Texas-Style Chili with Mushrooms and Beans

Ingredients

• 4 Dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
• 3 Dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
• 2 Chipotles in adobo
• 3 tbsp Canola oil
• 3 Portobello mushrooms, diced small
• 2 Yellow onion, diced
• 6 cloves Garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp Ground cumin
• 2 tsp Dried oregano
• 3 tbsp Masa harina
• 1 can Crushed tomatoes, no salt added
• 3 cups Low-sodium vegetable broth
• 2 cans Pinto beans, canned no-salt-added, drained
• ½ cup Brown lentils (dry)
• 1 tbsp Apple cider vinegar
• 1 ½ tsp Kosher salt
• 3 oz Sharp cheddar, grated (optional)
• ½ Red onion, diced (optional)

Method

1. Toast the dried chiles in a dry pot, 25 seconds a side, until they smell sweet. Cover with 2 cups boiling water and soak 20 minutes.
2. Blend the soaked chiles with the chipotles and 1 cup of the soaking liquid until completely smooth. This purée is the chili — chili powder is a shortcut to the same place and it never gets all the way there.
3. Brown the diced portobello hard in the oil, 8 minutes. Add the onions, 8 minutes, then garlic, cumin and oregano for 1.
4. Stir in the chile purée and fry it 5 minutes until it darkens.
5. Add the tomatoes, broth, lentils and salt. Simmer 35 minutes, then add the pinto beans and simmer 10 more.
6. Whisk the masa with 1/2 cup water and stir it in. Simmer 5 minutes — masa is the traditional Texas thickener and it adds a corn flavor cornstarch cannot.
7. Finish with the vinegar. Serve with cheese and raw onion for whoever wants them.

Notes

✨ The restaurant touch

The vinegar at the end wakes up an hour of long-simmered flavors. A tablespoon in a big pot changes everything and nobody can name it.

🧒 For the kids

Anchos and guajillos are mild. Skip the chipotles for a chili with deep color, no heat, and a lot of cheese on top.

🥡 Leftovers

Better on day two and three. Keeps 5 days, freezes 3 months.

Per serving

Computed from USDA FoodData Central values. A planning tool, not medical advice.