Chili sin Carne from The Bean Book

"The chili debate is one of my favorites. Texans can be stubborn, and most will tell you that beans have no business in chili con carne. You can easily shrug and ignore them, doing what pleases you. However, bean broth adds something special to chili, even if you have few or no beans..We've substituted meat in this version with big, beefy runner beans. A stubborn Texan isn't likely to budge, but serve it with cornbread and enjoy yourself."

- Steve Sando

I wouldn't say I had Chili sin Carne on my mind, but sometimes you catch a glimpse of something and it's just too good to ignore. This chili boasts hearty Ayocote Morado heirloom beans as a substitute for meat. You won't find any tomatoes here either but you will find plenty of zucchini and corn.

Learn more about cooking with kids.

If you like this recipe, try chocolate bison chili, bean & sauerkraut soup, pasta fagioli, three sisters bean stew, jollof rice with beans, refried beans, Cuban black beans with rice, gallo pinto, beef & beans tostadas, ratatouille, chickpea salad, and popcorn.

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• The Bean Book
• Three Sisters Bean Stew
• Food from Around the World: Free Cooking Lessons
• How to Make Chili sin Carne
• Chili sin Carne
• Chili sin Carne Recipe for Pre-Readers and Up
• Montessori Continent Boxes
• Chili sin Carne from The Bean Book

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The Bean Book

This chili sin carne recipe comes from The Bean Book: 100 Recipes for Cooking with All Kinds of Beans, from the Rancho Gordo Kitchen by Steve Sando with Julia Newberry.

Beans have been with us for a very long time. Here in the Americas, wild Phaseolus vulgaris - also known as the 'common bean' - have been found throughout Mexico, in the Andes, and even as far south as Argentina. Phaseolus lunatus, or lima beans, have their roots in Peru. Mexico and Peru seem to be the centers of domestication, and both of those countries are still major players in the production of beans. Because dried beans are seeds, and because they travel so well, they spread quickly throughout the Americas.

Without much meat available in ancient cultures, you can see how important beans must have been: Eaten with whole-grain corn to supply the right complementary amino acids, they would have created a complete protein. Had there been no beans to eat, we could speculate that the Aztec, Mayan, and Olmec cultures might not have become so advanced.

Once introduced, bean cultivation quickly traveled north where Native Americans adopted many of the same methods developed by their Mesoamerican counterparts. Along with the beans from Mexico and Central and South America, North American Natives added their own tepary bean from the Southwest to the mix.

- Steve Sando

Once you start cooking with these beans, getting hooked on them is easy. And when you do, there's a bean club for that.

How to Make Chili sin Carne

Ingredients

• bay leaf - we use bay laurel for all of our bean recipes
• oil - olive oil is preferred
• garlic
• onion - grab the white onion for this chili sin carne
• chile powder - pure New Mexican red chile powder is recommended but you can use what you have
• cumin
• Mexican oregano - we use Oregano Indio for this chili
• vegetable broth
• beans - we like Ayocote Morado for this recipe but you can use what you have on hand
• bean broth - you'll need some of the bean broth from you're cooked beans
• salt
• sugar
• zucchini - small zucchini are recommended for chili sin carne
• corn - corn kernels from 3 ears of corn add the perfect texture to this dish
• lime - optional
• crème fraiche - optional

Equipment

• Apron
• Prep Bowls
• Butcher Block
• Child-Friendly Knife
• Kitchen Scale
• Measuring Spoons
• Wooden Spoon
• Dutch oven

Cook the Beans

Wash your hands with soap and water.

Add the beans and a bay laurel to a medium-sized pot. Add enough water to cover the beans by 2 inches. Turn the stove to high heat and bring the water to a boil. Allow the pot to boil for 10-15 minutes.

Turn the heat to medium-low, cover with a lid, and allow the beans to simmer until the beans start to become tender. Turn off the stove when finished and drain the beans.

If you want to cut down on cooking time, you can soak the beans beforehand.

Need conversions for cooked vs uncooked beans? We've got the bean math for you.

Prep the Vegetables

While the beans are cooking, prep the vegetables. Use a cutting board and knife to chop the onion, mince the garlic, slice the zucchini, and cut the corn off the cob. If you're serving lime with this chili sin carne, you can cut it into wedges now.

Sauté the Garlic & Onion

Add the olive oil to the Dutch oven and heat over medium-low heat. Once the olive oil ripples, add the garlic and onion to the pot. Let it sauté for about five minutes or until fragrant.

Add the Chile Powder, Cumin, & Oregano

Use measuring spoons or spice spoons to add the chile powder, cumin, and oregano to the pot. Stir constantly for three minutes. It will form a dense paste.

Stir in the Vegetable Broth

Slowly stir in the vegetable broth with a spoon. Stir constantly until it is well blended.

Add the Beans & Bean Broth

Add the beans and the bean broth to the pot. Give it a stir. Cook for 20 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Steve says that this is a great time to taste and add any salt you may need. If the broth is bitter, add 1 teaspoon of sugar at a time until you achieve the desired flavor.

Let the chili simmer until it starts to thicken.

Add the Zucchini & Corn

Add the zucchini and corn to the pot. Give it a stir.

Cook for 15 Minutes

Cook the chili for 15 more minutes. Serve the chili with the lime wedges or crème fraiche if you wish.

If, like us, you feel the need to put sauce on everything, you can top your chili sin carne with a Rancho Gordo chile sauce ranging from very hot to mild. The Gay Caballero is my personal favorite while the Rio Fuego has an earthy pumpkin flavor that's perfect for fall.

Chili sin Carne Recipe for Pre-Readers and Up