Melanie’s Amazing Veggie Chili

When I graduated from college I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. Like many folks in their early 20s, I felt like I wasn’t done learning, like I hadn’t yet figured out my path. While most of my friends had moved on, I stuck around New York and moved in with a friend of a friend and her son. This friend of a friend soon became an extremely important figure in my life. She inspired me with her dedication to the Spanish language, teaching, and her wonderful stories of meeting Jorge Luis Borges as a graduate student in Buenos Aires.  In her house I learned the flavors, accents, and love involved in Mexican and South American cooking.

Here’s a recipe right from her sunny kitchen in Rhinebeck, NY.

Gather up:

2 lrg white onions, chopped coarsely

4 lrg garlic cloves, finely chopped

*2 jalapeños, minced with seeds

2 28 oz cans of diced tomatoes (plum if you can find them), reserve juices

½ cup tomato paste

*2 peppers (I like using poblanos for their smoky flavor), chopped

2 lrg carrots, chopped

**1 15 oz can garbanzo beans, drained

**1 15 oz can pinto beans, drained

**1 15 oz can kidney beans, drained

2 small zucchini diced

cheddar cheese (grated for garnish)

*If you are timid about heat in this chili, de-seed the jalapeños, OR use a milder pepper. In fact, feel free to substitute any of the peppers in this soup for your favorites. Of course, this will change the flavor.

**Use any beans you like! I’m a fan of garbanzos and sometimes cannellini take the place of kidney beans.

Eyeballing it:

Vegetable oil (enough to generously coat the bottom of your soup pot)

ground cumin, flat palmful

salt, cupped palmful

cayenne (half a cupped palmful, adjust as you see fit)

I made this awesome chili at my friend Vicki’s casa, who along with my pal Kari, did the chopping.

Do it:

1)      If you’re down a hand, ask your friends to help with the chopping of the veggies. It will be fun and the work will go much faster!

2)      Heat oil in a heavy, large pot (we used  Vicki’s lovely Dutch oven) over medium heat.

3)      Add the chopped onions, garlic, and jalapeños and sauté until the onions are translucent and the the amazing aromas of this base are tickling your nose.

4)      Add 1 cup of the reserved tomato juices to the pot along with the tomato paste, the poblanos, carrots, cumin, salt, and cayenne. Bring to a simmer and cook 20 minutes, stirring frequently.

5)      Add all the beans, cook 15 more minutes and add more reserved tomato juices if your chili is too thick (aka if you can stick a spatula in it without it moving).

6)      Add the zucchini and cook 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally.

7)      Ladle it into cute bowls (our had a funky Marimeko-ish pattern on them) and top with some grated cheese (the best for this chili is sharp cheddar).

YUM!

Rating: Hi-Fives All Around

Easy-o-meter: wicked, though you should know a bit about chilies if you’re going to experiment. You don’t want to burn a hole in your tongue (hopefully).

Time: 1.5 hours from unpacking the groceries to tucking in.

Taste: Spicy but not too hot. Just the way I like it!