- 1 c. chicken broth (originally: vegetable broth)
- 1 c. flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- ½ c. basil, chopped
- 3 T. chili powder (I used a combo of regular chili powder and ancho chili powder)
- 1½ T. ground cumin (grind it yourself, ideally)
- 1 T. dried oregano
- 1 t. fresh ground pepper
- ½ t. red pepper flakes
- salt to taste
- 2 c. cooked black beans
- 1½ c. corn kernels (frozen is fine, though thaw before using)
- ½ c. chopped fresh dill (or 4 t. dried dill)
- ¼ c. lemon juice
- ½ c. textured vegetable protein (I'm not sure about this quantity; use however much you want, until the chili is the texture you want)
- (optional, for garnish) sour cream, grated cheese, sliced scallions
instructions- In a large, heavy stockpot, saute the onions, zucchini, bell peppers, and garlic in 4 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, brown the beef in a large skillet in the remaining tablespoon of oil over high heat. Work in small batches to ensure the beef browns rather than stews. Add the browned beef to the stockpot.
- Add the tomatoes, broth, half of the parsley, the basil, chili powder, cumin, pepper, red pepper, and salt. Cook over low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the beans, corn, dill, lemon juice, and textured vegetable protein. Cook for 15 minutes.
- Adjust seasoning, and add the remaining parsley.
- Serve hot, with garnishes.
Serves eight.
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