Yes, I know, it’s another chili recipe. But can you really ever have too many chili recipes? And this one is Chili Blanco, or a white chili, and for some reason it’s much harder to find a vegetarian recipe for that kind of chili. And you can make this ahead and turn it into excellent nachos for you Super Bowl munching pleasure. Just put it on some tortilla chips with some diced tomatoes, cilantro, jalapenos and melted cheese and voila!— the perfect snack.

Chili Blanco

1 pound small navy beans, rinsed and drained
8 cups water
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large yellow onions, coarsely chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups Imagine Not Chicken broth (or some other kind of vegetable broth or stock)
1 large bay leaf
1 4 oz. can green chilis, chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup each: chopped green bell pepper, celery and julienne carrots
1 teaspoon each: cumin (or more, to taste) and fresh ground black pepper
1 cup grated jack cheese
1/2 cup cilantro, coarsely chopped

2 cups baked tortilla chips, coarsely crushed (you can leave this out if you’re making the chili for nachos)
5 green onions, sliced (white and green parts)
sour cream, optional

Place the beans in a large pot and cover with the 8 cups of water. Bring to a boil and cook for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and let set, covered for 1 hour. Drain. Alternately, you can soak the beans overnight.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. When hot, sauté the onions until golden. Add the garlic and sauté 1-2 minutes, until garlic is translucent, but not browned.

Combine the beans, onions, broth, and bay leaf in a 6 quart pot. Bring to a low simmer, cover and cook until tender. Stir in green chilies and mash with a potato masher OR cool the mixture and puree it briefly in a blender or food processor. You want it to remain chunky, so don’t puree it too much. Season to taste with salt. When the beans are tender, sauté the bell pepper, celery, carrots, cumin and black pepper until just cooked. Stir into the beans after mashing. Add cheese and cilantro, stirring to blend. Serve garnished with green onions, chips and sour cream, if desired.