Caramelizing onions with bell pepper, tomato paste, garlic, and spices sets the stage for a shortcut black bean chili. A few simple substitutions quickly change everything. For even more flavor, substitute a 12-ounce bottle of beer for 1½ cups of the water in Step 3. Serve this vegetarian chili with warmed tortillas or chips, rice, or cornbread if you’ve got some. It’s also good tossed with pasta.

　　This recipe was excerpted from ‘How to Cook Everything Fast, Revised Edition’ by Mark Bittman. Buy the full book on Amazon.

　　

Ingredients

Serves 4

　　1 onion, chopped

　　2 cloves garlic, chopped

　　¼ cup olive oil

　　1 red bell pepper

　　3½ cups cooked or canned black beans (two 15-oz. cans)

　　⅓ cup tomato paste

　　1 Tbsp. chili powder

　　1 tsp. ground cumin

　　1 tsp. smoked paprika

　　1 bunch fresh cilantro

　　4 oz. queso fresco (1 cup crumbled; optional)

　　

Step 1

Put ¼ cup olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until they soften, about 3 minutes. Core, seed, and chop the bell pepper and add it to the pot. If you’re using canned beans, rinse and drain them.

　　

Step 2

Add ⅓ cup tomato paste, 1 Tbsp. chili powder, 1 tsp. ground cumin, and 1 tsp. smoked paprika to the vegetables. Cook, stirring, until the mixture darkens and becomes fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.

　　

Step 3

Add 3 cups water, stirring to scrape up any browned bits. Add the beans. Adjust the heat so the mixture simmers gently but steadily and cook until it thickens, about 5 minutes. Chop 1 cup cilantro leaves and tender stems. Crumble the queso fresco if you’re using it.

　　

Step 4

When the chili is ready, taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve, garnished with the cilantro and queso fresco.

　　Variations:

　　White Bean Green Chili: Use 1 (11-oz.) can crushed or whole tomatillos instead of the tomato paste and navy beans instead of black beans. Substitute 1 large or 2 small poblano chiles for the bell pepper. Reduce the water to 2 cups. If using whole tomatillos, before adding the beans in Step 3, use a potato masher to break them up. Keep the garnish or sprinkle with pepitas (hulled green pumpkin seeds) before serving.

　　Pinto Bean Chili: Substitute pinto beans for the black beans and use a green bell pepper instead of red. Grated cheddar cheese and chopped green onion make good garnish options. Everything else stays the same.

　　From How to Cook Everything Fast, Revised Edition by Mark Bittman. Copyright © 2022 by Mark Bittman. Reprinted by permission of Harvest, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. Buy the full book from Harper Collins or Amazon.