Mushroom Veggie Chili
Serves: 8
 
Ingredients
  • 5 Tablespoons unrefined, cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • 18 ounces mushrooms (use any kind you want), wiped clean with a damp paper towel, chop them fine or pulse in a food processor
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 2 carrots, diced or 1 medium sweet potato
  • 3 cups cooked black beans, pinto beans, and/or kidney beans, or 2 15-ounce cans, drained and rinsed
  • 2 poblano/pasilla peppers, charred, skins peeled, seeded and diced
  • 1 bell pepper, charred, skins peeled, seeded and diced, green or sweet bell pepper or jarred roasted red pepper
  • 1 18-ounce jar diced or crushed tomatoes
  • 2 Tablespoons tomato paste (add more to make it sweeter)
  • 1 Tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • 2 Tablespoons tamari, shoyu (soy sauce) or coconut aminos
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 cup water (or stock of your choice)
  • Serve with: something rich like avocado, sour cream, Greek yogurt or cheese, tortilla chips or cornbread, and/or more heat like sliced jalapenos
Instructions
  1. Preheat a large skillet (I used a 13-inch) over medium high heat. Add 3 Tablespoons of olive oil and mushrooms, saute mushrooms until they are golden brown (about 10-12 minutes) stirring occasionally. Set aside.
  2. Preheat a large soup pot (I used a 5.5 quart) on medium high heat. Add remaining 2 Tablespoons of olive oil. Saute onions in olive oil for 10 minutes, until they are tender and translucent and starting to brown. Add in garlic, cook for 2 more minutes until fragrant. Add the rest of the ingredients and the reserved mushrooms. Bring to a boil and lower to a simmer. Partially cover and cook over low heat for at least 30 minutes, or up to an hour for richer flavor. Serve with desired accompaniments.
Notes
if you like the smoky and spicy flavor of chipotle, feel free to add chipotle in adobo to taste or chipotle powder. Cut back on the smoked paprika or it might get too smoky.

To roast peppers (poblanos and bell pepper): place peppers over a gas flame. Using tongs to hold the peppers one at a time, blacken the skins lightly (don’t char the living daylights out of the flesh.) Place the blackened peppers in a bowl and cover the bowl for a few minutes to help them soften. When cool enough to handle, peel the peppers (I like to use a paper towel), discard the seeds and coarsely chop. Do not rinse the peppers under water or you’ll rinse off the flavor.

To roast peppers in the oven: Preheat the broiler to HIGH and position a rack 6 inches below the heat source. This is usually the second level. Place the whole peppers on a baking sheet (do not line with parchment or it will burn) and broil until blistered and blackened on all sides, turning every couple of minutes. Set aside in a bowl and cover for at least 15 minutes, or until cool enough to handle. Remove the skin and seeds.

This recipe can be made in advance and transferred to a slow cooker on the warm setting to keep warm for a few hours.
Recipe by Pamela Salzman at https://pamelasalzman.com/mushroom-veggie-chili-recipe/