Spicy Vegan Chili

We used black beans instead of kidney beans in our Spicy Vegan Chili. Some kidney beans have a toxin, so if you use them, please read the cooking precautions in Tips and Notes from http://www.cookforgood.com that follow this recipe.

Colorful and spicy, red bean chili is nearly a whole meal by itself. It's full of beans, of course, but also tomatoes, onions, peppers, and garlic. Use chipotle pepper if you can for a smoky, rich taste.

Active time: 45 minutes. Total time: 3 to 8 hours, plus optional 6 to 10 hours soaking time. Makes 12 servings, 1 cup each.

1 pound dried kidney beans (6 cups cooked)
6 cups cold water
2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon corn or canola oil
2 large onions, chopped (2 cups or 1 pound)
2 large green peppers, chopped (2 cups or 1 pound)
8 cloves garlic, diced (scant 1/4 cup or 1 ounce)
1 tablespoon dried chipotle or cayenne powder, or to taste
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 cans (28 ounces each) diced tomatoes with juice

Method

1. Clean the beans. If you want to, soak beans for at least five hours. (See the Basic Bean recipe at http://www.cookforgood.com for details on cleaning and soaking beans.)
2. In a crockpot or a big pot on the stove, cook beans and salt in 6 cups of water. Your times will vary based on the age of the beans and whether you soaked them first, but this should give you an idea about the relative speed of each way. I usually soak the beans and use the 3-hour way.
• 7-hour way — Put beans and salt in cold water in the crockpot. Turn the crockpot on low and cover.
• 3-hour way — Heat cold water in a tea kettle or pot. Put beans, salt, and hot water in the crockpot. Turn the crockpot on high and cover.
• 2-hour way — Put beans in cold water in a pot on the stove. Cover pot, bring to a boil, then turn down heat to low.
3. About 30 minutes before the beans should be done, chop the onions, green peppers, and garlic. In a medium pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add the onions and green peppers as you chop them, stirring occasionally. When the onions are translucent, add the garlic and stir once or twice. Add the spices and stir until the vegetables are coated with spices.
4. Bite a few beans to make sure they are tender. When the beans are tender, drain them. Add the onion mixture and the tomatoes, stirring to combine. Simmer for 30 minutes to combine flavors. Taste and adjust spices as needed.
5. Serve with over rice or with corn bread or toast. Optionally, garnish with a spoonful of plain yogurt or chopped green onions.

From http://www.cookforgood.com

Tips and notes

• The FDA recommends always soaking kidney beans for at least five hours and throwing away the soaking liquid to avoid problems with a toxin in some kidney beans. Partly cooked beans can be more toxic than raw ones, so make sure the beans have been boiling for at least 10 minutes before you taste them. Really, you won't need to taste them until they have been boiling for nearly two hours.
• The tomatoes will stop the beans from becoming more tender, so make sure the beans are soft before draining them and adding tomatoes. If the beans are not tender in step 4, add the tomatoes to the onion mixture and simmer on low so the spices don't burn while the beans continue to cook.
• It's easier to add hot pepper than to take it out. Start slowly, taste, and then add more. If you do go over your comfort limit, just refrigerated the chili and taste it again the next day. The beans will absorb some of the heat from the sauce, reducing the heat level.
• This chili freezes very well. It's great to have on hand when you need a quick one-bowl meal.