Chickpea Chili

In August 2014, I moved to a new apartment. The largest items I brought to my new place:

1. My bed
2. My mattress
3. My giant box of canned beans

I kid you not. I arrived to my new place with sixteen cans of beans.
I still remember stacking them on my old apartment’s kitchen floor for my own odd amusement. I think I got it up to eight cans tall before it’d topple.
Perhaps hoarding cans of food like a crazy woman has finally worked to my advantage. Alas, looks like any plans to make hummus have been squashed because all of those chickpeas have ended up in my chilI.

CHICKPEA CHILI (Inspired by Gimme Some Oven’s 5-Ingredient Chili)

Ingredients:

– 1 pound ground beef
– 1 medium white onion, chopped
– 2 cloves garlic, minced
– 1 tablespoon olive oil
– 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
– 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
– 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
– 1 15-ounce can small white beans, drained and rinsed
– 1 – 2 tablespoons chili powder (depending on spice tolerance!)
– 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
– Salt, to taste

Directions:

1. In a large heavy-bottomed pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions; cook for 5 minutes or until translucent. Add garlic and cook for an additional minute. Add ground beef to pot with onions and garlic, breaking meat up with a large spoon. Cook beef for 5 minutes or until browned through. Drain excess fat.

2. Add all remaining ingredients to pot. Simmer on low heat for 1 – 2 hours. Chickpeas are a hearty bean with a drier texture than some others. The longer the chili simmers, the more tender the bean will be. Simmering for two hours will yield a slightly softer and creamier bean.

Add salt to taste.

3. For toppings, I am not a fan of sour cream, but will usually mix up two large tablespoons of full-fat plain Greek yogurt with some salt, garlic powder and dill. Serves 6-8.