Jalapeno Black Bean Chili

Turtle, or black beans, have always been a favorite in both Central and South America and have been gaining in popularity in the country. These are also the beans that the Chinese ferment for their black bean sauce. This is a great recipe to serve your vegetarian friends and is so tasty you won’t even miss the meat.

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups black beans, sorted, rinsed, and soaked overnight

• 6 to 8 jalapeño chiles, stems and seeds removed, chopped

• 1 large onion, chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

• ½ teaspoon ground cumin

• 3 cups vegetable broth

• 1 15-ounce can peeled tomatoes

• 1 ½ tablespoons red wine vinegar

• 2 tablespoons dry sherry, optional

• Salt to taste

• Garnishes: Sour cream, chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

Heat the oil in a heavy skillet, add the jalapeños, onion, and garlic and saute until soft, about 5 minutes.

In a large saucepan or stockpot, combine the beans, onion mixture, cumin, and broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the beans are soft, about an 1 ½ hours. Add the tomatoes and vinegar and continue to simmer, uncovered, for an additional 30 minutes or until the chili has thickened.

Remove the chili from the heat and stir in the sherry and season with salt. Ladle the chili into bowls, garnish with a dollop of sour cream, sprinkle the cilantro over the top and serve.