5 Bean Chili
Amrutha Harsha Rao
Photo by Amrutha Harsha Rao
- Serves
- 4
- Prep Time
- 20 Minutes
- Cook Time
- 1 Hour
I discovered my love for the mighty bean very recently. I turned vegetarian very recently, about a decade ago, and the bean slowly started becoming a friend of mine.
Filled with fiber and B vitamins, they are a great source of vegetarian protein and are known to reduce cholesterol, decrease blood sugar levels, and increase healthy gut bacteria.
After that introduction, I was on board. Trying to include these little legumes in all the recipes I could.
This chili is inspired by my mother’s version of the Indian “Rajma”. She would never just add in one kidney bean in her curries, so I decided to use the same concept & swap out the fragrant Indian spices for some delicious Mexican ones and this is the resulting product.
A delicious & hearty vegan 5 bean chili that is an easy weeknight one-pot meal!
Ingredients
- 1 cup total of black beans, red kidney beans, white chickpeas, black chickpeas, black-eyed peas, soaked for 8 hours
- 1 large white onion, diced
- 3 - 4 cloves of garlic, grated
- 1 large green bell pepper, diced
- 0.5 head of broccoli, separated into florets
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 packet of taco seasoning
- 1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
- 1 teaspoon Chili Powder
- salt to taste
- 0.25 teaspoon pepper
- 1.5 cup water
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Directions
- Step 1
Rinse & pressure cook the soaked beans until just done. The timing depends on your pressure cooker, but it should be approximately 10 - 12 mins. Make sure the water that they are cooking in is well salted so the beans aren’t bland at the end.
- Step 2
In a deep pan add the olive oil & sauté the onions until soft & translucent. Add in the bell pepper & sauté until slightly soft. Then add in the grated/crushed garlic & sauté until the raw smell is gone
- Step 3
Add in the tomatoes with their liquid & cook until the oil starts to separate from the sides, it will take some time for this to happen, stay patient as this adds another dimension of flavor & intensity to the dish. Add in the spices, stir, & sauté for a few seconds to make sure they are fragrant.
- Step 4
Add in the broccoli, carrots, & corn along with the water; stir, cover & allow the vegetables to cook for about 5 - 7 minutes (just until the vegetables are just cooked through). Add in the cooked beans with the liquid, pepper, & salt if needed. Cover the pot & cook until the beans are cooked through & mashable.
- Step 5
With the back of the spatula smash some of the beans to thicken it & give it a more “chili” consistency. Serve with a generous dollop of sour cream, sharp cheddar cheese, pico, chopped cilantro, & avocado slices.
- Step 6
Extra tips: • This is a pretty chunky chili, if you like yours to be less textured & chunky, instead of diced tomatoes use a tomato purée & grate your onions as well. This will give the chili a smoother texture. • You can also make this with any kind of bean you like, it’s an extremely versatile recipe & yields well to changes & substitutions.