Red Bean Chili with Cinnamon and Cocoa

Cinnamon and Cocoa in chili? Yes! It's delicious. The cinnamon adds spiciness and a pleasing aroma while the cocoa adds an almost smoky richness. The absence of sugar keeps this chili from tasting like candy. This is a great comfort food dish for a day like today when it's a windy 21 degrees (-6C) outside.

Red Bean Chili with Cinnamon and Cocoa topped with Tofutti Sour Cream

Red Bean Chili with Cinnamon and Cocoa

1 medium red onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2T olive oil
2 cans red beans, drained and rinsed
2 cans petite diced tomatoes
1t ground cinnamon
1t unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2t cumin
1/2t chili powder (or more to taste)

In medium sauce pan add olive oil and onion. Saute on medium-high heat until the edges of the onion begin to brown. Add minced garlic and continue to saute for 3 additional minutes. Add remaining ingredients to the sauce pan and simmer on low heat for 30 minutes.

A friend suggested serving this dish as Cincinnati chili over spaghetti noodles. Perhaps I'll try that next. This time, I topped it a dollop of Tofutti (vegan) sour cream and ate it with a spoon. Yum!