Spicy Vegan Chocolate Chili
BellaFina™ peppers may be used to create a wide variety of recipes, from appetizers to main dishes. BellaFina peppers are often used in salads, vegetables trays with or without dip, cooked in stews and sauces and stuffed with meat, cheese and grains.
Grown on the vine in the field, BellaFina peppers are a great source of vitamins and nutrients. They are low calorie, fat free, sodium free and high in Vitamin C.
Serves: 6-8 servings
Ingredients
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
2 large onions, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
¼ cup of unsweetened cocoa powder
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon chipotle powder
½ teaspoon black pepper, preferably freshly ground
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
6-7 sprigs of fresh thyme
4 bay leaves
6-8 red Bellafina peppers, seeded and chopped
2 medium size sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 (15 ounces) can of unsweetened corn
1 (28 ounces) can of diced tomatoes
1 (15 ounces) can of red kidney beans
1 ½ cup water
1 tablespoon maple syrup
Juice of a lime, freshly squeezed – plus more for serving
¼ cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped – plus more as garnish
¼ cup of pumpkin seeds, as garnish
Instructions
Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven (or any other heavy bottom pan) in medium heat. Add in the cumin and coriander and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 30-40 seconds.
Stir in the onions and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 4-5 minutes. Add in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Make sure to keep an eye on it as garlic burns easily.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together cocoa powder, cinnamon, chipotle powder, black pepper, cloves, cayenne, and oregano.
Stir the cocoa & spice mixture into the pan and cook for 2 minutes. Make sure to stir it constantly. If it dries up, add in a couple of tablespoons of water.
Stir in the fresh thyme, bay leaves, red Bellafina peppers, sweet potatoes, corn, tomatoes, beans, and water. Put the lid on and let it come to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and let it simmer until sweet potatoes are tender, 15-20 minutes.
Stir in the maple syrup, lime juice, and chopped cilantro. Taste for seasoning and add if necessary.
When ready to serve, ladle soup into bowls and garnish it with cilantro leaves and pumpkin seeds. Serve hot with lime wedges on the side.
Slightly adapted from foolproofliving.com