Harissa and White Bean Chili Recipe

Description

The key to achieving depth of flavor in this fresh, nontraditional, 30-minute chili recipe is layering ingredients with bold condiments that do most of the work for you. Here, soy sauce and harissa are used to provide umami, spice and heat. Finish the chili as you’d like, topping it with all of the suggestions below, or skipping the yogurt and feta to keep it vegan. The chili will thicken as it sits, so add a little water when reheating. If you don’t like tomato skins or don’t want to buy fresh tomatoes, substitute 2 tablespoons of tomato paste for the tomatoes, adding it with the harissa. For a more substantial meal, serve with rice or bread, or double the recipe for leftovers.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small red onion, diced
• 2 red or orange bell peppers, seeded and diced
• 2 jalapeños (1 seeded and diced, 1 sliced into thin rounds for garnish)
• Kosher salt
• 1 (10-ounce) container cherry or grape tomatoes (1 pint)
• 1 to 2 tablespoons harissa, depending on heat preference
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 garlic cloves, grated or minced
• 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 (15-ounce) cans white beans, such as cannellini or great Northern, drained and rinsed
• 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• Black pepper
• 3 packed cups baby spinach
• 2 limes, 1 halved, 1 cut into wedges for serving
• Full-fat yogurt or sour cream, for serving
• 1 avocado, sliced or cubed, for serving
• 1/4 cup packed cilantro or parsley leaves and tender stems, roughly chopped or torn, for serving
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta or grated Parmesan or mozzarella, for serving

In a Dutch oven or large pot, heat the oil over medium-high until shimmering. Add the onion, bell pepper and diced jalapeño, and season with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions just start to soften in color and texture, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, season lightly with salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the tomatoes have burst, 6 to 7 minutes, lowering the heat if the onions threaten to burn. Stir in the harissa, cumin, oregano and garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the soy sauce, scraping up anything on the bottom of the pot, until combined, about 1 minute.

Add the white beans and broth, season with salt, and raise the heat to bring it to a gentle boil. Adjust the heat to maintain a simmer, then cook until the broth thickens and the beans become soft and creamy, stirring occasionally to make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom, about 12 to 15 minutes. Smash any remaining whole tomatoes against the side of the pot. Stir in the spinach in batches until wilted. Squeeze in the lime halves, and season to taste with salt and pepper

Divide among bowls and top each with a spoonful of yogurt, followed by the avocado, cilantro, feta and jalapeño rounds. Serve with the lime wedges.