Winter Chili

This hearty, warming chili is perfect for feeding a crowd! It's also a great weeknight dinner and will leave you and the family with plenty of leftovers. The stew's nourishing base comes from chicken broth and canned tomatoes. Make your own broth from our pasture-raised stew hens or buy our ready-made chicken broth at the Trading Post on Saturday. You can also find our ground beef and Italian sausage there, too!

Ingredients
3 pounds dried beans, soaked overnight (pinto, black or red kidney beans work best here) 
12 oz. bacon, diced
3 large onions, minced 
1 head of garlic, minced (should yield about 1/2 cup)
3 tbsp. ground cumin
1 tbsp. whole cumin seeds
3 tbsp. ground coriander
3 tbsp. paprika
3 tbsp. chili powder 
1/4 cup dried oregano 
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper 
4 cans crushed tomatoes 
2 quarts chicken broth 
1 pound ground beef or Italian sausage, or a mixture of both

Step 1: Rinse and drain your soaked beans. Then, put them in a large pot, cover with fresh water, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. As the beans are heating up, skim off any foam that rises to the surface. Simmer the beans until just tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. 

Step 2: While the beans are cooking, fry your bacon in a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat until crisp. Add your onions and garlic and sauté for around 10 minutes until soft and translucent. Then, add the ground beef or sausage and gently brown for about 5 minutes. 

Step 3: Place all of the seasonings in a dry skillet and toast them over medium-low heat, swirling the mixture constantly to prevent burning, about 2 to 3 minutes. When the mixture is fragrant, add it to the onions and cook for five minutes. 

Step 4: Add the tomatoes and chicken broth and simmer over medium heat for around 30 minutes. Then it's ready to eat! Serve with toppings of your choice and fresh hot water bread.