Ina Garten Chili Recipe: Homage to the Contessa - Blend of Bites (2024)

Ina Garten, aka "The Barefoot Contessa", is an author, chef, recipe developer, and culinary guru. She is famous for cooking comforting, family food with fresh ingredients and putting a contemporary twist to classic French recipes. Her words, "There's nothing like a home-cooked meal to make everyone feel happy and loved" clearly reflect her cooking style.

The Contessa is famed and loved for many dishes, including roasted lemon chicken, pasta Bolognese, French apple tart, crudités platter, and double chocolate layer cake, among many others. Ina Garten's take on one of the most comforting family foods, chili, deserves a special mention.

Our Ina Garten’s chili recipe provides a rich and flavorful chili base. You can use it with roasted chicken, beef, or pork. Going vegetarian or vegan are other options to consider. You can enrich your chili dish with your favorite vegetables and herbs.

Ingredients

1. Base

• Olive oil — ¼ cup, extra virgin
• Onion — 3 pcs., medium-sized, chopped into little cubes
• Yellow bell pepper — 2 pcs., deseeded and cut into large chunks
• Green bell pepper — 2 pcs., deseeded and sliced into large chunks
• Red chili pepper — ½ pc., deseeded and chopped
• Garlic — 4 cloves, minced
• Tomato puree — 2 cans (28 ounces each) of whole peeled tomatoes
• Ground cumin — 1 ¼ tsp.
• Chili powder — 1 tsp.
• Red pepper flakes — ½ tsp.
• Cayenne pepper — ½ tsp.
• Ground black pepper — ½ tsp.
• Salt — 1 tsp.
• Fresh basil — ¼ cup, very finely chopped

2. For serving

• Fresh basil — 4 sprigs, green leaves only
• Cheddar cheese — ½ tbsp. per serving, grated
• Sour cream — 1 tsp. per serving

Instructions

1. Place a large pot on the stove. Put olive oil in it and heat on a medium setting on the stove.

2. When the oil is heated, add the chopped onions. Cook until you can no longer smell raw onion. Remember to stir occasionally to prevent sticking. The onions will be slightly caramelized. Add and cook the garlic for another minute. Be careful not to overcook.

3. Put all the chopped peppers in the pot at the same time. Add the spices and roast for about five minutes until the peppers soften.

4. Add the pureed tomatoes, basil leaves, and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil. When it boils, turn the heat to low. Let the chili simmer for about 20 minutes or until it gets a thick consistency and visibly reduces.

5. If desired, serve it with the protein or vegetable of your choice. Garnish each serving with basil, sour cream, and cheddar cheese.

Substitutions

• Fresh basil — Though Ina Garten is not a fan, most chili recipes use fresh cilantro. If you have it, replace basil with the same amount of cilantro leaves. The same applies to serving as well.

• Extra virgin olive oil — You can substitute extra virgin variety with other types of olive oil.

Variations

• Make it with less effort — If you don’t have time for the preparation process, you can take culinary shortcuts and make your chili in the easiest way possible. For this, the magic ingredients are onion flakes and garlic powder, both of which are widely accessible. The substitution amounts are; four tablespoons of onion flakes and a teaspoon of garlic powder. For the fresh peppers, you can opt for the canned varieties. Our final suggestion is to substitute pureed canned tomatoes with the same amount of canned tomato puree.

Equipment

• Stove

• Mixing spoon or spatula

• Chopping board

• Knife

• Measuring spoons

• Measuring cups

• Large pot

Storage

• The chili base without meat can be stored in the fridge for up to 6-7 days. If there is meat in it, it is best to consume it in two days. For refrigeration, make sure it cools to room temperature before you place it in the fridge. It is crucial to keep it in an airtight container such as a tight-lid mason jar.

• The chili is also suitable to freeze. It can be stored in the freezer for up to two months. It is best to divide and store in portions. Once defrosted, it is important to consume it right away.

Pro Tips

• Leftover proteins, such as roasted chicken, beef, and even meatballs, work well with the chili base. Mixed with chili, the leftover protein acquires a new taste. It is best to cut the protein into big chunks before adding it to the chili pot to heat.

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