Beef and black bean chili

Beef and Black Bean Chili with Chipotle and Avocado

Serves 4

• 3 15-oz. cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 14 1/2-oz. can diced tomatoes, with their liquid
• 1 medium chipotle plus 2 Tbs. adobo sauce (from a can of chipotles in adobo sauce)
• 2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 lb. 85%-lean ground beef
• Kosher salt
• 1 large red onion, finely diced
• 1 1/2 Tbs. chili powder
• 2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 ripe avocado, cut into medium dice

Coarsely crumble about 3 handfuls of tortilla chips in a zip-top bag and use them as an additional chili topping.

1. Put one-third of the beans in the bowl of a food processor, along with the tomatoes and their liquid, chipotle, and adobo sauce. Pro- cess until smooth and set aside.
2. Heat the oil in a 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat until it’s shimmering hot, about 2 minutes. Add the beef, season with 1/2 tsp. salt, and cook, using a wooden spoon to break up the meat, until it loses its raw color, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the beef to a large plate. Add half of the onion and 1/4 tsp. salt to the pot, and cook, stirring, until the onion begins to brown and soften, about 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the chili powder and cumin and cook for 20 seconds. Add the remaining black beans, the puréed bean mixture, and the beef to the pot and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add half of the lime juice, half of the cilantro, and salt and black pepper to taste. If the chili is thicker than you like, it may be thinned with water.
3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix the remaining lime juice and onion with the avocado. Season generously with salt and black pepper. Serve the chili topped with the avocado mixture and the remaining cilantro.