JACKSON STREET FIVE-ALARM CHILI

image MAKES 8 SERVINGS

ONE OF THE MANUFACTURING BUSINESSES down the road from our offices a few summers ago had a chili cook-off, and encouraged us to enter. Now to be clear: this was a group of ardent meat eaters, but we were convinced we could bring a vegan chili that would win over the crowd—and even better, that they wouldn’t even know it was vegan. I set out to develop this spicy, rich chili using fresh peppers, sweet potato, and our spicy sausage and it was a hit: they loved it. The secret here lies in not simply relying on chili powder for flavor, but in cooking with fresh pasilla and habañero peppers, which are so much easier to come by now than when I first started cooking years ago. A great warming winter recipe, but also most welcome in the summer atop chili dogs or chili burgers.

½ cup safflower oil

1 yellow onion, cut into ½-inch pieces

1 carrot, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces

1 red bell pepper, cut into ½-inch pieces

2 tablespoons ground cumin

2 tablespoons chili powder

2 habañero peppers

1 pasilla chile

6 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole

¾ pound Oaxacan Chili-Spiced Sausage (here) or Field Roast Mexican Chipotle Sausage, crumbled

1 large yam, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces

1 tablespoon sea salt

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes

3 cups vegan vegetable stock

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F. In a stockpot over medium heat, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil and add the onion, carrot, bell pepper, cumin, and chili powder. Let cook until the vegetables begin to soften.

2. Toss the habañeros and pasilla with 2 tablespoons of the oil and the garlic cloves and roast in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the garlic is fully roasted. Remove from the oven, and roughly chop before adding to the vegetables in the stockpot.

3. Add the sausage to the pot and lower the heat to medium-low. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.

4. Toss the yam in the remaining 4 tablespoons of the oil and 1 teaspoon of the salt, place on a sheet pan, and roast in the oven for 30 minutes, or until soft.

5. Add the beans, tomatoes, stock, vinegar, and remaining 3 teaspoons of salt to the pot and increase the heat to medium. Allow the chili to simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

6. Add the roasted yam to the soup and season to taste with salt before serving.