Warm up your belly with a spicy, vegan, jalapeño chocolate chili. Full of flavor, this easy recipe cooks up in no time.
Chilies offer deep smoky and earthy flavors and are a base for many spicy sauces. They are a rich source of vitamin A. Jalapeños are large green chilies.
Unsweetened or bittersweet chocolate is a combination of cocoa solids and cocoa butter. It is too bitter to nibble, but ideal for cooking, as its intense taste is not easily overpowered by competing flavors.
Vegan Jalapeño Chocolate Chili
Spicy, rich and creamy, this vegan jalapeño chocolate chili is easy to make.
- 1 medium-size fresh jalapeño chili or 2 tsp (5 mL) chili powder
- 1½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp finely chopped garlic
- 1 cup thinly sliced red onion
- 1 cup thinly sliced shiitake mushrooms
- ½ cup corn niblets, frozen or from a can
- 1 cup celery, cut into ½-inch pieces
- 1 lb spinach, washed and thinly sliced
- ½ cup water or vegetable stock
- 1 oz bittersweet chocolate, grated
- 28 oz canned organic diced tomatoes
- 19 oz canned organic pinto or white beans, with liquid
- ½ cup toasted cashews
Slice the chili lengthwise; remove stem and seeds. To toast the chili, heat a small dry skillet over medium heat. Add the chili, pressing down with tongs for 1 minutes, turn over, and toast for 30 seconds on the other side.
When cool, slice into 4 pieces. Pulse in a spice grinder until finely ground. Place in a small bowl with the cumin, oregano, cinnamon, and salt.
In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the garlic for 1 minute. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes or until softened. Add the mushrooms, corn, celery, spinach, and ½ cup (120 mL) water or stock. Cook covered and stir occassionally for 5 minutes.
Mix in the chili spice mixture. Stir in the chocolate and tomatoes. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.
Stir in the beans. Simmer for 5 more minutes or until the beans are hot.
Garnish each bowl with 2 tbsp (30 mL) cashews.
Reprinted with permission from The Fair Trade Ingredient Cookbook by Nettie Cronish (Whitecap Books, 2021)