It’s hard work to make a terrible chili. It’s also easy to make a great one. At this point I have both had and made so many versions that I can’t pick a favorite. But for me, two obvious requirements in a great chili are lots of veggies and lots of spices. The heat and flavor should be layered and complex. This one certainly meets those requirements and without meat it’s a cheap, healthy and delicious meal. It’s wonderful served with a big red wine or a flavorful beer and some of my chili cheese cornbread.

4 cups assorted dry beans soaked overnight in water (I used pinto, black-eyed peas, black beans and red kidneys, but any will do)
2 cups diced onions
2 cups diced celery
2 diced bell peppers (I like yellow and green in chili)
1 serrano pepper seeded and minced
1 jalapeño pepper seeded and minced
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons sea salt
1 tablespoon chili powder
½ teaspoon red chili flakes
2 tablespoon cumin powder
1 tablespoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon mustard seeds preferably brown or black
½ teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon celery salt
½ teaspoon celery seeds
2 cups tomato sauce
2 14.5 ounce cans of diced tomatoes
½ jar of canned corn or corn salsa

Sauté the onions, celery, and peppers until softened. Meanwhile, rinse the beans several times. Add the garlic and the spices. Sauté an additional 3 minutes. Put beans, sauté mixture and remaining ingredients in a large crockpot and cover with water. Set on low for 8 hours. Go and enjoy the Mummer’s parade, watch the Northwestern game at a sports bar and walk Chloé the dog twice. Come back and stir the chili. If you like it really thick you may want to transfer it to a pot and cook on the stove with no lid for an hour to let some of the water evaporate. You can do this while you make the cornbread. I personally like it thin for cornbread dunkability.

Thrifty/$pendy: The dried beans tend to have more flavor and are cheaper. But if you didn’t plan ahead, canned beans work just fine. Substitute a 14.5 ounce can per cup of dried beans.