Black Bean Chili

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Back of the box – or rather back of the can.  On the back of a can of beans in my emergency kit I found this recipe for Black Bean Chili.  A quick and easy chili, bulked up with quinoa and vegetables, it’s a great fast weeknight meal and a fantastic choice if you like to include Meatless Mondays in your meal plans.

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Black Bean Chili

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free, Halal, Hindu, Kosher, Low Calorie, Low Fat, Low Lactose, Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Nut Free, WW Friendly

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 6

Calories 248kcal

Equipment

• Two pots with covers

Ingredients

• 1 cup Quinoa
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion chopped
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 can tomato paste 6 oz
• 2 cans black beans 15.5 oz each, rinsed and drained
• 1 red or green bell pepper seeded and diced
• 1 tbsp Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce optional, finely chopped
• 1 can corn 15 oz, drained

Instructions

• In a medium pot, bring quinoa, 1½ cups water and1 tbsp. of olive oil to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and let simmer for 20 minutes, until water is absorbed and quinoa is tender. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, in a large pot, heat the remaining 1 tbsp. of olive oil on medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic, and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes.
• Add chili powder, cumin and oregano, and stir for about 1 minute.
• Stir in tomato paste, black beans, green and red peppers, chipotle peppers and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil; then reduce heat, Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
• After 20 minutes, stir in reserved quinoa and corn. Cook for another 5 minutes. Serve and top with fresh cilantro.

Notes

This recipe 9 Green, 5 Blue, and 2 Purple WW points.  

Jump to nutritional information

Beans, Beans, Beans!

Are you ready for another of my “as a kid I didn’t eat . . .” stories?  No?  Well, ok, just scroll down to the next section.  I promise, it won’t hurt my feelings, I usually just skip the stories and go straight to the recipes on food blogs too (that’s why my recipes are at the top).  In fact, here’s a link.

But if you’re curious, or just killing time, as a kid I didn’t eat beans.  Beans existed in two forms in my house: lima beans, and canned baked beans.  First: the lima beans.  My parents are the only two people I know of that eat lima beans.  Seriously, who eats these things?  And why?  I rarely (as in, never) see them on menus in restaurants.  I don’t recall anyone talking about them in my WW meetings.  They might have been in the basket on Chopped, but I doubt the Flavortown Market carries it.  Maybe I’ll tweet Guy later and ask. 

Update: I tweeted Guy, he hasn’t responded yet.  I’ll let you know if I hear back. At my WW meeting, only one person reported they ate lima beans, but not often.

The other beans were canned baked beans.  Really, as kid, I never realized that they were called baked beans, because people actually baked the beans! I had only known them from a can!  And I never liked them.  I don’t know why; I don’t even really remember the taste of them.

OK, so let me add here, yes, I ate green beans, but they didn’t feel like beans.  I mean, when you eat green beans, you eat more pod than bean.

So, as I grew into an adult, I held on to the “I don’t like beans” mentality because I didn’t eat beans as a kid.  I stayed away from all forms of beans.  I picked kidney beans out of my chili, I declined the beans at Mexican restaurants, I wondered why someone would put those little beige beans on their salad.  But then I started to try.  Black beans on my Chipotle salad.  Hummus.  White Bean Chili.  And you know what?  I like beans!

Except lima beans – ick!

So, beans are now a staple in my kitchen.  Right now, there are at least four types in the pantry, and I’m sure I will be enjoying them as soon as this round of Whole30 is done.  Oh right, beans are a no-no on Whole30 and in paleo diets.  However, if you are on WW – beans can be some of your best friends.  And this black bean chili is a great addition to your cookbook or meal plan.

The benefits of black beans

There are plenty of reasons to keep beans in your pantry.  First are the practical reasons.  Beans are a cheap food.  Really, I can usually get cans starting around fifty cents on sale.  Even not on sale or in bulk it’s only about a dollar.  Also, they last for a long time, since the beans are either canned or dried.  I kept an emergency kit in my basement that included some food.  When the pandemic started and there were food shortages and grocery issues, my box really came in handy.  And as you might have guessed, there were several types of beans in it. 

But beyond convenience and budgetary benefits, there are so many health benefits.  I was really missing out.  Most people know beans are a great source of protein and fiber, but they are full of good stuff like iron and magnesium that can help strengthen bones.  Yes ladies, we all know how important that is.  By the way, if you find yourself craving chocolate every few weeks, as many of us do, you probably need magnesium.  Maybe try some black bean brownies?

Of course, with all the fiber and protein, it’s not hard to believe the beans can contribute to better digestive health and even weight loss, but there’s even bigger things these little beans can do.  They can also help prevent heart disease and cancer, and manage diabetes. 

Black Bean Chili

Ok, ok, so now I’ll get to it – the chili!  I found this on the back of a can when I pulled out my emergency kit last March when trying to avoid the grocery store.  It’s from the back of a can of Goya black beans.  Yeah, I know Goya, but this was before all the controversial stuff last year.  You’re free to buy the black beans of your choice.

I love a few things about this black bean chili.  First, it’s fast.  Most of my chilis are done in the crock pot.  But what happens if at 4 pm I decide I could really go for some chili for dinner?  Hey, even us dedicated meal planners get cravings and change it up every now and then.  It’s not like the plans are carved in stone.  Well, this recipe only takes about half and hour, so I’m good to go!  I also love that it’s bulked up with some quinoa.  Quinoa is not something I cook with every often, but I should.  On Whole30 I do miss my grains, but I realize I do generally feel better without the gluten, so I should use ingredients like quinoa more often.

So let’s get cooking!  If you are using regular, quinoa, in a medium pot, bring quinoa, 1½ cups water and one tablespoon of olive oil to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and let simmer for 20 minutes.  By this point, the quinoa should be tender and the water should be absorbed.  If it is done before you are ready for it, set the quinoa aside and keep it warm. If you are using instant quinoa, cook it according to the package directions while the chili is simmering later.

While the quinoa is cooking, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a large pot on medium-high heat.  Once the oil is hot, add the onion and garlic to the pan.  Cook until the onions have softened and are translucent.  This should take about five minutes.  Add in the chili powder, cumin, and oregano.  Stir the spices in for about a minute. 

Once your onions and spices have been combined, and your kitchen is starting to fill with that delicious chili smell, add in the tomato paste, black beans, peppers, and water.  Stir to combine while you turn up the heat.  Bring the mixture to a boil, and then reduce the heat down to a simmer.  Cover your pot and allow the flavors to meld together for about twenty minutes. 

Speaking of turning up the heat, if you want to turn up the heat in your mouth as well as on the stove, here’s where you would add in the chipotle peppers.  Personally, I’m not a big fan of the heat, so I usually leave these out.  The cumin provided enough.  Yes, I know cumin isn’t really that high on the spice scale, but I’m a bit of a spice wimp.  Anyway, if you want more heat, add in the adobe peppers.  They will not only add a little more heat, but some say a little smokiness too.  I’ve tried it both ways.  I didn’t miss the flavor without it, nor did I miss the runny nose.  I told you I was a wimp. 

After the chili has been cooking for about twenty minutes, add in the quinoa and corn.  Stir to combine and allow the chili to simmer for another five minutes, allowing the quinoa to start soaking up some of that delicious flavor.  When ready to eat, dish it out, and if you have some on hand, garnish it with some fresh cilantro.

So, what do you think?  You know I love my chilis – my blog is full of recipes like Butternut Chorizo Chili and Chunky Garden Chili.  Obviously, for me chili is more than just meat and seasoning, and I love the vegetarian version of the dish. 

Did you give it a try?  If so, be sure to leave me a note, or take a picture and tag me on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook!

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