NATURAL RELEASE / VEGAN / CAN BE GLUTEN-FREE
Road Map: Bean Chili
Makes 6 servings
Nothing makes great bean chili like dried beans. But not every dried bean is created equal. Listen, the world’s a mess. Hectic, too. Dried beans sit on the store’s shelf for, um, forever. They can dry out so much that no matter how long you cook them, they never get tender.
Don’t let any of that deter you from making your own brand of bean chili. Instead, look for plump beans (even in their dried state) in the package. They shouldn’t be chipped up at the bottom of the bag. Once soaked, they should have definitely gotten fatter, doubled (or maybe even more) in size. For more information about dried beans, see here–48.
The herbs and spices you choose are what will make this your signature recipe. We have a preference for oregano, thyme, and cinnamon with a pinch of ground cloves. You might prefer all oregano, or a mix of sage and thyme with just a pinch of nutmeg.
If you open the pot and they’re still too tough for your taste, lock the lid back in place and give them another 5 to 10 minutes at HIGH pressure, followed by the quick-release method.
2 cups medium-sized dried beans
Choose one or a combo from black, great northern, cannellini, pink, adzuki, and/or navy.
3 cups vegetable broth
One 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes (1¾ cups)
1½ cups chopped aromatics
Choose one or any combo from onions (of any sort), shallots, stemmed and seeded bell peppers of any sort, celery, trimmed fennel, and/or jarred roasted red peppers.
1½ cups diced root vegetables
Choose from carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes, winter squash (such as butternut squash), yellow beets, turnips, or celeriac.
1 cup quick-cooking vegetables
Choose one or a 50/50 combo from diced zucchini, diced summer squash, trimmed and chopped green beans, chopped or small broccoli florets, chopped or small cauliflower florets, and/or corn kernels.
3 tablespoons pure chile powder
Choose from ancho, New Mexico red, New Mexico hatch, chipotle, or a pure chile blend.
2 tablespoons stemmed fresh green herbs or dried spices
Choose a blend from oregano, marjoram, sage, thyme, cumin, cinnamon, cloves, and/or nutmeg.
1 tablespoon flavor enricher
Choose from Dijon mustard, ketchup, sweet chile sauce, Worcestershire sauce, or chutney.
½ teaspoon table salt (optional)
1. Soak the dried beans in a big bowl of water for at least 8 hours or up to 12 hours, until nicely plumped. Drain in a colander set in the sink, then pour the beans into a 6- or 8-quart cooker.
2. Stir in the broth, tomatoes, aromatics, root vegetables, quick-cooking vegetables, chile powder, fresh herbs and/or dried spices, enricher, and salt (if using). Lock the lid onto the pot.
3.
Press the button for: PRESSURE COOK
Set it for: MAX
The valve must be: 
Set the time for: 18 minutes with the KEEP WARM setting off
If necessary, press: START
Press the button for: BEAN/CHILI, PRESSURE COOK, or MANUAL
Set it for: HIGH
The valve must be: Closed
Set the time for: 25 minutes with the KEEP WARM setting off
If necessary, press: START
4. Once the machine has finished cooking, turn it off and let the pressure return to normal naturally, about 20 minutes. Unlock and open the lid. Stir well before serving.