Kristina’s Pinto Bean Chili
There’s nothing better than a steaming bowl of flavorful chili! That is, if you like things that are hot and spicy. However, I’m one of those sensitive individuals that can’t tolerate a lot of heat. But I hate bland beans! So this recipe is my compromise. Lots of flavor, little spice. If you need something more spicy, you can add a dash of cayenne and that’ll do the trick! (Just leave it out if I’m coming to visit you….)
Ingredients
SOAK 8-24 hours or sprout:
- 4 cups pinto beans dry
COOK beans overnight. When the beans soft, ADD onion and garlic and cook until soft.
- 2 large onions finely chopped
- 12 cloves garlic minced
ADD seasonings and SIMMER for one hour:
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 ½ Tbsp onion powder
- 1 ½ tsp garlic powder
- 1 ½ Tbsp paprika
- 1 ½ Tbsp cumin
- 2 tsp basil
- 2 tsp oregano
- 2 tsp parsley
- 28 oz canned diced tomatoes OR 3 cups fresh diced tomatoes
- 6 oz tomato paste optional
Instructions
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POUR soaked or sprouted pintos into a 5 quart or 6 quart crockpot.
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COVER with 8 cups of water. (that's approximate. You want enough water to cover at least 1-2 inches above the beans)
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COOK overnight on high or low, depending on how fresh your beans are and how hot your crockpot is.
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WHEN beans are soft, remove extra water, so it's not above the beans.
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ADD onion and garlic and COOK until soft.
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ADD tomato, seasonings, and tomato paste and STIR well.
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COOK on low, for at least one hour, to allow flavors to blend.
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SERVE OR PUT into warm jars and refrigerate OR freeze for later use. 🙂
Recipe Notes
Sprouting instructions: If you want amazing tasting beans that are easier to digest, try sprouting!
SOAK beans for 24 hours, RINSING every 8-12 hours.
DRAIN water, and cover with a damp cloth for another 24-48 hours, RINSING thoroughly every 8-12 hours. They should start to show little tiny white sprouts–that means they are ready! (Note: the older the beans are, the harder they are to sprout. Don’t worry if not all the beans get sprouts on them.)
COOK right away OR freeze for later use. I always like to sprout 4 cups of dry beans in each bowl and do several bowls at a time. Then FREEZE each bowl in a separate bag, so they’re all ready to grab and go when I need a crockpot of beans cooked!