Chili is one of those dishes that can be made literally a gazillion different ways. There’s thin chili, thick chili, spiced up chili, spicy chili, meaty chili, veggie chili, white chili, green chili… you get the picture. With so many different varieties, some might wonder which is the best and the truth is, as with almost any food out there, it’s all just a matter of personal taste.
While you might love a chili so spicy that your tongue falls out, someone else might love something a bit more mellow. There is no perfect, best, or “right” chili recipe that works for every single person but there is however that one recipe that you go to again and again because your mouth just can’t get enough of it. For me, that one recipe would be my Circle City Chili. It’s thick, dark, slightly sweet, not too spicy, and a little smokey. If your taste for chili is simpatico then you’ve come to the right place, my friend.
It all gets started with some prep. (This is the most laborious part of this recipe but you can do it because you’re fucking amazing!) You’ll need to small dice half of a white onion, half of a green bell pepper, and half of a red bell pepper. You’re also going to cut up 6 tomatoes -yes, fresh tomatoes! No canned tomatoes for this recipe!
The best way that I’ve found to get those tomatoes broken down is to put them into a pull chop container. I cut the tomatoes in half or in 3rds so that they’ll fit into the pull chop container and then give the cord about 8-10 pulls. You’ll want to transfer the tomato pieces and their liquid into a bigger bowl so that you can then repeat the pull chop process with the rest of the tomatoes.
After you’ve prepped the veg, you’re gonna get cookin’ some veg. In a large coverable pot or cast iron dutch oven, heat some oil up on medium heat for a minute or two. Add in the onion, green bell pepper, and red bell pepper, then cook this trio for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
After 10 minutes has passed, it’s time to add in everything else -2 different kinds of beans, the tomatoes we prepped earlier, frozen corn kernels, water (or a little water and a little ale or beer, if you’re so inclined), tomato paste, and a whole bunch of seasonings. Give the chili a good stir to ensure it’s all combined then cover the pot and cook for 30-40 minutes on low-med. or medium heat -the chili should be bubbling pretty good but not boiling. Be sure to stir occasionally.
When the chili is done it’ll be darker in color and thicker than it was 30-40 minutes ago. Serve it up with your favorite toppings or just enjoy it all by itself -either way, you can’t go wrong!
Vegan Circle City Chili
Ingredients
- 6 medium size tomatoes
- 1/2 of a white onion
- 1/2 of a green bell pepper
- 1/2 of a red bell pepper
- 1/4 cup oil
- 2 (15-ounce) cans of low-sodium black beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 (15-ounce) cans of low-sodium kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup frozen yellow corn kernels
- 1/2 cup water (or 1/4 cup water + 1/4 cup ale or beer)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3/4 teaspoon paprika
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon sugar
- Toppings (optional)
Directions
- Cut the tomatoes in half or in 3rds so that they’ll fit into a pull chop container. Place 3 or 4 tomato chunks into the container then give the cord about 8-10 pulls. Transfer the tomato pieces and their liquid into a bigger bowl or container so that you can repeat the pull chop process with the remaining chunks of the tomatoes. Set the prepped tomatoes aside for use later then small dice the onion and bell peppers, making sure to remove the seeds from the peppers.
- In a large coverable pot or cast iron dutch oven, heat the oil up on medium heat for a minute or two. Add in the onion, green bell pepper, and red bell pepper, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- After 10 minutes, add in the remaining ingredients. Give the chili a good stir to combine everything then cover and cook on low-med. or medium heat for 30-40 minutes -you want it to be bubbling pretty good but not boiling. Be sure to stir occasionally. When the chili is done it’ll be thicker and also darker in color. Serve with your favorite toppings (optional). Chili will keep in an airtight container in fridge for up to 5 days.
