Spicy bean chili with orange and cinnamon

Spicy bean chili with orange and cinnamon recipe! A cozy, vegan chili brightened up with a touch of orange and a pinch of cinnamon. SUPER GOOD!

Well, Friday. You’re lookin goooooood. And this vegan orange chili is making you look even better.

Oh man, this week. My friends, it’s been kind of a rough one. I ended up getting hit with some sort of major sinus malfunction and suffered from a really sucky case of vertigo. Nothing totally unusual for me this time of year, but still, sucky. And yes, you better believe I wonder if I’ll resemble Lucille Austero when I’m older. LOL! (anyone know what I’m talking about?)

So, this chili was (hopefully) my last big batch o wintery comfort food of the season. The oranges are making an exit, and this is for sure the last orange recipe you will see until they come back around. Bittersweet feelings- big time. It’s absolutely perfect to soothe your soul. Spicy, hearty, cinnamony, but with a touch of sunshiney brightness with that orange added. Everything ya need if ya need it. Know what I mean?

I wanted to give a big ole shout out to something that has really been inspiring me the last few weeks. The Feeding a Broken Heart series from Pinch of Yum. I’ve been following along on Lindsay’s journey to heal her soul after the loss of her baby, Afton, and part of that journey for her has been to create comfort food dedicated to feeding a broken heart.

Food cures all that ails us, right? Well, honestly, not really. Not always. But, it certainly is a universal language of love. Creating food with love for someone who needs it – now that’s something to celebrate. At the moment, I am fortunate. There isn’t anybody in my life who needs their heart mended. And I have so much to be grateful for these days (ahem, little Rhubarbaby is now 9 months old!).

I wish wish wish I could seal up this pot o goodness and mail it to Lindsay. This one’s for you, girl! Her tenacity is truly inspiring, and I am in awe of her ability to take such heartache and turn it into a movement of cooking for others. Just….. goodness. 100% love. ❤️

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Spicy bean chili with orange and cinnamon

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

Total Time

40 mins

 

Spicy bean chili with orange and cinnamon recipe! A cozy, vegan chili brightened up with a touch of orange and a pinch of cinnamon.

Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 3 Tbsp olive or avocado oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 medium poblano peppers, diced
• 1 medium serrano pepper, minced
• 1 medium red bell pepper, diced
• 4 tsp chile powder
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1 15 oz can crushed tomatoes
• 2 15 oz cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 15 oz can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 cups water
• 1 tsp orange zest
• The zest of 1 medium orange
• For serving: fresh cilantro, orange slices or additional orange zest, sliced radish

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a medium sized dutch oven or soup pot over medium to medium-high heat. Add the onion and saute until starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add all the peppers and saute until fragrant, about another minute. Add the next 4 spices, through oregano and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute.

2. Stir in the tomato paste until combined. Add the crushed tomatoes, all the beans, the water, and the orange zest. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.

3. Remove from heat and let cool for a couple of minutes. The chili will thicken a bit. Serve with fresh cilantro, sliced radish, and orange slices or orange zest (optional).

Recipe Notes

Feel free to add more orange zest if needed. Or you can add some fresh orange juice to the pot to make it a bit brighter.

Tell me, friends. What are you favorite comfort food recipes?

Trish

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