Three-Bean Chili

Happy New Year, babes!

Hopefully 2021 isn’t the trash-fire that 2020 was for, oh, roughly the majority of humanity. I for one am determined to make the best of it, and to do everything I can to ensure my own health, wellness and success. That means working hard, eating plenty of whole, healthy plants, and occasionally paying homage to superstition.

One tradition in my family and many others was eating black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day for good fortune for the rest of the year. We typically had it with ham and cornbread as a child (which are apparently part of the tradition), but I think the pigs will be much luckier if they aren’t eaten, so they won’t be part of our plates.

Instead, we’re choosing ingredients that benefit the body, the planet, and the budget! And because I am on an ever-continuing mission to cook every type of new vegetable/grain/mushroom/bean I can find, this one is going to include two new friends.

The first is the humble cowpea.

These are basically a smaller, darker relative to the black-eyed pea most Americans are probably familiar with, and as far as I can tell belong to the same cultivar group and have roughly the same nutritional make-up. The difference is really one of region: cowpeas such as these are used frequently in Indian, West African, and Middle Eastern cuisine.

The other new friend is the somewhat better known cranberry bean. Also called the borlotti bean, and Roman bean, among other monikers, this is a larger, prettier relative of the Pinto bean, but with a milder, less “beany” flavor. They’re popular in Italian and Portuguese cuisine, and have a thin skin that allows them to have a smoother, creamier texture. I have also made this dish with Peruvian beans, and if neither of those suit your fancy, pinto beans are an easy substitute as well.

Really, the important bit is that you get all the power of some of the world’s healthiest foods: beans! And regarding the dried versus canned question, they are both nutritionally sound, just make sure to rinse your beans if you go for canned, particularly if the manufacturer included salt in them.

Other than my somewhat niche choices of beans, the only other ingredient you may or not be familiar with here is the red chili. This is deseeded, pureed chili pods, typically found in the frozen section. You can choose any temperature from mild to face-melting, but I like mine good and hot.

Let’s get right into it, so you can get on with enjoying your new year and some spicy, tasty chili!