Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 large bell peppers (1 green, 1 red), chopped
- 3 medium carrots, finely chopped
- Kosher salt
- 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1/2 to 1 chipotle chile pepper in adobo sauce, chopped
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 corn tortillas, torn into pieces
- 1/2 cup brewed coffee
- 1 28-ounce can whole plum tomatoes, crushed by hand
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 15-ounce cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 head cauliflower
- 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, plus torn leaves for topping (optional)
- Shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese, sliced scallions and/ or plain low-fat Greek yogurt, for topping (optional)
Directions
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell peppers, carrots and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring frequently, until the carrots begin to soften, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 2 more minutes. Add the chili powder, cumin, coriander, oregano, chipotle, tomato paste and tortillas and cook, stirring, until the tomato paste is brick red, about 4 minutes (add a splash of water if the mixture begins to stick). Add the coffee and simmer until almost completely reduced, about 30 seconds. Stir in the tomatoes, cocoa powder, beans and 2 1/2 cups water and bring to a simmer over low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chili thickens slightly, about 1 hour, 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, trim the large stems off the cauliflower and coarsely grate the florets on a box grater. About 10 minutes before the chili is done cooking, stir in the grated cauliflower. Cook 10 minutes, then remove from the heat. Stir in the chopped cilantro and season with salt. Add some water if the chili is too thick. Ladle into bowls and add toppings.
Sally’s Notes: This is an absolute great, healthy dish. You have many options with it. After reading some on-line comments about the chili I skipped the cauliflower step and I did not miss it but the next time I make it, if I have cauliflower I’ll give it a try. When you crush the tomatoes with your hand hold it as low in the pot as you can. The tomatoes burst! That was actually fun. If you are cutting back on carbs and don’t want the beans, don’t add them but then don’t add the water. Speaking of water, I used vegetable stock for more flavor. I also did not have coco powder but I did have semi-sweet bakers chocolate so I grated about 2 tsp of that into the chili after I added the tomatoes. I also skipped the tortillas, I just did not find that appealing. I’d rather eat them as a side dish!
