Trust me, you won’t miss the meat! An unusual assortment of beans, a variety of vegetables, the richness of wine, and your favorite chili powder make this chili complex and deeply satisfying. I love this chili in a tortilla bowl, with a dollop of sour cream or full-fat yogurt on top. It looks like a lot of ingredients, but it’s worth it. And most of it is just opening cans or chopping veggies. Then you just throw everything in a pot, simmer, and add some thickener at the end.
INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon bland cooking oil (canola, safflower, etc.)
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 green pepper, seeded and chopped
1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped (wear gloves!)
2 medium zucchini, cut in 1-inch cubes
1 14-ounce can plum tomatoes, drained and coursely chopped
1 15-ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 medium sized jicama, peeled and diced in 1/2-inch cubes
3-4 ounces red wine (burgundy, cabernet, merlot, whatever)
1 tablespoon worcester sauce (Cross & Blackwell makes a veggie version)
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon celery seeds
1-2 tablespoons of your favorite chli powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons fennel seeds
2 cups water or vegetarian “chicken” stock
Salt to taste
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all purpose unbleached flour
3 medium red potatoes, boiled until barely tender, peeled, cubed
Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onions, green pepper, and jalapeno and saute until the onions become slightly translucent. Dump in all the remaining ingredients except the butter, flour, and potatoes. Bring to a boil, then simmer until the zucchini are barely tender, probably about 15 minutes. Taste for salt – you’ll probably need to add at least a teaspoon, maybe more.
Now melt the butter in a small pan, sprinkle in the flour, and stir and cook over medium low heat for a few minutes, until the flour starts to darken a bit (this mixture is called a roux). Add this to the pot, stir, then add the potatoes. Simmer, stirring once or twice, for 5-10 more minutes. Adjust salt, and serve piping hot with all the traditional fixings (grated cheese, sour cream, extra chili powder, tabasco, and so on).
6 generous servings, easily multipled.