Polar Vortex Chili
I’ve avoided grocery store shopping before major snowstorms and found myself stuck only with the cat treats I’d accidentally ordered online because I’d mistaken them for jerky. Oops. When I’m smart enough to gather ingredients and actually prepare a dish in advance, my favorite hibernation recipe is chili. But a very specific type of chili, with chipotle powder and sweet potatoes. I love a smoky-and-sweet balance to offset the jar of cayenne that I’m inevitably going to drop into the slow cooker. This is, perhaps, the only food that can make offensively cold weather even temporarily acceptable, which is saying a lot, because this Florida boy hates cold weather more than being out past midnight.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large red onion diced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 small red bell pepper cored and diced
- 1 small yellow bell pepper cored and diced
- 1 medium sweet potato peeled and diced into ¾-inch cubes
- 1 canned chipotle pepper in adobo sauce finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon chipotle chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cayenne
- ¼ teaspoon hot smoked paprika
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 15.5-ounce cans diced fire-roasted tomatoes with green chilies
- 1 15.5-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- Juice of 1 medium lime
- TOPPINGS
- 1 avocado sliced
- Leaves from 1 bunch cilantro
- Crema
- Grated yellow cheddar cheese
- Pickled red onions see page 114
- 1 lime cut into wedges
Instructions
- In a medium Dutch oven over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil.
- Add the red onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic, red and yellow bell peppers, and sweet potato and cook until the peppers are softened, about 4 minutes.
- Add the chipotle in adobo sauce, cumin, chili powder, cayenne, and paprika.
- Season with salt and black pepper.
- Stir to combine.
- Add the tomatoes, beans, and broth.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer, cover, and cook for 30 minutes, until the sweet potato is tender.
- Add the lime juice, taste, and adjust the seasonings to your liking.
- Serve with your desired toppings.