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Here’s the future.

In approximately two.point.five days you are going to lose all sense of time, space, and self amidst a mayhem of cookie production/consumption, various shades of red and green ribbons, and a deep and intensely disconcerting preoccupation with channeling your inner gift wrapping goddess. (Because seriously, you are so anal retentive about so many things in life that she must  be in there somewhere…no matter what your total inability to get a perfect edge may lead you to believe.)

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And in those rare moments that you come to long enough to realize that anyone who loves you will not care that your wrapped presents look like a three year old’s art project (they’re abstract, okay)…you’ll probably want something to stuff your face with.  Of the hearty and delicious variety.

When that happens, you can thank me for having the foresight to twist your arm into getting this chili on your stove and into your fridge. No, really…you’re welcome.

Not only is it richly seasoned with some of the most warming spices in town, but it’s also chock full of chocolate and peanut butter (which, let’s be honest, you were totally going to stress eat anyway), as well as totally good-for-you ingredients like two types of peppers, tomatoes, and black beans.  And while eating it on its own is probably not going to turn you into a gift wrap superstar…it will give you the strength to forge ahead in all of your holiday endeavors.  That has to count for something, right?

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This chili, with all of it’s real food ingredients, was inspired by a recent trip I made to Panera Bread, which is another great option if you’re pressed for time with the holiday rush and find yourself struggling to get a good meal on the table.  The folks at Panera subscribe to the “Good Goes In” philosophy, which means all of their foods are made with fresh, thoughtfully sourced ingredients.  I had their vegetarian creamy tomato soup while I was there…and it actually tasted like summer tomatoes, which was awesome.  In fact, all of their soup varieties sound fabulous, from the low-fat vegetarian garden vegetable with pesto to the broccoli cheese…I know I’ll be back for more!

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Chili Mole
Serves 8-10, adapted from Bean by Bean

Ingredients

  • 1 lb dried black beans, soaked overnight
  • 12 oz Guinness
  • 1 quarts vegetable broth
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 jalapeno pepper, stemmed
  • 1 tbsp ancho chili powder
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup raisins
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 large onions, chopped
  • 1 green bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
  • 1 poblano pepper, stemmed, seeded and chopped
  • 1 tbsp cumin seeds
  • 2 tsp coriander seeds
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 2 tsp ground coriander
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/4 tsp aniseed
  • 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 2 tsp sweet paprika
  • 1 tbsp chipotle chili powder
  • 3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
  • 28 oz canned diced tomatoes
  • 1/4 cup tomato paste
  • 2 oz chocolate, diced
  • 2 tbsp peanut butter
  • 1 tbsp tahini
  • 1 chipotle chile in adobo with 2 tsp adobo sauce
  • salt
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup

Instructions

  1. Drain the soaked black beans. Place them in a large heavy pot and add the broth and beer. Add enough water to cover them by about 1 1/2 inches. Add the bay leaves, jalapeno, ancho chili powder, a ton of freshly ground black pepper, and raisins. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cover for 1 hour.
  2. Meanwhile, about 20 minutes or so before the beans are done, add olive oil to a large heavy skillet. Heat over medium and add the onions. Saute until they start to soften – 3-4 minutes. Add the bell pepper, jalapeno and poblano. Saute for another 2 minutes. Add the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, cumin, coriander, oregano, aniseed, cinnamon, paprika, and chipotle chili powder. Saute for another minute, stirring constantly. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, until it becomes fragrant.
  3. Scrape the saute into the simmering beans.
  4. Add the tomatoes and tomato paste to the bean pot and stir well. Simmer for another 10 minutes.
  5. Place the chocolate, peanut butter, tahini and chipotle in adobo in a food processor. Add a cup of the simmering beans and pulse to make a thick paste. Scrape this into the bean pot. Turn the heat down as low as possible. Add salt to taste. Simmer slowly, partially covered, for about 20 minutes more.
  6. Just before serving pick out the bay leaves and jalapeno.  Taste for seasoning, adding some maple syrup for sweetness if desired.

As part of the DailyBuzz Food Tastemaker program, I received a stipend to try Panera Bread soups. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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You are reading this post on Eats Well With Others at https://joanne-eatswellwithothers.com. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author and or owner of Eats Well With Others. All rights reserved by Joanne Bruno.
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59 Responses to Chili Mole

  1. Danielle says:

    Chili is my favorite comfort food and I am always looking to try new adaptations. This looks great!

  2. Gosh, this looks SO good! What a creative chili dish!

  3. This needs to fins its way into my body. LOVE chili mole!

  4. Amy says:

    2.5 days? I’m already there! And let me tell you…no amount of cookies or chili can hide the fact of my wrapping disability. I swear, I’m taking a class next year!

  5. I think it’s time for me to revisit mole. It is made from cocoa, after all, and your bowl is the epitome of comfort!

  6. The chili mole looks amazing!!! Amazing!!!! You filled it with everything delicious, like chocolate and peppers, yes please!

  7. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
    I am a gift to the world from Ryoma TOMODATI Japan.
    Mariah Carey – All I want for Christmas is you (traduzione)

  8. Gloria says:

    Sounds delicious Joanne!!

  9. Marcia says:

    Mmm. chili is one of my favorites. Hubby can’t stand chocolate though. 🙁

  10. Simply Life says:

    looks delicious! i do love panera’s black bean soup!

  11. sandra says:

    so many ingredients! it sounds really great, something even my bean avoiding husband could accept (the chocolate and peanut butter help)

  12. Christina says:

    You make me laugh. And, somehow, even though I haven’t eaten in days due to the flu, this looks delicious. I’ll make it as soon as possible.

  13. ooh, i need this in my life! yum 🙂

  14. I have a soup recipe tomorrow 🙂 And I love yours! The black beans look so healthy & inviting and I’d love to try a bowl!

  15. That looks like such a comforting bowl of Chili Joanne!

  16. Wow, this chille sounds like the perfect mash of sweet and savory! I’ll definitely need to try it.

    And this post made me giggle…you’re right, I probably would stress eat the peanut butter and chocolate anyway 🙂

  17. Pierce says:

    Chili = comfort food for me`:-) Hope you are well!

  18. Gosh, Joanne, this looks so dang good and comforting!

  19. I’ve never had mole, but if it’s basically like chili with PB and chocolate, I’ll give it a try 😀

  20. Joshua Brown says:

    Hi, that’s a great looking recipe but fyi, Guinness is not vegan/vegetarian 🙁
    It has a product in it called isinglass. Maybe you didn’t want to know or maybe someone did so I shared if anyone is interested. Peace and love

  21. I made mole for real once, several years ago, but ever since I’ve not taken the time to gather all the ingredients for an authentic mole. I’ll have to muster up the energy to do it again though, now that I see your mouthwatering pictures. Plus, what better time than winter for all those warming spiced and peppers

  22. You have done it again! I love Mole Sauce! My father- in -law is obsessed too. I am totally making this when my in-laws come to town next month. This is right up their alley! Thanks!

  23. grace says:

    that’s one heck of an ingredient list, joanne! what a sensational attack of flavor this must be. 🙂

  24. Katie says:

    Oh, what a beautiful looking chili! This would certainly help balance out all those holiday cookies!

  25. Ashlee says:

    I am a mole love love lover, so this sounds fantastic!

  26. Oh this looks so chunky and delicious. It is suppose to get cooler here and this would be a great recipe to make!

  27. Blond Duck says:

    Chili + peanut butter = delicious perfection.

  28. did you use dark or milk chocolate?
    I’m guessing you used dark
    I have no bay leaves.
    These leftovers are fabulous with a fried egg on top
    just saying….

  29. That Girl says:

    I love mole AND chili. I can’t wait to try this!

  30. Now this looks rich, unctuous and something to be prized on a cold winters day. It’s hot summer here at the moment in Australia BUT you never know which way the wind blows as Mr Dylan reminds us…cheers for this wonderful looking recipe.

  31. Dining Alone says:

    This looks ridiculously good. I love mole any way I can get it and have not tried it in chili before, yum.

  32. Reeni Pisano says:

    Holy cow does this have a lot of ingredients in it! A lot of unique ingredients that I never saw in a chili before. It sounds and looks rich and intriguing! Exotic even. I love Panera! Had their broccoli cheese soup yesterday. If I wasn’t in public I would of licked the bowl.

  33. Love the addition of maple syrup. And really, if the world is ending, I hope I get to have some chili mole as my last meal 🙂

  34. Tandy says:

    I’m going to try an adaptation of this to use up my black beans 🙂

  35. Oh I love chilli mole and amoungst all of those cookies it is a welcome change

  36. Lynn says:

    I wish I had some of that right now. 🙂

  37. Sometimes I get kind of bored of chili, so I definitely need to try this version to get out of my chili rut!

  38. Jessie says:

    I have to tell you, Joanne, that I’ve never, EVER been a good gift wrapper. I remember the first time I gave a gift to someone in Peter’s family (I believe it was his sister’s bday), and the silence that descended upon looking at my mangled job. Since then, I’ve always distracted them with homemade chocolates. Works every time.

    So, having awesome food as a backup (or as the gift!) is totally something I agree with. I could probably get away with a plastic bag as wrapping paper if I had a pot of this incredible mole bubbling away on the stove – yum!

  39. I’ve been seeing all these perfectly wrapped presents on pinterest and I’m like boooo booooo! lol. I love the spices in here (especially the coriander). Nothing like soup to battle the cold weather out!

  40. Pam says:

    I am not a great wrapper and thankfully nobody seems to care! 🙂

    The chili mole looks and sounds amazing! Hearty, flavorful, and delicious. My kind of comfort food.

    Happy holidays… I know this year will be tough for your family and I want you to know I am thinking of you & sending love your way. xoxo

  41. Oh my goodness this looks amazing and sounds so flavorful! Definitely making it for dinner:) Thanks for sharing and have a great day!

  42. marie says:

    That is some thick chili! We are actually kicking off the Holidays Sunday night, when my sister arrives, with chili and cornbread. Any excuse to eat cornbread, I am all in.

  43. Your chili looks so beautiful to me right now as I watch the rain change to snow and Winter Storm Draco begins to loom over us. We love Panera soups too and their mac n cheese is wonderful.

  44. There are a lot of ingredients in this but I know with chili the more ingredients the more the flavour! I love how many interesting things go in to this like raisins, tahini, and peanut butter, that I never would have thought to put in chili!

  45. Donna says:

    Looks great – when shall I stop by for a taste???

  46. Kevin says:

    Now that is a nice sounding chili! You can’t go wrong with the Guinness, chocolate and maple syrup!

  47. The chili looks incredibly hearty! Definitely a great thing to combat all the sugar with!

  48. Cathleen says:

    Wow, this sounds fantastic! Chocolate and peanut butter in something that is not a dessert? What?? I’m intrigued!

  49. Kari says:

    I have (still) never had mole. I need to try this version for the peanut butter addition!

  50. Ellen Lederman says:

    At 58, I am waaay too old to write this, but this is the only thing that will do: OMG!!!!!

    What a timely post for the first day of winter! (I live in Georgia, but it’s still only going to be in the forties here today.) If this chili doesn’t warm your stomach/nose/heart, nothing will!

    I love mole sauce, but Mexican restaurants tend to thin it down with chicken stock, so it’s a no-no.

    How cool that you and your readers don’t shy away from something with lots of ingredients. I hate 3-ingredient recipes! Complexity rules!

  51. Kat Collins says:

    I’m a chili junkie and always looking for new kinds to make. I love mole, but I never thought to incorporate it into chile! Brilliant! And when I think about it, it makes perfect sense. Interesting with the peanut butter. I can’t wait to try this!

  52. A girl after my own heart with this recipe. Love all the spices. perfect for the winter wonderland that has been dropped on us (we don’t normally get snow!)

  53. That ingredients list is so damn interesting! Raisin, peanut butter, chocolate, chipotle peppers?! This soup sounds incredible, I must say, especially since I’m a huge fan of mole. I may just try this out in my own kitchen! 🙂

  54. Hannah says:

    Okay, Joanne, this is just spooky. Are we sharing one brain between us again? I seriously just made chili the other day, too. Very different from your approach at least, but chili nonetheless. Actually, I think yours looks much better than mine, so I could stand to take a few notes from your approach!

  55. Amazing! I’ve never tried chili mole before but I’m sure I’d love it. Hello, there’s chocolate in here – how could I not?!

  56. Cara says:

    This ingredient list is blowing my mind, love the sweet & spicy combo!

  57. Chris says:

    I like the Guinness in it, gives a good stout flavor.

    Happy Holidays, Joanne!

  58. Ellen Lederman says:

    This was utterly fantastic! The deepest, most complex veggie chili ever. Thanks so much for posting this. But now you’ve sealed my fate—-I’ll never be 100% raw, with recipes like this!

  59. Carolyn says:

    Hi Joanne. I am writing an article for Live Better America on savory and spicy chocolate recipes and I would love to include this one. It will simply be photo with a blurb and a link back to you. I don’t want to use anyone’s photos without permission. Let me know what you think!

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