There’s certainly no old-fashioned Café Beaujolais preparation to be found in the freezers of more fans across the country than this, a stick-to-your-ribs vegetarian chili that’s so satisfying and easy to make. To my surprise, Julia Child ordered this homely dish when she visited Beaujolais in the mid-1980s. Topped with grated cheese and served with warmed corn tortillas, it was a healthy, affordable meal that we made by the boatload when news of Julia’s choice broke.
This is how you make Original Café Beaujolais Black Bean Chili
Makes 8 servings
Ingredients
- 4 cups dried black beans
- 3 cups whole canned tomatoes, crushed
- 2 large yellow onions, finely chopped
- 1½ cups chopped green pepper
- ½ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons cumin seeds
- 2 tablespoons Beaujolais Blend Herbs (see below)
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1½ tablespoons paprika powder
- ½ cup chopped jalapeño peppers (canned is fine)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced (optional)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ pound cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, grated
- ½ cup finely chopped green onions
- ⅔ cup sour cream
- 8 sprigs of fresh coriander (and if you really like coriander, then 2 tablespoons more to sprinkle on top)
Directions
- Sort the beans and remove the funky beans and small stones. (They are always there. Our cook didn’t like doing it either.) Rinse well. Place the beans in a large saucepan and cover with water until the water is several inches above the top of the beans. Cover and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and cook until beans are tender, about 1¾ hours. If you start to see the beans, you need to add more water.
- When the beans are done, reserve 1 cup of the cooking water. Drain the beans, return them to the pan and add the reserved cooking water.
- Place the cumin seeds and Beaujolais Blend spices in a small saucepan and bake in a 325° oven for 10 to 12 minutes until the aroma is nice and warm.
- In a skillet over medium heat, fry the onions, green peppers and garlic in oil, with cumin seeds and spices, cayenne pepper, paprika and salt, until the onions are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and chili peppers. Add everything to the beans and stir well.
- To serve, place 1 ounce of grated cheese and then 1¼ cups of hot chili in a heated bowl. Place a spoonful of sour cream on top. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of green onions and add a sprig of cilantro or about ½ teaspoon of chopped cilantro to the sour cream. Serve hot.
Beaujolais Blend Herbs (
For about 2 tablespoons)
- 2 generous pinches of dried basil
- 2 generous pinches of dried oregano
- 2 generous pinches of dried thyme
- 1 generous pinch of dried tarragon
- 1 generous pinch of dried rosemary
Mix the spices together and place in an airtight container.
Recipe reprinted with permission from the cookbook The New Café Beaujolais by Julian Lopez,
February 2026 /The Collective Book Studio
