Best Vegetarian Chili

Here's another recipe to try for the hubby.

We prefer to make this chili with whole dried chiles, but it can be prepared with jarred chili powder (our favorite brand is Spice Islands).  If using chili powder, grind the dried shitakes and oregano and add them to the pot with 1/4 cup of chili powder in step 4.  We also recommend a mix of at least two types of beans, one creamy (such as cannellini or navy) and one earthy (such as pinto, black, or red kidney.  For a spicier chii, us both jalepenos.  Serve the chili with lime wedges, sour cream, diced avocado, chopped red onion and shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese, if desired.

Salt
1 pound (2 1/2 cups) dried beans, picked over and rinsed
2 dried ancho chiles
2 dried New Mexican chiles
1/2 ounce dried shitake musrooms, chopped coarse
4 tsps dried oregano1/2 cup walnuts, toasted
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained with juice reserved
3 tblsps tomato paste
1-2 jalapenio chiles, stemmed and coarsely chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
3 tblsp soy sauce
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 pounds onions, chopped fine
1 tblsp ground cumin
7 cups water
2/3 cup medium-grind bulgur
1/4 cup cilantro

1.  Bring 4 quarts water, 3 tblsps salt and beans to boil in large Dutch oven over high heat.  Remove pot from heat, cover, and let stand for 1 hour.  Drain beans and rinse well.  Clean pot.

2.  Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees.  Arrange anchos and New Mexican chiles on rimmed baking sheet and toast until fragrant and puffed, about 8 minutes.  Transfer to plate and let cool, about 5 minutes.  Stem and seed anchos and New Mexican chiles.  Working in batches, grind toasted chiles, mushrooms and oregano in spice grinder or with mortar and pestle until finely ground.

3.  Process walnuts in food processor until finely ground, about 30 seconds.  Transfer to bowl.  Proces drained tomatoes, tomato paste, jalapeno(s), garlic, and soy sauce in food processor until tomatoes are fiinely chopped, about 45 seconds, scraping down bowl as needed.

4.  Heat oil in now empty Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering.  Add onions and 1 1/4 tsps salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until onions begin to brown, 8 to 10 minutes.  Lower heat to medium and add ground chile mixture and cumin; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add rinsed beans and water and bring to boil.  Cover pot, transfer to oven and cook for 45 minutes.

5.  Remove pot from oven.  Stir in bulgur, ground walnuts, tomato mixture, and reserved tomato juice.  Cover pot and return to oven.  Cook until beans are fully tender, about 2 hours.

6.  Remove pot from oven, stir chili well, and let stand, uncovered, for 20 minutes.  Sitr in cilantro and serve.  (Chili can be made up to 3 days in advance.)