Vegetarian Chili
It's a slightly modified version of the chili recipe Adam Ragusea posted on his YouTube channel.
I cook it every other week and it works perfectly both as a main or a side dish. When I first started cooking it, my daughter would request it over and over again, so it even became a meme within our family.
- 400 grams of canned kidney beans
- 400 grams of canned tomato pulp
- 3 large bell peppers
- 3 celery sticks
- 1 large onion
- 1 tablespoon of sugar
- 20 grams of dark chocolate
- 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce
- Seasoning (salt, pepper, paprika, ...)
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
These are the basic ingredients I usually use, with some variations from time to time depending on my mood. I encourage you to experiment with the ratios as well as different kinds of vegetables, beans, or seasonings.
First, I preheat a big pot with a bit of oil. I use a cast iron casserole pot for that, the same I use for backing bread. I dice the onion, celery and bell peppers into small chunks and cook them in the pot until soft.
After that, Adam would first add smashed tomatoes and then right after would add beans and seasoning. I prefer, to cook beans first and add tomatoes and seasonings closer to the end. So, once vegetables are soft, I dump in the canned beans and simmer them for a half an hour or so until the start sticking to the bottom of the pot. The ticking part is the key. It means that more starch is released and the consistency is going to be more thicker.
Then, I mix in the canned tomato pulp, season it with salt, paper, and paprika and cook for another 10-15 minutes. Before turning the heat off, I add chocolate. I prefer dark chocolate without any extra flavouring, but it may be any chocolate you like.
First, I preheat a large pot with a bit of oil. I use a cast iron casserole pot for this, the same one I use for baking bread.
I dice the onion, celery, and bell peppers into small chunks and cook them in the pot until soft.
After that, Adam would first add crushed tomatoes and then immediately add beans and seasoning. I prefer to cook the beans first and add tomatoes and seasonings closer to the end. So, once the vegetables are soft, I add the canned beans and simmer them for about half an hour or until they start sticking to the bottom of the pot. This sticking part is key - it means that more starch is released and the consistency will be thicker.
Then, I mix in the canned tomato pulp, season it with salt, pepper, and paprika, and cook for another 10-15 minutes. Before turning the heat off, I add the chocolate. I prefer dark chocolate without any extra flavoring, but you can use any chocolate you like.
Bon appetit.