Smoky Black Bean Chili

Spring practice started. I stepped onto the field as head coach for the first time since November 2019. Fifteen months. The grass, the pylons, the chain crew unpacking equipment — all of it exactly as it was, as if the year in between was parenthetical. The players huddled in the end zone and I saw their faces and felt the specific thing I've always felt at the start of a season: belief, which is just sustained attention pointed at what you want to happen.

I gave a short speech. Said something about earned. Said something about how what we built in the pandemic weight room and the living room training sessions was going to show itself in the next eight weeks. I told them: the other teams have been waiting too. The difference is going to be what we did with the waiting. They were quiet in the good way. The way that means you're ready.

Diego's first varsity practice. He wore number 24 — he asked if he could, and I said the number was available, and he said "I want it." He didn't explain why. I'm not asking. He looked right on that field. He moved like someone who belongs on a varsity field, which is the thing you either have or you don't, and you can see it in the first practice. He has it.

Lisa made posole to mark the season starting. Her version — slightly different from mine, more tomatillo in the broth, lighter on the ancho. She doesn't make it often and when she does it's an event. She set it on the table and said "first practice deserves posole." Yes. It does. It always will.

There’s no posole recipe I can hand you that matches what Lisa made — that’s hers, and it belongs to moments like that one. But the spirit of it — a warm, smoky pot you set on the table after something that mattered — that’s something you can build. This Smoky Black Bean Chili is what I reach for when I want that same weight and comfort: something that says the day deserved a real bowl of food, not just dinner. Diego had his first varsity practice. The season opened. This is what you make.

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 30 min | Total Time: 40 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)
3 cans (15 oz each) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (14.5 oz) fire-roasted diced tomatoes
2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
Juice of 1 lime
Toppings: sour cream, shredded cheese, sliced scallions, fresh cilantro, avocado

Instructions

Sauté the aromatics. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, jalapeño, and bell pepper and cook another 3 minutes until fragrant.
Bloom the spices. Add the cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder, oregano, and cayenne directly to the pot. Stir constantly for about 60 seconds until the spices are fragrant and coating the vegetables.
Add the base. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Pour in the fire-roasted tomatoes and broth, scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pot.
Add the beans and simmer. Add all three cans of black beans and stir to combine. Bring the chili to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened.
Mash for body. Use the back of a spoon or a potato masher to partially mash about 1/4 of the beans directly in the pot. This thickens the chili and gives it a hearty, stew-like texture. Stir well.
Finish and season. Squeeze in the lime juice and season with salt to taste. Simmer another 2–3 minutes. Ladle into bowls and top with sour cream, cheese, scallions, cilantro, and avocado as desired.

Nutrition (per serving)

Smoky Black Bean Chili — When the Season Finally Starts Again