My roommate said my chili was just 'bean soup' and I had to rethink everything

My roommate Dave took one bite of my chili last month and goes, 'This is just bean soup with a spoon of chili powder.' I was so mad at first. But then I thought about it, and he had a point. I was using maybe a half pound of cheap ground beef for a whole pot and leaning way too hard on canned beans to fill it up. So I started browning a full pound of that 70/30 ground beef on sale at Shaw's for $2.99, and I add a can of tomato paste along with the diced tomatoes. Now I let it simmer for a solid 45 minutes so the flavors really meld, instead of rushing it in 20. The texture is way meatier and the taste is deeper, all for maybe a dollar more per batch. Has anyone else gotten a blunt comment from a friend that actually made their cooking better?}

2 comments

2 Comments

noah8802d ago

oh man the 70/30 is key. i used to be scared of the fat but it really carries the flavor. also try dropping in a spoonful of better than bouillon beef base when you add the tomato paste. it gives it that slow cooked all day taste without actually waiting. another thing i started doing is holding back half the beans until the last 10 minutes so they don't turn to mush. saves you from the bean soup accusation for sure.

oscarb712d ago

I guess I'm the odd one out but I don't see the problem with bean soup chili. Chili started as a cheap working man's meal, not a gourmet beef stew. Adding more meat and paste just makes it dense and heavy. Some of the best chili I've had was mostly beans with just a little hamburger for flavor, simmered with dried chiles and cumin until the broth gets that deep red color. You can spend extra money on beef or you can buy a bag of dried pinto beans for a buck and get ten bowls out of it. Sounds like Dave is used to restaurant chili that's half grease and salt.