A Nutrient-dense Chili – A Soul Food Recipe
(Cooking beans from scratch)
Serve: 10 or more
Time Preparing: 24 hours soaking and rinsing beans
Time Cooking: 90-120 minutes
Total Time: 90-120 minutes
Ingredients (for soup beans)
- 4-5 cups dry pinto beans
- 2 bay leaves (optional)
- 15 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1large red onion, finely chopped
- Filtered water enough to cook beans
- Apple cider vinegar, fresh lemon juice or Kefir (to soak beans and help removing its toxins)
- 3-5 tablespoons ghee or fat of choice
- 1 tablespoon sea salt
Ingredients (for ground beef)
- 2-pounds grass-fed ground beef
- 2 tablespoons ghee, or fat of choice
- 1 large red onion, chopped
- 6 ripped tomatoes, chopped
- 10 large garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
- 3 tablespoons scallions, chopped
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ tablespoon cayenne, finely chopped
Preparation
Step 1 – (Soaking and rinsing beans for 24 hours – helps in its digestion and improve mineral absorption)
Pick over the beans for small rocks, debris or damaged grains
Place the beans into a large bowl
Rinse abundantly
Place filtered water inside the bowl until water cover the beans 2-3 inches
Add 6 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, lemon juice or Kefir
Cover the bowl with a tea towel, reserve it at a fresh place
Soak the beans for at least 24 hours
Repeat the process of rinse and refresh the water, adding vinegar, lemon juice or Kefir into the water twice during the soaking process
Once soaking process is complete:
Drain the soaked beans
Rinse abundantly and drain it again
Step 2 – (How to slow-cook the soaked beans into a soup)
Transfer the soaked beans into a large pot
After the soaking process beans grow bigger, and you are going to have around 12 cups of soaked beans
Add 14cups filtered water (water to cover beans by 2-3 inches)
In a medium/high heat, bring beans to boil
When it starts boiling, a foam like substance come to the top of the pot
With a spoon, skim completely this foam like substance and throw it away
Add bay leaves (optional)
Reduce the heat to medium/low
Partly cover pot with the lid
In the period that beans are cooking, regularly check their water levels because they absorb lots of water while cooking. If necessary, add more water
Cook for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally, until beans are equally soft
Step 3 – (seasoning the beans)
In a medium skillet heat ghee, or fat of choice over medium heat
Add chopped onions, stirring frequently, until lightly golden, 5-7 minutes
Add minced garlic, stir frequently, until golden, 3-5 minutes
Carefully add the sautéed onions and garlic into the beans
Add sea salt, stir well, taste and add more salt if necessary
Continue cooking for about 10-15 minutes with the lid partially opened to allow the beans broth to thicken a little bit
Remove beans from the heat
Carefully transfer to a soup tureen, reserve
Meanwhile cooking the beans, prepare ground beef
Preparation
Step 1
In a large pot heat ghee over medium heat
Add onions, stir occasionally, sauté until golden, 8 minutes
Add garlic, stir occasionally, sauté until golden, 5 minutes
Add ground beef, stir occasionally, sauté until brown, 5-10 minutes
Add tomatoes, stir well, bring to a boil
Reduce the heat to low, partially cover the pot with the lid, stirring occasionally, simmer for 15-20 minutes
Add cayenne and sea salt, stir well, simmer 5 minutes
Add chopped cilantro and scallions, stir well to mix
Remove from heat
Carefully transfer to a large bowl, reserve
Combining beans and ground beef
In small bowls fill up 1/3 of it with beans in the bottom and the ground beef at the top
Garnish with chopped cilantro and scallions
Serve with a spice vinaigrette
Leftovers: Store beans it up to 7 days in the fridge in mason jars with a tight sealed lid or freeze it up to 3 months
Store grounded beef in a separated mason jar from beans