Two Bean Chili

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Two Bean Chili

Two Bean Chili

Author:
I whipped up this chili with literally all I had in my fridge and cupboard... not a whole lot. It turned out to be quite yummy though! Feel free to add additional vegetables, such as peppers and sweet potatoes if you have them on hand. The beer also adds a nice flavor although it is not necessary.

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion, chopped
  • 2-3 carrots, chopped
  • 1/2 cup frozen corn
  • 2 large garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tbsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne
  • A pinch of fresh ground pepper
  • 1 (15.5 oz) can crushed tomatoes (or a 28 oz can if you feel like a larger pot of chili)
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 (15.5 oz) can great northern (cannellini are another good white bean), drained and rinsed
  • 1 (15.5 oz) can kidney beans (or another red bean), drained and rinsed
  • 1/2 bottle dark beer (I used Gritty’s brown ale) *optional

Instructions

  1. Heat the oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat.
  2. Add the onion, carrot, bell pepper, and garlic.
  3. Cover and cook until tender, about 10 minutes.
  4. Add the chili powder, salt, cumin, oregano, cayenne, and pepper, and stir for a couple minutes.
  5. Add the tomatoes, corn and water and bring to a boil.
  6. Reduce the heat to low, stir in the beans, cover and simmer until the vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally for 40-50 minutes.
  7. Pour in the beer (about a half bottle) and simmer a couple more minutes so the alcohol can burn off.

Notes:

Sweet potatoes/yams are another great thing to add to make a heartier stew! Chop them up and add to saucepan right away when adding the onions and carrots. Red bell pepper or jalapeño peppers are another great addition to this chili, which can also be chopped and added right in the beginning.