This time of year screams “chili weather.” Or “football food”. Or, you know, something along those lines. What I decided I wanted, literally in the middle of weekday work day, was a big fat pot of chili for the weekend…with ample flavor, ample leftovers, and ample cheese on top. And a side of corn bread to go with it (recipe to follow.) And, since I’ve got a lot of different chili recipes on here (chili with quinoa, chili with lot of beans, and chili with black beans and salsa), I figured I’d jump a little bit outside of the norm and try a new recipe.
Enter hominy. Something that I’ve never cooked with before. Thanks to this article, I educated myself a bit before attempting to use it in a recipe. The result? A really good (really spicy) batch of chili that satisfied every craving I had.
Here’s the deal with this recipe: It does pack a significant punch as far as spice goes, so feel free to reduce the amount of heat here. I substituted a few chipotle peppers (in a can with adobo sauce) instead of the poblano peppers that the original recipe calls for. And, in the end, I like my chili to have a little bit of liquid-I’m not a fan of just a big bowl of cooked beans (I like to dip the cornbread in.), so I increased the amount of water here significantly. (You can eyeball this and always add more later, if need be.) Substitute in different beans if you would like. I thought the hominy added an extra bit of texture to the recipe. If you aren’t a fan of meat substitutes, skip the veggie sausage. And, as always, add more vegetables if you like. For a vegan version, use the appropriate toppings that you would normally use.
Enjoy. And stay warm.
White Bean and Hominy Chipotle Chili
Servings: 4-6
Ingredients
Two 15-ounce cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
One 4-ounce meatless Mexican chipotle sausage (I used Field Roast), sliced
1 yellow onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2-3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped and seeds removed (as best you can. Keep the rest of the peppers for the cornbread recipe that will follow.)
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
4 cups water
2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons Sriracha, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon salt
One 15.5-ounce can white hominy, rinsed and drained
For garnish: green onions, cheese, Greek yogurt, cilantro, avocado, etc.
Instructions
1. Heat a large Dutch oven or sauce pot over medium heat.
2. Add the olive oil and what until shimmering.
3. Add the sausage, and sauté for about 4 minutes.
4. Add the onion, garlic, and chipotle peppers; sauté for about 5-6 minutes.
5. Add the chili powder and cumin; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
6. Add the cannellini beans, water, dried oregano, Sriracha, salt, and hominy.
7. Bring the chili to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes. Garnish with toppings, and enjoy.
Source: Adapted from Cooking Light as part of my monthly contribution to the Cooking Light Bloggers Connection.
Hannah @ CleanEatingVeggieGirl - Don’t you LOVE the spicy “sausage” from Field Roast in chili? It is SO good!
Stephanie @ Girl Versus Dough - I’ve never tried hominy but I’m all into chili these days (thanks, winter) so I’ll have to give this a try this weekend. I’m excited. 🙂
Katrina @ WVS - Chili weather indeed!! This looks lovely!
Joanne - I made this a few months ago and it was awesome! Definitely a nice change from red-based chilis. Plus i love the hominy addition!