I’ve been making Black Bean Chili With Chocolate for years, but for some reason, I never got around to posting it here on the blog.
I personally don’t give a hoot about football, but I know lots of you out there feel differently; I figured I’d post the chili now because if you’re planning your game day festivities and you’re looking for a vegetarian dish, you might want to add this to your menu.
In the past, I’ve made a similar vegetarian chili in my slow cooker, and that recipe is great if you like to get dinner started in the morning and have it ready without any additional fuss later in the day. The chili you see here relies on pantry staples and not much else, however, and can be ready in less than an hour if you make it in a pot on the stove, so I think I’ll keep making it this way from now on.
You can brown 1 pound of organic grass-fed turkey or beef and add it along with the beans, if you like, but my family prefers vegetarian chili, so I didn’t include the meat this time. The cocoa powder and the dark chocolate added at the end result in a rich and somewhat mysterious flavor that I really like; If you don’t fancy the idea of chili with chocolate, just leave it out.
One last note: I believe it is healthier to use soaked dried beans than it is to used canned ones, but I rarely seem to remember to soak mine the night before. If you’re on top of that sort of thing, please do use soaked and pre-cooked dried beans here.
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More delicious looking chili recipes:
Chipotle Chocolate Vegetarian Chili from What Would Cathy Eat
Turkey Pumpkin Chili from Cara’s Cravings
Vegan Chili from Fat Free Vegan Kitchen
Everything Chili from Eclectic Recipes
Vegan Lentil Chili from Kalyn’s Kitchen
Black Bean Chili with Chocolate
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 white onion peeled and chopped
- 3 garlic cloves peeled and minced
- 3 carrots peeled and chopped
- 3 celery stalks chopped
- 2 chili pepper minced
- 50 ounces cooked black beans Typically two 25 oz. cans. You can also use kidney beans, with liquid
- 28 ounces peeled tomatoes Typically one can.
- 3 tbsp chili powder
- 1 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tbsp dark chocolate 60-70%
Instructions
- Heat olive oil over a medium flame in a large soup pot. Add onions and sauté for 1-2 minutes, then add garlic and sauté for another minute.
- Add carrots, celery, and hot chile to the pot along with the beans, tomatoes, chili powder, cumin, and cinnamon. Stir well, then bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, and cook for about 45 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and mix in the cocoa powder and optional grated chocolate. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary, before serving.
- Serve as is, or topped with garnishes such as shredded cheddar cheese, minced green onions, minced cilantro, diced avocado, fresh salsa, and/or sour cream.
