It is chili season! Whether you are looking for an easy option to enjoy during the super bowl or a quick weeknight main, this white bean chili comes together in under an hour. The recipe is for a standard vegetarian version but, if you lean more toward a turkey or chicken chili, ground meat would fit in well. The spice level is also adaptable, depending on who is in your eating audience. To play it safe, you can always kick up the hotness via your garnishes - which is my favorite part of chili and a great way to engage tiny and normal size diners.
There are a few iterations of chili recipes here on crunchy radish. We have the zippy tomatillo-laced chili verde with tortilla strips as well as one with pumpkin and black beans. Both recipes have notations for utilizing dried beans vs canned, whichever floats your boat. In my pre-child years, I was all for using dried beans, but nowadays when I sometimes have trouble thinking ahead to the next hour, canned beans are my hero food.
I served the chili with smitten kitchen corn muffins, but swapped in whole wheat flour instead of white, used kefir for sour cream, and coconut sugar in place of traditional. They turned out great.
White Bean Chili
serves 3 to 4
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon pimenton or smoked paprika
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon diced green chilies or 1 small jalapeño, seeded and minced (optional)
1 pound organic ground turkey or chicken (optional)
Three 15 oz cans BPA-free/salt-free navy beans, great northern beans, or cannellini beans or a combination
2 cups vegetable broth
Toppings
Sour cream
Grated cheddar cheese
Diced avocado
Pickled jalapeño
Cilantro
Sliced scallions
Limes
Blue chips
Corn muffins/corn bread
In a large dutch oven, warm olive oil over medium heat. Add the cumin, chili powder, pimenton/smoked paprika, and oregano, and toast the spices for 30 seconds. Add the onion, garlic, and jalapeño, if using, and cook for 4 minutes. If using diced canned chiles, add them now and cook for another minute. (Use either canned or raw chili not both!) If you are adding ground meat, add it to the pot, breaking it up and incorporating it with the aromatics. Cook for 5 minutes, allowing it to brown.
Drain and rinse the beans, and add them to the pot. Using the back of a wooden spoon, mash 1/4 to 1/2 of the beans - this will thicken your chili.
Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 2 cups vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook partially covered for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Ladle into bowls and “choose your own adventure” with your toppings. Enjoy!