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Black Bean Chili

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Makes 4 servings 1x

Time 30 minutes

In How to Cook Everything Fast, recipe directions are separated into “prep” and “cook.” Here, we’ve made that distinction with italics for prep-work and plain text for cooking. This reflects the most efficient order and timing of tasks.

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Ingredients

  • 1 onion
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 red bell pepper
  • 3 1/2 cups cooked or canned black beans (two 15-ounce cans)
  • 1/3 cup tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 bunch fresh cilantro
  • 4 ounces queso fresco (1 cup crumbled; optional)

Instructions

  1. Trim, peel, and chop the onion.
    Peel and chop 2 cloves garlic.
  2. Put 1/4 cup olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until they soften, about 3 minutes.
  3. Core, seed, and chop the bell pepper and add it to the pot.
    If you’re using canned beans, rinse and drain them.
  4. Add 1/3 cup tomato paste, 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, and 1 teaspoon smoked paprika to the vegetables. Cook, stirring, until the mixture darkens and becomes fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.
  5. Add 3 cups water, stirring to scrape up any browned bits. Add the beans. Adjust the heat so the mixture simmers gently but steadily and cook until it thickens, about 5 minutes.
  6. Chop 1 cup cilantro leaves and tender stems.
    Crumble the queso fresco if you’re using it.
  7. When the chili is ready, taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve, garnished with the cilantro and queso fresco.

— Recipe from How to Cook Everything Fast

Recipe variations

White Bean Green Chili Use 1 (11-ounce) can crushed or whole tomatillos instead of the tomato paste and navy beans instead of black beans. Substitute 1 large or 2 small poblano chiles for the bell pepper. Reduce the water to 2 cups. If using whole tomatillos, before adding the beans in Step 3, use a potato masher to break them up. Keep the garnish or sprinkle with pepitas (hulled green pumpkin seeds) before serving.

Pinto Bean Chili Substitute pinto beans for the black beans and use a green bell pepper instead of red. Grated cheddar cheese and chopped green onion make good garnish options. Everything else stays the same.

Meaty Black, White, or Pinto Bean Chili Works for the main recipe or the first two variations. Reduce the olive oil to 2 tablespoons. Before you prep the onion and garlic, heat the oil in the pot and cook up to 1 pound any ground meat or Mexican-style chorizo (removed from the casing). Stir occasionally until the meat browns in places, about 5 minutes. Then add the onions and garlic and proceed with the recipe.