Four-Bean Chili
Cook once, eat twice! Dedicate an afternoon to let this chili cook and you’ll enjoy it for dinner and again later since it freezes beautifully.
Servings: 4
Serving Size: Approximately 1 ÂĽ cups
Volume: 5 ÂĽ cups
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours, 30 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours, 40 minutes
Ingredients
1/4 cup dried kidney beans
1/4 cup dried pinto beans
1/4 cup dried Great Northern beans
1/4 cup dried chickpeas
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup diced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 medium red bell pepper, diced
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 cup diced tomatoes, fresh or canned (drained, if using canned)
Directions
Place the dried beans in a large stockpot with a quart of water. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes over medium heat. Turn off the heat and cover the pot. Allow the beans to soak for 1 hour. Drain and rinse the beans thoroughly. Return the beans to the stockpot, adding the oregano, cumin seeds, bay leaf, and 6 cups of fresh water. Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce the heat to medium. Simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally and checking the water amount, adding more as needed. Remove and discard the bay leaf.
During the last 10 minutes of cooking, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté the onions, garlic, and bell peppers for 7 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and heat through. Add the vegetable mixture to the bean mixture and cook for 30 minutes more.
Remove the pot from the heat and allow the chili to cool slightly. Divide the chili, placing half in a freezer-safe container. When it’s completely cool, label the container and freeze. Serve the remaining chili immediately.
Why We Love It
We love anything that’s tasty and saves us time. This four bean chili is one of those dishes that can keep in the freezer and be warmed up again, and it still tastes fresh. It’s the little things, like chickpeas (rarely found in chili), vinegar and coriander, that make this chili taste unique.
