5 Pepper Vegetarian Chili with Roasted Veggies

To contact us Click HERE
If you love chili, and especially spicy chili, then you aregoing to LOVE this recipe! I’ve been stewing on this one for quite some time(get it?), and finally decided to give it a try. I felt so happy about the endresult that I almost cried (if only this were an exaggeration): it was thick; itwas just the right color; it lit our mouths on fire; and it was perfect. I, ofcourse, called my mother immediately to brag…er…I mean express my joy (it’squite possible she thinks I’m having a life crisis; that’s how good it was),then we enjoyed it with freshly baked cheddar corn bread, and a dollop of sourcream. The only thing missing, as my dad pointed out the next day during tastetests, was the fire extinguisher ;)

Getting Started
The first step in making the chili is preparing the beans.You can either soak them over night, or use the quick soak method on thepackage. Whichever you choose, make sure to check the beans beforehand; I founda very large rock in mine, which would not have been fun to crunch down on!
Once you have soaked your beans, drain them, put them backin the pot with 8 cups of water (or however much it says on your package), andbring them to a boil. You will simmer the beans for about 1 1/2 hours total. Ifthe liquid begins to dry up, add a little more water, but not much (1 or 2 cupswill do).
Roasting the Veggies
While your beans are cooking, peel the garlic, cut up theonion, stem the jalapeno, and slice the tomatoes in halves and quarters. Tossthem in a roasting pan with a generous amount of olive oil and a little salt, making sure theveggies are coated, and roast them in the oven for 20-25 min at 425 degrees, oruntil the veggies have released their juices, are wilting, and starting to turnslightly brown. Remove from the oven and place in blender or food processor,along with the chipotle peppers.
Next, place the whole pablano and red bell peppers on acookie sheet lined with foil (no oil is needed), and broil until black on allsides. This will take a little bit of time; just remember to turn them withtongs ever so often, and keep checking. Once the skin of the peppers hasblackened, remove from the oven and let cool to the touch. While the peppersare cooking/cooling, measure out the rest of the ingredients and set aside.
Once the peppers have cooled, peel off the blackened skinand remove the stem and seeds. Add the pablanos and 1/4 of the red bell pepperto the blender/food processor, and pulse with the rest of the ingredients,leaving a little chunky. Set aside.
Putting it All Together
Once the beans are tender (about 1 hour of cooking), add inthe roasted veggies, and the rest of the ingredients up until “1/4 cup masa”and let simmer for another 25-30 minutes, or until the liquid has reduced someand is starting to thicken. At the very end, mix the masa with a water untilsmooth (you don’t want it to be pasty), then add to the pot and let it thickenfor another few minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly – this willalso help to thicken the chili.
Wrapping it up
At this point your mouth should be simultaneously watering,and begging you to give this recipe a try. With FIVE different kinds ofpeppers, roasted veggies, a little masa to thicken it up, and tons of deliciousspices, how could you refuse?

Now, I’m not kidding about this chili beingspicy, so if that’s not your cup of tea (or chili), then adjust the recipeaccordingly. You can always seed the jalapeno before blending, or only add inhalf, and you can put in less cayenne pepper as well. I wouldn’t recommendleaving out the pablano or the chipotle peppers, as they have a distinct flavorthat really adds to the overall taste, but do what you must! Also, adding sourcream really helps cut through the heat and makes it extra yummy :)
Enjoy, my friends!
Ingredients
1/2 package pinto beans (approx.1/2lb)1/2 package kidney beans (approx.1/2lb)Olive oil for roasting veggies6 roma tomatoes1 yellow onion, roughly chopped5 garlic cloves, peeled and leftwhole1 jalapeno, stem removed2 pablano peppers1/4 red bell pepper2 chipotle peppers, canned in adobosauce (I use La Costeña brand)8oz can tomato sauce2 Tbs chili powder1 Tbs ground cumin1 Tbs dried oregano, crushed1 Tbs coarse salt + some for the roasted veggies1 tsp black pepper1/2 tsp cayenne pepper1 Tbs apple cider vinegar1/4 cup masa

Pin It
Thanks for reading my blog! Please leave your thoughts, ideas, suggestions, or meals you would like to see me cook, in the comments below. If you like this blog, please follow me!

---