1/2pound1 1/4 cups dried Navy beans, picked over and rinsed
1/2pound1 1/4 cups dried Red Kidney beans, picked over and rinsed
2dried ancho chiles
2dried New Mexican chiles
1/2ouncedried shiitake mushrooms, chopped coarse
4teaspoonsdried oregano
1/2cupwalnuts, toasted
128-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained with juice reserved
3tablespoonstomato paste
1 - 2jalapeño chiles, stemmed and coarsely chopped
6garlic cloves, minced
3tablespoonssoy sauce
1/4cupvegetable oil
2poundsonions, chopped fine
1tablespoonground cumin
7cupswater
2/3cupmedium-grind bulgur
1/4cupchopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
1. In a large Dutch oven over high heat, bring 4 quarts water, 3 tablespoons salt, and beans to a boil. Remove pot from heat, cover, and let stand for 1 hour. Drain beans and rinse well.
2. Heat oven to 300 degrees. Place anchos and New Mexican chiles on a rimmed baking sheet and toast until fragrant and puffed, about 8 minutes. Transfer to plate to let cool, about 5 minutes, before stemming and seeding chiles. Working in batches, grind chiles, mushrooms, and oregano in spice grinder (or with mortar and pestle) until finely ground.
3. In the bowl of a food processor process walnuts until finely ground, about 30 seconds. Transfer to bowl and set aside. In the food processor process drained tomatoes, tomato paste, jalapeño, garlic, and soy sauce until tomatoes are finely chopped, about 45 seconds.
4. In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, heat oil until shimmering. Add onions and 1 1/4 teaspoons salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until onions begin to brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Lower heat to medium and add ground chile mixture and cumin; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add rinsed beans and water and bring to boil. Cover pot, transfer to oven, and cook for 45 minutes.
5. Remove pot from oven. Stir in bulgur, ground walnuts, tomato mixture, and reserved tomato juice. Cover pot and return to oven. Cook until beans are fully tender, about 2 hours.
6. Remove pot from oven, stir well, and let stand, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Stir in cilantro and serve with lime wedges, sour cream, diced avocado, chopped red onion, and shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese, if desired.
Recipe Note: Making this chili with whole dried chiles is best, but it can be prepared with chili powder. If using chili powder, grind the mushrooms and oregano and add them to the pot with 1⁄4 cup of chili powder in step 4.