Black Bean Chili

Simple Southwest Cooking, p. 91

1 pound black beans, or 2 15-ounce cans black beans

2 cups pureed tomatoes

2-3 cups chicken broth, water, or vegetable broth

1 onion, chopped

1 teaspoon minced garlic

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon dried leaf oregano

½ teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon salt, or to taste

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

[Salsa]

[Grated cheese]

Clean and soak beans overnight, then drain. Cover with fresh water and cook until tender, about 2 hours. Drain. Or, clean beans and cover with water, boil for 3 minutes, cover, and soak for 1 hour. Drain, cover with fresh water, and cook until tender, about 2 hours. Drain.

Or you can forego all those steps by buying canned beans, draining and rinsing them, and throwing them in the pot.

In a large pot, combine beans with all ingredients except salt and pepper. 

Stock and tomatoes provided by my friend Charity, who is really great at totally-from-scratch cooking. 

Cover and simmer for 1 hour. Season to taste. 

All together now!

Serve with salsa, chopped onions, and grated cheese, if desired. 

I never thought to put a little dollop of salsa on chili, but in this case it's the perfect accent!

My Rating: 4/5 "Simple to prepare, great flavor, and satisfying for quite a while after you eat it."