5 Bean Chili

Hearty 5 bean chili loaded with vegetables and loaded with fragrant spices!

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.

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 of 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 • 21 oz canned diced tomatoes, plus the liquid • 1 large green bell pepper, diced • 1/2 head of broccoli, separated into florets • 1 cup corn kernels • 2 carrots, diced • 2 tbsp olive oil • 1 packet taco seasoning • 1 tsp dried oregano • 1 tsp ancho chili powder • 1 tsp McCormick’s Chili Powder • salt to taste • 1.5 cups water • 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.