Vegetarian Cajun Chili

1 pound dried red beans
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium yellow onions, finely chopped
2 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 fresh jalapeño chilies, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped
1 fresh long green (Anaheim) chili, stemmed and finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
1 tablespoon ground cumin
6 cups water (Note: I used 3 cups because I like thick soups)
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 tablespoon salt
3/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

Steamed white rice, for serving
Tabasco sauce, for serving

In a medium-sized saucepan, put the beans and enough cold water to cover them by at least 1 inch. Bring to a boil over high heat. Continue boiling briskly for 5 minutes; then, remove the pan from the heat and leave the beans to soak for 1 hour. Drain and rinse well. Set the beans aside.

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, chilies, and celery and sauté until the onions are transparent, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the cumin and sauté 1 minute longer.

Add the beans, the 6 cups of water, the tomatoes, cilantro, salt, pepper, and oregano. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer gently until the beans are very tender, 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally and adding more water if necessary to keep the beans covered.

Serve the beans over steamed rice, passing Tabasco sauce for guests to add fire to individual servings as desired.



Number of Servings: 6

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user WVCINDY.