Kidney bean–brown rice chili

I will admit that most of the time, when a recipe calls for dry beans, I substitute canned. (So far on this blog there has only been one exception.) Despite the fact that 99% of the prep is hands-off, cooking beans from scratch still requires me to remember to soak them the night before. Even the quick-soak method means I need to start the recipe over an hour ahead of time. My point is, I understand if you choose to use canned beans in this recipe (which is, like the skinny bitchtastic brownies, from Skinny Bitch in the Kitch), BUT I do highly recommend going the dry bean route. The firm bite and chewy texture of freshly cooked beans is just so different, and so much better, than canned. That said, I’d estimate you could replace the dry beans with three 15-oz. cans of rinsed and drained kidney beans if you’d prefer.

2 cups dry red kidney beans
1 Tbsp coconut oil (or canola oil)
2 onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chili powder
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried sage
Pinch cayenne pepper
15-oz. can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup medium-grain brown rice
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and shredded
4-6 corn tortillas, cut into strips (optional)

In a large stockpot, combine beans and enough cold water to cover by 2 inches. Cover and let sit for 8 hours or overnight. (Alternatively, bring to a boil over high heat, cover, remove from heat, and let sit for 1 hour.)



Drain the beans, return them to the stockpot, and cover with water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté for 4 minutes. Add the garlic, chili powder, salt, pepper, cumin, oregano, sage, and cayenne and sauté for 1 more minute.



(Sorry for the blurry pic!) Add the onion mixture to the beans...



...along with the tomatoes and rice.



Cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the bell pepper and cook for 15 more minutes. Add the carrot and cook for 5 more minutes, or until the beans and rice are tender.



Serve with homemade tortilla strips, if you wish: while the chili is cooking, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a baking sheet with cooking spray, and arrange the cut-up tortillas in a single layer. Mist the top with cooking spray, and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 3-5 minutes, or until just beginning to brown. Set aside to cool until the chili’s done.



I LOVED this chili; in fact, I think it gave my three-bean chili a run for its money! I’m convinced that using dry beans made all the difference, since the chewy texture they lend (along with the rice) is the highlight of the dish. It’s quite mildly spiced, but feel free to add a minced jalapeño or more cayenne to kick up the heat if you wish. The crispy baked tortilla strips added a fun crunch and pulled the whole thing together nicely. If I’d had any cilantro, I would have stirred some in at the end. This would also be great served with guacamole or vegan sour cream. It’s low-fat, super-filling, and even better leftover!



Yield: 6-8 servings. Per serving (6): 338 calories, 4.2g fat (2g sat), 61g carbs, 20g fiber, 17.6g protein.
Per serving (8): 253 calories, 3.1g fat (1.5g sat), 45.8g carbs, 15g fiber, 13.2g protein.

If you like this, you might also like...
Chickpea lentil slow-cooker stew
Dal makhani: a refresher
Three-bean vegan chili