Vegetarian Red Bean Chili

I'm going to write this down because it happened and because I'm not going to pretend things were different than they were. In late October Caleb was arrested again. Driving under the influence on a county road near Tahlequah. No accident, no one hurt, but arrested, charged, license suspended. His second DUI, which has its own legal weight.

I found out from a cousin who saw the record online. Caleb didn't call me for four days. When he did, I let him say what he had to say and I didn't fill the silence with reassurance he hadn't earned yet. He said he didn't know what was wrong with him. I said that wasn't the right question. I said the right question is what happens next.

What happens next: he hired a lawyer. He enrolled in a longer-term outpatient program through the Cherokee Nation, more intensive than the phone sessions he'd been doing. He surrendered his keys to me for the time being, voluntarily, and I drove him to his appointments twice a week through November and December. We didn't talk much during those drives. He was somewhere I couldn't follow and I understood that. I just drove.

I made food and brought it. That's what I knew how to do that helped. Beans and cornbread, big pots of things that reheated well. He was eating, which matters. He was showing up to his appointments, which matters more.

Hannah said to me one evening that I was a good brother. I said I was just doing what you do. She said that's what makes it good. I kept thinking about that. I still am.

Beans and cornbread was what I made because it was what I knew how to make well, and because it kept — you could leave it on someone’s stove and it would still be good hours later without anyone having to tend to it. This vegetarian red bean chili became the version I returned to all through November and December, filling Caleb’s kitchen with something that smelled like someone had been there and cared. It’s not a fancy recipe. That’s exactly why it worked.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 45 min | Total Time: 1 hr | Servings: 6

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
2 cans (15 oz each) red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes
1 cup vegetable broth
1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Cornbread, for serving

Instructions

Sauté the aromatics. Heat olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the onion and bell peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.
Bloom the spices. Add the chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, and cayenne (if using). Stir constantly for about 1 minute until fragrant.
Build the chili. Add the kidney beans, crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, and vegetable broth. Stir to combine and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
Simmer low and slow. Reduce heat to low, cover partially, and simmer for 30–35 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chili thickens and the flavors meld.
Finish and season. Stir in the apple cider vinegar. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
Serve. Ladle into bowls and serve alongside cornbread. The chili keeps well refrigerated for up to 5 days and reheats easily on the stovetop.

Nutrition (per serving)

Vegetarian Red Bean Chili — What You Do When You Don’t Know What Else to Do