Like most cooks, I’m endlessly adapting recipes. Last night, I took a favorite recipe that I had already adapted to be fat-free and adapted it even more, this time to use a whole grain instead of the bulgur wheat originally called for. The results were satisfying, though more time-consuming.
The original recipe, from Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home, uses bulgur wheat to give the chili some “meatiness.” Since meatiness is not high up on my list of requirements for chili, I often leave it out of the recipe, and it tastes just as good, in my opinion. Last night I decided to replace the bulgur with hulled barley, which, unfortunately, takes longer to cook than bulgur. A lot longer. I’d forgotten just how long it took to cook: after letting the barley cook for about 20 minutes, I could see that it still needed at least 40 minutes more cooking time, so I decided to pop it into the pressure cooker to finish it off. After 10 minutes under pressure and 10 minutes waiting for the pressure to come down, the barley was finally cooked and I could proceed with the recipe at last.
So the recipe below assumes that you have cooked barley on hand. You could use pearled barley, which takes less time but is more processed. Or you use the bulgur–or go without. The hulled barley, in my opinion, tasted great, and gave the chili an interesting texture–not meaty at all, but firm, something to contrast with the softness of the beans. I’ll definitely use it again.
Red, Gold, Black And Green Chili
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup hulled barley, cooked in 2 cups water and drained, liquid reserved
- 3 cups canned diced tomatoes — undrained
- 3 tablespoons water
- 3 cups chopped onions
- 3 cloves garlic — minced
- 1 heaping teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 heaping teaspoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon Tabasco sauce (or other hot sauce)
- 2 green bell peppers — chopped
- 2 cups fresh or frozen corn
- 1 1/2 cups (1 can) black beans, cooked and drained
- 1 1/2 cups (1 can) red kidney beans, cooked and drained
- salt to taste
- limes and baked tortilla chips, for serving
Instructions
- Cook the barley beforehand. This can take upwards of a hour of regular, stove-top cooking, less if you pre-soak the barley overnight. To do it in a pressure cooker, cook unsoaked barley 20 minutes at high pressure and allow the pressure to come down naturally before removing the lid.
- Heat the 3 tbsp. water in a large saucepan. Sauté the onions until they are soft; then stir in the garlic, cumin, chili powder, Tabasco, and bell peppers and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes more. Add the tomatoes and beans to the pan and cook for about 10 minutes. Stir in the corn and the drained barley, adding some of the barley cooking liquid if chili appears too dry. Cover and simmer for a few minutes for the flavors to meld. Add salt to taste.
- Serve with limes to squeeze on at the table and crunchy baked tortilla chips. (This makes about 4 very large or 6 average-sized servings.)
Preparation time: 30 minute(s) | Cooking time: 20 minute(s)
Number of servings (yield): 6
Nutrition (per serving, based on 6, without tortilla chips): 266 calories, 13 calories from fat, 1.6g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 590.3mg sodium, 720.1mg potassium, 53.9g carbohydrates, 13.7g fiber, 11.5g sugar, 12.6g protein, 7.8 points.
And about those chips:
Baked Lime-Chipotle Tortilla Chips
Ingredients
- corn tortillas (about 2 per person)
- fresh lime juice
- chipotle chili powder
- salt (if desired)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 F. Using a sharp knife, cut each tortilla into 4 quarters (you can do this quickly by stacking them and cutting them at once).
- Place the tortilla pieces on a lightly oiled cookie sheet. Brush the top of each chip with lime juice, and sprinkle with chili powder and salt (if desired). Bake, watching carefully, for about 7 minutes. Then, turn the chips over and bake for another 7-10 minutes, until they are crisp but not burned. Serve with the chili. (Please watch them carefully! Most of my first batch burned while I had my eyes on the chili.)
Preparation time: 5 minute(s) | Cooking time: 17 minute(s)
Number of servings (yield): 1
Nutrition (per serving): 116 calories, 11 calories from fat, 1.3g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 5.7mg sodium, 80.8mg potassium, 24.3g carbohydrates, 2.7g fiber, <1g sugar, 3g protein.
This is a meal that most kids will love, and it’s a dish that I often serve to meat-eating guests. Enjoy it with a big green salad. It’s very warm and filling on a winter night.
Rebecca
September 11, 2009 at 9:32 pmThis is a great recipe! I used quinoa instead of barley, but it was still so delicious.
Philippa Sonnichsen
October 20, 2011 at 2:58 pmSusan,
My husband’s new doctor told him to become a vegan or prepare to die early of a heart attack, like his father and grandfather before him. We began our vegan diet at the end of June, and although it took my husband about three months to become emotionally committed, it would have taken a lot longer had I not found your blog. Thanks for all your wonderful recipes, information on cooking techniques, meal planning ideas, and your kind and encouraging voice!
Josephine Royle
February 2, 2012 at 1:53 pmSounds good-I collect vegan chili recipes-will try this one and lime-chipotle chips on Super Bowl Sunday!
Linda Dahlheimer
February 2, 2012 at 4:35 pmAfter seeing an interview, on CNN, with Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, M.D., discussing, how to reverse heart disease (as well as many other diseases) by eating a no fat, plant based diet and then, watching the documentary FORKS OVER KNIVES, my husband and I were committed to the life style change! My husband has reversed his heart disease, after just a few months! He is no longer on any perscription cardiac care meds! We LOVE your blog of fun and interesting recipes! It has made our life style change much easier to do! Thank you. Your inspiration has made a powerful difference in our lives! We are so grateful for your dedicated enthusiasm to this healthy cause!