In full honesty, when I looked at the recipe for Simple Black Bean Chili, I felt doubtful, partly due to my bias for my family’s favorite chili recipe, and partly due to my assumption that “real” chili has to include meat. I just could not imagine Simple Black Bean Chili being very special. However, my experience in Week One taught me not to judge a recipe by its simplicity.
So happy to report my assumptions were wrong on all fronts!
Simple Black Bean Chili, as it turns out, is not just a winner in flavor, it delivers what I would describe at the trifecta of gold star qualities. Cheap. Easy. Nutritious. How many recipes do you know that fit all three of these categories and taste amazing? Not many!
Given there is no meat in the recipe, the ingredients are very inexpensive. I took mental note of this fact, and am planning on adding this to our regular meal rotation to help even out the grocery bill.
Since all of the ingredients come from a can or a jar, making Simple Black Bean Chili could not be any easier. Deb has expertly chosen ingredients that are packed with flavor and require little effort to come to life. The added step of blistering the peppers (which took five minutes in my broiler) is the key to this recipe’s smokey depth. And given that you are essentially eating a bowl of beans and vegetables, this dinner is nutritious to boot!
It is worth mentioning that chipotle chili powder is very spicy. I highly recommend reducing the amount from 1 teaspoon to 1/2 teaspoon, particularly if you are serving this to children.
Additionally, as written, this recipe serves 2 adults amply or 4 adults scantly. It is not a large batch. I doubled it and was so thankful for the leftovers. We topped our bowls of chili with a dollop of sour cream, a sprinkle of cilantro, and a bit of shredded cheddar. If you like feta, I could see that cheese working well here too.
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