Hearty Vegetarian Chili

This vegetarian chili gets its depth from a trio of ingredients you wouldn’t expect in a standard chili pot: cocoa powder, cinnamon, and mustard seeds. None of them scream “chili” on their own, but together they build a complex, almost mole-like backbone that makes you forget there’s no meat.

The mustard seeds go in right after the onions and green pepper soften. A minute in the hot oil and they start popping and releasing a sharp, nutty aroma. That bloom is important: raw mustard seeds taste bitter and flat.

Kidney beans, mushrooms, and diced carrots give this chili real heft. The 40-minute uncovered simmer cooks off most of the liquid and concentrates everything into a thick, spoonable stew. Stir it often toward the end because once the liquid is low, it scorches fast on the bottom of the pot.

Pro Tips

• Don’t skip the cocoa powder. It doesn’t make the chili taste like chocolate. It adds a roasty bitterness that deepens the chili powder and balances the sweetness of the tomatoes.
• Cook the onions until they’re truly golden, not just translucent. That caramelization adds sweetness you can’t get any other way.
• Use a heavy-bottomed pot to prevent hot spots that cause scorching during the long simmer.
• This chili tastes even better the next day after the flavors have had time to meld overnight.

Variations

• Add a diced chipotle pepper in adobo for smoky heat.
• Stir in a handful of corn kernels during the last 10 minutes for pops of sweetness.
• Top with avocado slices, sour cream, and a squeeze of lime.