THREE CHILE WHITE BEAN CHILI

Why this recipe works: white bean chili is a fresher version of the thicker red chili with tomatoes that most Americans know and love. The fresh chiles take center stage, and we had fun choosing them: Banana peppers and Italian peppers weren’t inspiring enough. Serranos were too hot even for the chileheads among us. The trio of poblanos, Anaheims, and jalapeños provided the right level of complex, modest heat. We broiled the poblanos and Anaheims to develop depth and smokiness. To keep the flavor of the jalapeños bright, we chopped them in the food processor with onions and then sautéed the mixture. Broiled fresh corn added to the chili just before serving gave it a sweet quality. To thicken the chili, we processed some of the broiled peppers with a portion of the beans and broth. Serve with sour cream, tortilla chips, and lime wedges.

SERVES: 4 to 6

TOTAL TIME: 1 hour 45 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

• 5 poblano chiles, halved lengthwise, stemmed, and seeded
• 3 Anaheim chiles, halved lengthwise, stemmed, and seeded
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 ears corn, kernels cut from cobs and cobs reserved
• 2 onions, cut into large pieces
• 2 jalapeño chiles, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
• 2 (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans, rinsed
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1½ teaspoons ground coriander
• Salt and pepper
• 1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed
• 4 scallions, green parts only, sliced thin
• ¼ cup minced fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon lime juice

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Adjust oven rack 6 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Toss poblanos and Anaheims with 1 tablespoon oil and arrange skin side up on aluminum foil–lined rimmed baking sheet. Broil until poblanos and Anaheims begin to blacken and soften, about 10 minutes, rotating sheet
   halfway through broiling. Transfer broiled poblanos and Anaheims to bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let steam until skins peel off easily, 10 to 15 minutes. Peel poblanos and Anaheims, then cut into ½-inch pieces, reserving any accumulated juices.
2. Meanwhile, toss corn kernels with 1 tablespoon oil, spread evenly over second foil-lined rimmed baking sheet, and broil, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, 5 to 10 minutes; let cool on sheet.
3. Pulse onions and jalapeños in food processor until coarsely ground, 6 to 8 pulses; transfer to bowl. In now-empty processor, process 1 cup cannellini beans, 1 cup broth, and ½ cup poblano-Anaheim mixture and any accumulated juices until smooth, about 45 seconds.
4. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion-jalapeño mixture and cook until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in garlic, tomato paste, cumin, coriander, and ½ teaspoon salt and cook until tomato paste begins to darken, about 2 minutes. Stir in remaining 3 cups broth, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in pureed bean mixture, remaining poblano-Anaheim mixture, remaining cannellini beans, pinto beans, and corn cobs. Bring to simmer, then reduce heat to low and simmer gently until chili is thickened and flavorful, about 40 minutes.
5. Discard corn cobs. Stir in broiled corn kernels and cook until warmed through, about 1 minute. Off heat, stir in scallions, cilantro, and lime juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.