- 1 cup dried navy beans, picked over and rinsed, or about 2 cups canned navy beans
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 1 red or green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
- 1 jalapeno, diced, with seeds
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 8 cups chicken broth
- One 14-ounce can chopped tomatoes
- 12 ounces beer
- ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
- 4 cups shredded cooked chicken
- ¼ cup cornmeal
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 4 scallions, trimmed and chopped
- If using dried beans, quick-cook them: Place the beans in a large pot with water to cover by 3 inches and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered 45 minutes. Remove from the heat, drain, rinse, and set aside.
- Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large saucepan. Add the onion and cook about 15 minutes, stirring constantly, until the onion has softened. Add the bell pepper, jalapeño, and garlic and cook about 5 minutes more, stirring constantly.
- Stir in the chili powder, cumin, and basil and cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Add the broth, tomatoes, beer, Worcestershire sauce, chicken, beans (if using canned beans, see note in step 5), and cornmeal and stir to mix well.
- Add the salt and pepper, reduce heat to low, and simmer about 1½ hours, uncovered, until the beans are tender and the flavors have developed. (Note: If using canned beans, add them at this point and cook about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.) Serve immediately, garnished with cilantro and scallions.
- Variations: Turkey can be substituted for the chicken. Or use leftover beef or pork or a combination of the two. Make this a “green chili” by using chopped tomatillos (fresh or canned) instead of chopped tomatoes. Any kind of bean can be used; at Foster’s, we often make this with pinto, kidney, or lima beans. Roasted jalapeños or chipotles (for a smoky flavor) can be used instead of fresh jalapeños.