I think what makes my chili taste so good is I use fresh herbs and I make everything from scratch.
I soak the beans overnight in my slow cooker filling it 1/2 full. I use half pinto and half black beans sometimes I'll use Kidney beans or white beans as well.
The next morning I'll rinse the beans and start cooking them in my slow cooker on high. Be sure you put enough water in it. Add 3 or 4 bay leaves. I just keep these in my fridge. Then I add 4 or 5 cloves of garlic. I leave it cooking all day.
(this is perfect on those days you go to work or have to be gone all day).
Beans are done when you can squeeze them in your hand. I add some salt and pepper at this point and keep the slow cooker on but then I turn it to low.
If you eat meat, you can cook the ground beef, drain fat. I saute 1 onion and 1 green pepper and 1 zucchini.
Add meat and veg to beans.
add 2 quarts of tomatoes (drained if you want chili to be thicker)
(I use crushed or diced because my family doesn't like huge chunks of tomatoes)
Add 1 C chopped fresh parsley
1/3 - 1/2 C chili Powder
2 tsp Cumin seeds
1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1 tsp salt
1 tsp or more pepper
Add all the ingredients to beans and cover. Let it steam and simmer for another 1 hr or so. Then uncover and let cook until desired thickness.
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