There is nothing basic about this chili recipe. Quite the opposite in fact! It has a wonderful depth of flavor that is a result of warm spices like ground cumin and chili powder, chipotle salsa, beer and oregano. The base recipe calls for ground bison which would be lovely, but I chose to use ground chicken for a lighter base chili; ground beef or turkey would work well here, too. 

The other reason I love this recipe for chili is that at the end of the recipe, Ruth Reichl (yes, that Ruth Reichl! The longtime editor of Gourmet magazine)  lists some optional add-ins which vary in flavorings but all would be a wonderful last touch.  The options she suggests include soy sauce, cream sherry, balsamic vinegar, chocolate, sour cream, cheddar cheese and scallions.  I wouldn’t add all of them to the base recipe, but choosing a few really does liven things up! What optional ingredients did I chose? A bit of dark chocolate, sour cream, cheddar cheese and scallions.

(To view this recipe, click on the following link: http://ruthreichl.com/2016/10/its-a-fine-day-for-chili.html/  )

Tagged: basic chili, beer, cheddar cheese, chicken chili, chicken stock, chili, chili powder, chipotle salsa, chopped tomatoes, dark chocolate, ground bison, ground chicken, ground cumin, ground meat, oregano, rice, Ruth Reichl, scallions, soup, sour cream, stew, tomatoes, www.RuthReichl.com