|
Chef Laura Stec - Innovative Cuisine
This chili has a lot of ingredients, but it doesn’t take long to assemble. The key to a satisfying vegetarian chili is creating a deep complexity of flavors so people feel like they are eating chili and not vegetable soup. Chili is best cooked the day before, allowing flavors to develop.
Serves 8.
Ingredients
1/3 cup Almonds
1/2 cup Emmer grain,* or 1/2 cup bulgur
2 T Olive Oil
1 Large yellow onion, chopped
3 Cloves garlic, sliced
2 Carrots, diced medium
3 Stalks celery, diced medium
1 Small jalapeno, chopped
1 tsp Ground coriander
1 tsp Dried oregano
1 tsp Smoked paprika
1 T Chile powder
1 T Ancho chile powder (optional but preferable; can use regular
chile powder)
1 Chipotle chile, finely chopped
2 Reconstituted dry or oil-based sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 T Dry red or white wine
1 28oz can Tomatoes, liquid reserved, or 2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes
6 T Beer (dark is good, such as a chocolate stout or porter)
2 T Molasses
1/2 tsp Rich-tasting olive oil
2-1/2 cups Vegetable stock
1 cup White or yellow hominy, rinsed and drained
1 cup Black beans, canned or homemade
1 /4 cup Chopped cilantro
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Place almonds on baking sheet and bake for 8 minutes, or until light brown.
- When almonds have cooled, finely grind in a food processor.
Note: If using emmer, rinse emmer and place in a small saucepan with 2 cups of water and a pinch of salt. Bring to boil, cover, reduce heat, and cook 50 minutes. Remove from heat.
Note: If using quick-cooking bulgur, place 1 cup bulgur in a small baking pan. Boil 2 cups water and pour on top of bulgur. Sprinkle in a pinch of salt. Cover and let sit for 15 minutes, until all the water is absorbed. For more flavor, use 1 cup water and 1 cup stock.
- Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed soup pot.
- Add onion and sauté on medium heat for 5 minutes, until translucent.
- Add garlic and stir.
- Add carrots, celery, and jalapeño; stir and sauté for 5 minutes.
- Add the next 8 ingredients (coriander through Dijon mustard).
- Sauté for 3 minutes.
- Add wine and sauté until mixture is almost dry.
- Blend half the tomatoes into a purée.
- Add to the soup pot the beer, molasses, ground almonds, and olive oil, both chopped and puréed tomatoes.
- Stir well and lower the heat; allow this thick slurry to lightly cook for 10 minutes.
- Add stock, hominy, emmer (or bulgur), and beans.
- Cook for one hour on a low heat.
- Mix in cilantro. Taste and adjust seasonings.
Garnish: Chopped white onion and cilantro leaves, grated cheddar cheese (optional)
*Emmer is an ancient wheat, described as the “grandfather of farro.” It is a larger grain than regular wheat and has a distinct richer flavor and meaty-chewy texture—great for chili. I only know one place it grows in the country: Winthrop, Washington. Buy online at Blue Bird Grain Farms.
|
