Deep South Mushroom & Bean Chili Supreme

This Deep South Mushroom & Bean Chili Supreme is everything a great bowl of chili should be: thick, smoky, deeply savory, and loaded with texture. Roasting the mushrooms first concentrates their flavor and gives them a chewy, almost meaty bite that stands in beautifully for ground beef, while a trio of beans — black, kidney, and pinto — delivers hearty, satisfying variety in every spoonful. A touch of unsweetened cocoa powder and a splash of coffee (or dark beer, if you prefer) rounds out the smoked paprika, cumin, and chipotle with a rich, almost mole-like depth that lingers on the palate. Built for slow Sunday cooking, this chili rewards patience: a long simmer lets the tomatoes break down and the spices bloom fully into the sauce, creating layers of flavor that taste like they've been on the stove all day — because they have. It's a completely plant-based dinner that's naturally high in fiber and plant protein, free of any dairy, meat, or animal by-products, and easily made gluten-free by double-checking your broth and toppings. Serve it steaming hot with a scoop of avocado, a sprinkle of fresh cilantro, a squeeze of lime, and warm cornbread or tortilla chips on the side. It freezes beautifully, so make a double batch and stash some away for busy weeknights when you need a nourishing, soul-warming meal in minutes.

Ingredients

• 680 gcremini mushrooms, quartered
• 4 tbspolive oil, divided
• 2 mediumyellow onion, diced
• 1 largered bell pepper, diced
• 6 clovesgarlic, minced
• 2 tbspsmoked paprika
• 2 tbspground cumin
• 1 tbspchipotle chili powder, adjust to taste
• 1 tspdried oregano
• 1 tbspunsweetened cocoa powder
• 800 gcrushed tomatoes, canned
• 3 tbsptomato paste
• 500 mlvegetable broth
• 120 mlBrewed black coffee, or dark vegan beer
• 400 gblack beans, canned, drained and rinsed
• 400 gkidney beans, canned, drained and rinsed
• 400 gPinto beans, canned, drained and rinsed
• 1.5 tspsalt, plus more to taste
• 0.5 tspblack pepper
• 1 wholelime, juiced
• 0.25 cupfresh cilantro, chopped, for garnish
• 1 wholeavocado, sliced, for garnish

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F). Toss the quartered mushrooms with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and a pinch of salt in a mixing bowl, then spread in a single layer on a baking sheet.
2. Roast the mushrooms until browned and slightly shriveled at the edges, stirring once halfway through. 20:00
3. While the mushrooms roast, dice the onion and bell pepper, and mince the garlic.
4. Heat the remaining olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and bell pepper and sauté until softened, about 6-7 minutes. 7:00
5. Add the garlic, smoked paprika, cumin, chipotle chili powder, oregano, and cocoa powder. Stir constantly and cook until fragrant. 1:30
6. Stir in the tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, vegetable broth, and brewed coffee, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
7. Fold in the roasted mushrooms, black beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, salt, and black pepper.
8. Bring the chili to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover partially, and let it simmer, stirring occasionally, to allow the flavors to deepen and the chili to thicken. 45:00
9. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt, pepper, or chipotle as needed. Stir in the fresh lime juice.
10. Ladle the chili into bowls and garnish with chopped cilantro and sliced avocado before serving.