Younger me was a dreamer of big things.
And amid those that involved world travel, an esteemed career and enviable, incandescent romance, one was pervasive — in particular as I trudged, leash in hand, through the unglamorous gray slush of Jersey City in January, with dawn’s first light creating a similarly steely sky overhead.
One day, I mused, I will walk my dog in flip-flops.
Less younger me is happy to report that mostly, I do.
But dang, if it wasn’t 41 degrees the other day.
I love breaking out the cute boots and ski hats as often as most other women in Central Florida, but 41 degrees, after 20+ years devolving from northeastern evergreen into southeastern orchid, is bull.
I don’t mean to sound ungrateful. I realize that these are temps that Minnesotans won’t enjoy, even as a high, until March. And that if this is even a real problem (it’s not), it’s first-world.
But nothing solves problems, especially those of a cold and cranky drama queen in knock-off Uggs from Stein Mart, like food. And in this particular case, Meaty Beany Chili, a vegan superstar of a recipe from chef Isa Chandra Moskowitz, is a solver supreme.
This is a plant-based dish I fell in love with years ago when, for nearly a year, I was a card-carrying vegan. It’s hearty. It’s super flavorful. It can be tailored to any desired spice level.
And perhaps best of all, it requires no “strange,” vegan-pantry ingredients, which can be an issue for folks who enjoy trying plant-based dishes but don’t want to run around looking for vital wheat gluten or agar powder just to make a pot of chili.
Also, there’s no law that says you can’t make it vegetarian (melt cheese on it! stuff it in an omelet!) or use it as a hot dog topping.
Simply put, it’s a luscious stew into which brown lentils melt into something gravy-like in which creamy black and kidney beans loll and soak as they wait for their chance to warm up your insides and stick heartily to your ribs. Cornbread on the side aids greatly in the process, just sayin’. And the link with this recipe connects to a vegan version of that, as well.
So, whether you’re looking to up your internal temperature for a few weeks until flip-flop weather returns or lower some other numbers your doctor’s been concerned with as the year begins anew, this is a recipe that can do it all.
One pot. Zero drama.
Meaty Beany Chili
Recipe courtesy the Post Punk Kitchen.
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced medium
1 green pepper, seeded, diced medium
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 jalapeños, thinly sliced (seeded, if you want it less spicy)
3 to 4 tablespoons mild chili powder
1 tablespoon dried Mexican oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Several dashes fresh black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
2 cups water (plus extra as needed)
1 cup dried brown lentils
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 15-ounce can cooked kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 15 -ounce can cooked black beans, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
Preheat 4 quart pot over medium high heat.
Sauté onion, green pepper and jalapeño in the oil with a big pinch of salt for 5 to 7 minutes, until onion is translucent.
Add garlic, and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add chili powder (start with 3 tablespoons and go from there), oregano, cumin, salt, pepper and cloves and toss to coat the onions, letting the spices toast a bit (about a minute or so).
Add the 4 cups water and scrape bottom of the pan to deglaze. Add lentils, cover pot, turn the heat up and bring to a boil. Let boil for about 20 minutes, stirring every now and again. The lentils should still be firm, but almost tender enough to eat.
Add the crushed tomatoes, kidney beans and black beans. Cover the pot, and turn heat down to simmer. Let cook for about 30 more minutes, stirring occasionally. The lentils should be quite mushy, almost melting into the chili. You may also need to add more liquid depending on how much the chili has cooked down. Adding up to two cups more would not be unheard of.
Add lime and maple syrup, then taste for salt and seasoning. It tastes best if you let it sit for 10 minutes or so, but if you can’t wait then just dig in!