super bowl sunday supper: black bean and mushroom chili

Some quotes from J-Cat during last night's Super Bowl game:
"What the hell is a safety? Nothing about that looked safe to me."
"Woohoo! Wait, am I rooting for the right team?"
"He just ran across the whole field!! Does that really happen?!"
"I am so confused."
"Mmmmm, chipotle"

So yeah, we're not football people. At all. But we decided to watch the Super Bowl, I think primarily because J-Cat wanted Super Bowl food. So I decided to cook up a big (enormous) pot of black bean chili, and he made some yummy quesadillas.



This chili happens to be not only vegetarian, but healthy, yet does not skimp on the flavor. Smoky heat from chipotles in adobo, tang and depth from tomatillos, meatiness from mushrooms, and that creamy bite that you can only get from dried beans. On top of that, it's a super simple slow-cooker recipe that I could throw in the pot before going out for the afternoon, and return to a house filled with incredible chili aromas. Recipe after the jump:



SLOW-COOKER BLACK BEAN MUSHROOM CHILI
Adapted from Eating Well

1 pound dried black beans (2 1/2 cups), rinsed
2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup mustard seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds or ground cumin
2 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cardamom seeds or ground cardamom
2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
1 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 pound tomatillos, husked, rinsed and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup water
6 cups mushroom broth or vegetable broth
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
1 can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, seed and chop the peppers
1 1/4 cups grated Monterey Jack or pepper Jack cheese
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 limes, cut into wedges

1. Soak beans overnight in 2 quarts water. (Alternatively, place beans and 2 quarts water in a large pot. Bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for 1 hour.) Drain the beans, discarding soaking liquid.
2. Combine oil, mustard seeds, chili powder, cumin and cardamom in a 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven. Place over high heat and stir until the spices sizzle, about 30 seconds. Add onions, mushrooms, tomatillos and water. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are juicy, 5 to 7 minutes. Uncover and stir often until the juices evaporate and the vegetables are lightly browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Add broth, tomato paste and chipotles; mix well.
3. Place the beans in a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. Pour the hot vegetable mixture over the beans. Turn heat to high. Put the lid on and cook until the beans are creamy, 5 to 8 hours.
4. Garnish each serving with cheese, a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.

Stovetop Variation:
Total: 4 1/2 hours
In Step 2, increase broth to 81/2 cups. Omit Step 3. Add the beans to the Dutch oven; cover and simmer the chili gently over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the beans are creamy to bite, about 3 hours.