3 Bean Chili featuring Instant Beans

Do you love making chili but hate how long the process is by the time you soak the beans, cook the beans, then let the chili simmer long enough to bring all the flavors together? Well I have a solution for you that I only recently discovered … Instant Beans!

Beans can be a tough item for food storage, especially if you are not used to cooking with them. And in an emergency you have to use a lot of water and fuel just to get them ready to eat. Enter Instant Beans. These are beans that have been fully cooked and then dehydrated (think of minute rice) so they cook back up in about 10-15 minutes with minimal water. I find myself cooking with beans ALL THE TIME now because they are so easy to use. If I need to I can sub for traditional beans which I do still keep in my storage, but for day to day use and especially for Meals-in-a-Jar the instant beans are where it’s at.

Here is a recipe using not one but THREE of these wonderful beans 🙂

3 Bean Chili Recipe

Serves 2-3, Cook Time 15 minutes

Ingredients:

1/3 cup Thrive Instant Red Beans
1/3 cup Thrive Instant Black Beans
1/3 cup Thrive Instant Pinto Beans
1/4 cup Thrive Freeze-Dried Sliced Onions
1/4 cup Thrive Freeze-Dried Sweet Corn
2 T. Thrive Green Chili Peppers
1 tsp. Thrive Garlic
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Ground Cumin
1 tsp. Chili Powder
1/4 cup Thrive Freeze-Dried Tomatoes
1 T. Thrive Tomato Powder

(Please note for any items that you don’t have or are currently out of stock you can always substitute for other brands, use dehydrated items, or use fresh from the grocery store!)

Directions:

Bring 3 cups of water to a boil in a medium stock pot. Add beans, onions, corn, green chiles, and garlic to the water. Cook for ten minutes. Add spices and stir. Add tomatoes and stir gently (they are fragile). Add tomato powder and stir. Simmer for 5 more minutes or until desired thickness is achieved.