Hearty and satisfying, this chili has a deliciously spicy kick that will warm you and your family up on chilly days. Top with your favourite accompaniments such as shredded cheese, sour cream, tortilla chips, and a slice of lime. Double the recipe and freeze a large portion for those lazy days you can’t be bothered to cook.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients
- 2 dried ancho chilies, stemmed and seeded
- 1/2 cup boiling water
- 42 g / 3 tbsp Mirage margarine
- 1 large onion, diced into 1/4″ (5 mm) pieces
- 3 large cloves garlic, minced
- 5 g / 2 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 g / 1 tsp coriander seed
- 2 g / 1 tsp paprika
- 1 g / 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 g / 1/2 tsp cayenne
- 500 g / 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1 large green pepper, seeded and cut into 1/2″ (1 cm) pieces
- 3 large jalapeño peppers, seeded and cut into 1/4 inch (5 mm) pieces
- 1 can / 15 oz red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can / 28 oz diced tomatoes
- 480 ml / 2 cups water, beef or vegetable stock
- 4 g / 2 tsp dried oregano
- 6 g / 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 2 g / 1 tsp ground pepper
Accompaniments:
- shredded cheese
- avocado slices
- sour cream
- chopped cilantro
- a wedge of lime
Directions
- Place ancho chilis in a small bowl and pour over boiling water; set aside.
- In a large heavy pot or Dutch oven, melt Mirage margarine over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring for 2 minutes. Stir in cumin, coriander, paprika, garlic powder, and cayenne. Cook for about 2 minutes. Add the ground beef and cook until beef is browned, about 7 minutes, then add the peppers.
- While beef is browning place the ancho chilis and their liquid and a blender or food processor; blend until smooth.
- Add the blended chilies to the pot along with the beans, tomatoes (with can juices), water or stock, and oregano.
- Bring mixture to a boil, then lower heat to medium low, covered allowing for a small opening to allow steam to escape and simmer for about half an hour.
- Uncover, add salt and pepper, and simmer for 20 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning accordingly. Serve hot with desired accompaniments. Chili will keep in the refrigerator for 4 days or can be frozen for up to 1 month.
Chef Notes
- Ancho chilies are dried poblano chilies. They are fairly mild but add a sweet smoky taste. The heat in our chili comes from the jalapeños and the cayenne. For an extra spicy version don’t remove the seeds or ribs from the jalapeños – just chop up whole!
