Black Bean Chili
The original recipe called for sweet potatoes, but since I didnt have them the first time I made it I went without. I liked the results so much that I dont dare change it!
The original recipe called for sweet potatoes, but since I didnt have them the first time I made it I went without. I liked the results so much that I dont dare change it!
- Carbohydrate 101.822377782014 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 4.27698040385181 g
- Fiber 24.8527670305006 g
- Protein 33.0135693168866 g
- Saturated Fat 0.820674037574752 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (519g)
- Sodium 597.594965304948 mg
- Sugar 76.9696107515132 g
- Trans Fat 0.742330721282856 g
- Calories 555 calories
Step-by-step
- Cook black beans in a pressure cooker until tender, about 18-20 minutes.
- In a large soup pan, cook onions and garlic in olive oil until golden.
- Add seasonings and stir for about 30 seconds.
- Add beans, tomatoes and broth and simmer for about 15 minutes.
- Add swiss chard and cook until tender, about 4 minutes.
- Serve with corn bread.
Omitting root vegetables like sweet potatoes alters the carbohydrate balance and moisture output of a pot considerably, leaving a lighter broth that relies heavily on the beans themselves for body. Cooking dried beans from scratch rather than using canned varieties requires soaking and pressure cooking, yielding a firmer interior texture that holds up better during extended simmering. Whole cumin seeds, when toasted briefly in hot oil alongside aromatics, release fat-soluble essential oils that ground spices simply cannot match in aromatic complexity.
Mastering Texture and Storage
Building flavor in a plant-based stew depends on proper fat management and timing. Cook onions and garlic in olive oil over medium-low heat until golden rather than translucent, driving off excess water to concentrate the natural sugars before introducing the spices. Toasting the chili powder and cumin for precisely thirty seconds in the fat blooms their flavor compounds without scorching the delicate sugars in the garlic. Swiss chard should be introduced during the final four minutes of cooking; this preserves the bright green color of the leaves and prevents the stems from becoming mushy. When storing leftovers, cool the pot rapidly in an ice-water bath before transferring it to airtight containers. The soup keeps safely in the refrigerator for up to four days or in the freezer for three months. Reheat individual portions gently on the stovetop over medium heat, adding a splash of vegetable broth to restore the original consistency.
- If the chili thickens too much during storage, thin it incrementally with vegetable broth rather than water to maintain the seasoned baseline.
- Stems from swiss chard require slightly more cooking time than the leaves, so chop them smaller if uniformity is desired.
- Ground chipotle pepper provides cumulative heat; adjust the quantity downward by half if a milder profile is preferred.
