Smoky Mushroom and Bean Chili
Dried mushrooms, instant beans, and a cocoa-and-paprika spice mix that rehydrates into a real chili.
- calories
- 620
- weight
- 5.5 oz
- cal / oz
- 113
- protein
- 24 g
- serves
- 2, scales
- prep
- 10 min
- cook
- 12 min
- total time
- 22 min
- water
- 600 ml boiled
- cost
- $$
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Dinner
- Canister stove
- Liquid fuel
- Alcohol / Esbit
- Backpacking
- Basecamp
- Car camping
- Winter / snow
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Gluten free
- Dairy free
- Nut free
- One pot
- Pre-mix at home
- Shelf stable
- Dump and stir
Ingredients
| Instant refried bean flakes | 1 cup | black or pinto, the kind that rehydrates in five minutes |
|---|---|---|
| Dried mushrooms | 1/2 cup | sliced shiitake or a mixed bag, broken small |
| Freeze-dried corn | 1/3 cup | |
| Dried bell pepper and onion flakes | 1/3 cup total | |
| Tomato powder | 3 tbsp | or crushed sun-dried tomatoes |
| Chili powder | 1 tbsp | |
| Smoked paprika | 2 tsp | |
| Unsweetened cocoa powder | 1 tsp | |
| Cumin | 1 tsp | |
| Garlic powder | 1 tsp | |
| Ground coriander | 1/2 tsp | |
| Cinnamon | 1/4 tsp | |
| Cayenne | a pinch | |
| Vegetable bouillon | 1 cube or 1 tsp powder | |
| Salt | 1/2 tsp | |
| Soy sauce powder | 2 tsp | tamari powder if you need it gluten-free |
| Brown sugar | 1 tsp | |
| Olive oil | 2 tbsp | from a dropper bottle |
Method
- Bring 600 ml of water to a boil. Cut the heat and stir in everything except the oil.
- Cover and let it sit ten minutes. Stir once at the halfway mark so the bean flakes do not clump on the bottom.
- Fire the stove again for a minute if it has gone cold. Do not walk away; the beans scorch fast.
- Stir in the oil and check the salt. Add water a splash at a time if it is thicker than you want.
Home chili gets its body from an hour of simmering. On a stove burning fuel you carried, that is not available, so the thickening moves to instant bean flakes, which set up in minutes and hold the spices in suspension. Dried mushrooms do the work canned beans and fresh peppers used to: they rehydrate into something with chew, and the soaking water becomes stock.
The cocoa and cinnamon look like mistakes and are not. Cocoa rounds the raw edge off chili powder, cinnamon fills the gap where a long simmer would have gone. Soy sauce powder replaces the liquid original for the same savory weight without a bottle. Honey is out for the vegan version; a teaspoon of brown sugar does the same job and packs dry.
Packing
Everything dry goes in one bag, spices included. The oil rides separately in a leakproof bottle. Two servings fit in a one-quart bag with room to stir in-bag if you would rather not wash a pot.
Variations
- A handful of instant rice cooked alongside stretches it to three servings.
- Dried cilantro is weak; carry a lime wedge or a squeeze of lime juice instead and add it off the heat.
- Crushed corn chips on top add fat and crunch and cost almost nothing in weight.
https://www.bowlofdelicious.com/smoky-vegetarian-chili