Yum! Using dried beans makes such a textural difference in this tasty chili. Using a pressure cooker to expedite the cooking of the dried beans is genius! They were cooked perfectly and added a wonderful contrast to the softer “meaty” mushrooms in the finished dish.
The spiciness of the red pepper flakes is magnified in the pressure cooker- I reduced the amount suggested in the original recipe and the spice level (medium?) was just right for our crowd. This recipe was adapted from Hip Pressure Cooking: Fast, Fresh, and Flavorful by Laura D.A. Pazzaglia, founder of hippressurecooking.com. The recipe can easily be made without the bacon to be vegetarian by using more vegetable oil in lieu of bacon fat. We ate it with cornbread and green salad on the side. A perfect cold weather meal- or for the Superbowl!
I am bringing this tasty bowl to share with my friends at the Novice Gardener for Fiesta Friday #51! Enjoy!!
Yield: Serves 6 to 8
Time: 1 to 1 1/2 hours, plus soaking beans overnight
- 2 T canola oil (4 T if using instead of bacon fat)
- 7 oz bacon or pancetta, chopped, optional
- 2 medium yellow onions, chopped
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 8 oz white button mushrooms, trimmed and sliced
- 24 oz cremini mushrooms, trimmed and sliced
- 2 T ground cumin
- 2 T ground coriander
- 2 T unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 1/2 cups beer (I used New Castle)
- 28 oz canned chopped tomatoes with juices
- 2 cups dried pinto beans, soaked overnight (up to 24 hours), rinsed, and drained
- 1 bay leaf
- 2-3 tsp coarse salt, or to taste
- 1 large bunch of cilantro, stems removed, minced, for serving
- sour cream, for serving, optional
- Cover the dried beans with several inches of water in a large bowl. Soak overnight. (or up to 24 hours)
- Heat the pressure cooker on medium heat; add the oil and heat briefly. Add the bacon and sauté until almost crispy, about 5 minutes.
- Add the onion and celery; sauté until the onion has softened, about 4 minutes.
- Add the sliced mushrooms; sauté, stirring occasionally, until browned and about half of the juices have evaporated, 5 minutes or longer.
- Sprinkle the cumin, coriander, cocoa powder, and red pepper flakes over the mixture and stir to combine. Saute for 1 minute more to lightly toast the spices.
- Stir in the beer to deglaze the pan.
- Add the tomatoes, beans, and bay leaf and mix well.
- Close and lock the lid of the pressure cooker. Cook at high pressure for 25 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and release the pressure by “Natural Release” (letting it sit off the heat) as it continues to cook. (It took my pressure cooker 20 minutes to release the pressure.)
- Open the lid and remove and discard the bay leaf. Add the salt; taste and adjust the seasonings.
- Ladle the chili into individual bowls and garnish with sour cream and/or cilantro, as desired.
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I agree! Using dried beans for such dishes are better than the canned ones. This looks fabulous, Josette. Thanks for joining FF #51 today. I hope you’ll come back next week for FF’s first anniversary. 🙂 https://thenovicegardener.wordpress.com/2015/01/17/fiesta-friday-anniversary/
I told Angie that I have started brainstorming for next week…. I can’t believe it’s been a year!!
You can never go wrong with a bowl of chili especially during the cold winter months here in Michigan. I try to stay away from canned anything mainly because of the salt and I think dried beans taste much better. Thanks for coming to the party and hope to see you next week for Fiesta Friday #52 – Angie’s first year anniversary 🙂
It is terrible… I use a ton of canned beans. My daughter eats tons of hummus when she opts out of the family meal. My kids also bring vegetarian burritos to school in their lunch- with canned kidney beans. I forgot how much better dried beans tasted!! Happy FF 🙂
It looks like it would make a great vegan version! Nice recipe!
Thank you!! It is such a hearty veggie chili- my meat-loving husband really enjoyed it too.
Wow does that look good. I’m buying a slow cooker, I have to now must make this chili.
It’s made in a pressure cooker!! I originally bought my pressure cooker years ago to make baby food- now I really only use it for risotto. I just tried a couple of recipes from this pressure cooker cookbook- will post soon!
A pressure cooker, oh wow, I must have slow cookers on the brain. Looks wonderful. I am petrified of pressure cookers exploding. Must get over that fear.
It scares me a little too…
I bought a pressure two years ago and I still haven’ty used it. You’ve inspired me just to bake beans in it. Love your recipe!
I just made an Indian dal too- will post soon. My pressure cooker is definitely underutilized. I use it to make risotto ALL the TIME!!
I’m always happy to see another pressure cooker recipe, Josette. This chili looks like a winning recipe! It amazes me how easy it is to prepare the dried beans under pressure. I LOVE the healthy dose of mushrooms included here….delicious!
Thanks, Nancy!!
The addition of cocoa is a nice surprise! I’ll try it.
I think I could eat chili every single day. I just love it. Your chili looks amazing too. I have a fear of pressure cookers that came from dire warning of them exploding from my mother when I was a child. I wonder if there is a name for that phobia. 🙂
This chili sounds so good! I haven’t used a pressure cooker yet–one of these days I will need to get one!
It scares me every time… but the “natural pressure release” method is a little less frightening- and the results are worth it!
This chili looks really delicious and nourishing! Perfect for a winter day! I agree that dried beans taste much better than canned ones, though I don’t plan ahead enough to use them as much as often as I should. 🙂 Thank you for the inspiration!
I am always upset when I realize that I haven’t soaked the dry beans overnight…
I tend to read the entire recipe at the last minute!!
Me too! 🙂
Wow! This looks absolutely fantastic! Thanks for sharing. Now I need a pressure cooker 🙂
It’s true… 😉
This looks like the perfect belly warmer in winter!
Thanks for sharing your lovely recipe!
MUCH LOVE KAREN
(STYLESMORGASBORD) [BLOGLOVIN])
My husband would have chili EVERY night in the winter!! It is the perfect belly warmer! 🙂
Such an interesting chili! Cocoa and bacon with beer and mushrooms? I will be making this!
Thank you! It was wonderful!! 🙂 Please let me know if you try it!