Food & Drink

Alaska From Scratch: Hearty chili, minus the meat

Chili and football are always on the menu at our house this time of year. This time I'm opting to bypass my favorite go-to black bean chili recipe and try a fun, new meatless recipe with quinoa, black beans and corn.

Holy smokes, this stuff is good and satisfying. Nobody missed the meat. Be sure to have your favorite toppings ready to go. Mine include gobs of cilantro, shredded cheddar cheese, minced red onions (or green onions, if you prefer), slices of ripe avocado and a generous handful of corn chips.

If you'd like your quinoa chili on the spicier side, add thinly sliced fresh jalapeno to the mix. And certainly, if the idea of meatless chili doesn't thrill you or the football fans at your house, feel free to add ground beef, moose or turkey to make it even heartier.

Quinoa chili

A smoky and delicious meatless chili with quinoa, black beans and corn. Serves 6-8.

1 tablespoon oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

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2 tablespoons chili powder

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon cocoa powder

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste (optional)

½ teaspoon salt, or to taste

2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced fire roasted tomatoes

1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce

2 cups cooked quinoa

2 cups vegetable broth (or chicken/beef broth if not going vegetarian)

2 teaspoons adobo sauce (from a can of chipotles in adobo)

2 (15-ounce) cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained (I used one dark red, one light red)

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 (15-ounce) can corn, rinsed and drained

juice of 1 lime

shredded cheddar cheese

cilantro, chopped

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corn chips (like Fritos)

red onion, finely chopped

ripe avocado, chopped

sour cream

1. To a large pot over medium heat, add the oil. Saute the onions 1-2 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook another minute until fragrant. Stir in the chili powder, cumin, cocoa, paprika, cayenne (if using) and salt, toasting the spices in the oil for one minute. Add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, quinoa, broth, adobo, beans, and corn. Bring to a simmer, turn the heat down to low, cover and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally (add more broth if needed for consistency).

2. Stir in the lime juice. Taste for seasoning and add more salt if needed. Serve with toppings of your choice. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator. Makes great leftovers. Adapted from Cooking Classy.

Maya Evoy lives in Nikiski and blogs about food at alaskafromscratch.com. Have a food question or recipe request? Email maya@alaskafromscratch.com and your inquiry may appear in a future column.

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