(17 votes, average: 4.71 out of 5)
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This vegan, gluten-free chili is inspired by the story of the “Three Sisters,” the Native American agricultural tradition of planting beans, squash, and corn together.
Ingredients
- 1 pound red beans (i.e., kidney, small red, cranberry), dried
- 7 cups water
- 1 vegetable bouillon cube (gluten-free)
- 1 small acorn squash, peeled, cubed (about 2 ¼ cups)
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 stalks celery, diced
- 1 bell pepper, diced
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon juniper berries (available at spice shops or online), ground using mortar and pestle
- 2 teaspoons ground, dried sage
- ½ – 1 teaspoon crushed red chili pepper (according to taste preference)
- 1 teaspoon dried tarragon
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 1 6-ounce can tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped
- Sea salt (optional)
Garnish:
- Fresh tarragon, mint or sage, as desired
Instructions
- Soak beans overnight in water.
- Drain and place beans in a large pot. Add fresh water, vegetable bouillon cube, squash, onion, garlic, celery, pepper, bay leaves, juniper berries, sage, chili pepper, tarragon, and corn. Stir well, cover, and bring to a heat. Simmer over medium-low for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. May need to replace water lost to evaporation.
- Add tomato sauce and tomato paste. Cook for an additional 15-30 minutes, until thick and beans are tender. May add additional water lost to evaporation as needed—should make thick, stew-like consistency. Add fresh mint and stir well. Remove bay leaves. Season with salt, if desired. May serve with fresh tarragon, mint or sage, as desired.
Notes
Instant Pot Directions: Skip step 1. Follow steps 2-3, placing all ingredients, except garnish, in the container of the Instant Pot. Press “Bean/Chili” setting. Cook according to manufacturer’s directions. Garnish as desired with tarragon, mint, or sage. Serve immediately.
Slow Cooker Directions: Soak beans in water overnight as in step 1. Follow step 2-3; draining beans and placing them in slow cooker container, along with all ingredients (except for garnish). Cook on high for 4-6 hours or on low for 8-12 hours until tender. Cook according to manufacturer’s directions. Garnish as desired with tarragon, mint, or sage. Serve immediately.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 216
- Sugar: 9 G
- Sodium: 233 mg
- Fat: 1 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 43 g
- Fiber: 9 g
- Protein: 12 g
How would I change this recipe to use canned beans? I tried using three cans per pound of dried but it is really watery. I thought since the dried beans would have already been soaked I wouldn’t have to change the water amount. Help!
This is a great question! Even when you soak beans, they still require additional water to cook them completely. If you are replacing dried beans with canned, I suggest using about 3 15-ounce cans of beans with liquid in place of 1 pound of dried beans, and remove the cooking liquid, such as water or broth, from the recipe. You can add additional water or broth as needed to achieve the texture desired. In this recipe, I would precook the vegetables with spices in a small amount of broth until they are tender, then add beans with liquid and tomatoes with liquid and cook until warmed through. Then add additional broth as needed to make desired consistency.
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