Recipes

Black Bean and Beef Chili with Cilantro, Lime, and Avocado Salsa

Cuisine: Mexican

Type: Main Course

Serves: 6

Source:	Kayln's Kitchen food blog via FIne Cooking Annual 2008
Attributes:	Healthy
Comments:	Great!
Serving Suggestions:

Ingredients:

3 cans black beans
1 can diced tomatoes (14 oz) but I used 28 oz
1 diced Chipotle chili pepper (from a can of Chipotles in Adobo sauce)
1-2 tbs. olive oil
1 lb. very lean ground beef
1 large red onion, very finely diced
1 tbs. or more regular chile powder
1 tbs. or more Ancho chile powder
pinch ground Chipotle chile powder
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 cups homemade beef stock of 1 can beef broth
1-2 tbs. tomato paste
1/4 cup + 1/4 cup lime juice (about 4 limes)
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
2 avocados, finely diced
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Instructions:

Drain 2 can of the black beans into colander and rinse well, until no more foam appears. Let beans drain while you use a food processor to puree the third can of undrained beans, diced tomatoes and liquid, and the diced Chipotle chile pepper. Process the beans and tomatoes about 2 minutes, until they are fairly smooth.

In bottom of heavy soup pot, heat 1-2 tsp olive oil and brown the beef, breaking it into small pieces. Remove beef to bowl, then add a bit more olive oil and half the onions ( about 1 cup ). Lower heat a little and cook onions until they are softened but not starting to brown. Add all the chile powders and cumin and saute about 30 seconds.

Add beef stock, browned ground beef, pureed bean mixture, drained beans from colander and tomato paste and simmer 30 minutes or longer. (I simmered mine at a very low heat for about two hours.)

For Salsa:
Dice avocado and place in plastic bowl with 1/4 cup fresh lime juice. Rinse and finely chop the cilantro. Mix rest of the chopped onion (about a cup) and half the chopped cilantro (to taste) into the avocado-lime juice mixture. (This can be kept in the refrigerator while the chili cooks, but be sure to mix the lime juice with the avocado as soon as you cut it to keep it from turning brown.)

Just before serving chili stir in chopped cilantro to taste and 1/4 cup lime juice and cook about five minutes more. Serve chili hot and top with a generous scoop of avocado salsa on top.

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