I have always heard friends rave about Ben’s Chili Bowl in Washington, D.C. – it’s a bit of an institution to say the least. In fact, it’s become a can’t-miss whistle stop for presidential candidates, local politicians, and celebrities. Bill Cosby eats there. A lot.

Ben’s Chili Bowl is most famous for their “half-smoke,” a D.C. delicacy that I’ve never had the privilege to try. From what I can gather, though, half-smokes are a type of sausage and Ben loads them up with chili topping. Works for me.

After looking at some pictures of Ben’s half smokes online, I decided that approximation – rather than imitation – would be a better course of action. I opted for a veggie-heavy meatless chili topping, rather than the shapeless mess that Wikipedia showed me. After all, I couldn’t have my first post on Food Junta looking like something you wouldn’t risk feeding to your dog. After picking up some Semolina bread and hot pepper Italian sausages, I was off and running.

Good Spice Veggie Chili (All produce measurements in real world units because, really, who knows how many Onions make 2/3 of a cup)
1 ½ Onion, chopped
1 Red Bell Pepper, seeded, diced
1 large Carrot, chopped in rounds
5 cloves Garlic, minced
3 Jalapeño Peppers, seeded, diced
2 15oz. cans Black Beans, drained
28oz. can Crushed Tomatoes
15oz. can Kidney Beans, drained
12oz. can Sweet Corn, drained
2 Tbsp. White Wine Vinegar
Chili powder
Cumin
Cinnamon
½ C Bulgur Wheat

Due to limited pot selection, I chose to cook the chili in a crock-pot – ideally I would have allowed many hours for the chili to really get going, but I only had about two and a half before serving time. Because of this, I started of by simmering the onions, carrots, red peppers, and jalapeños on their own to soften them up. After about 10 minutes, I transferred everything over to the crock-pot, along with the beans, corn, tomatoes, and garlic. Then I got to stirring.  For spicing (outside of the jalapeños) I kept it simple: A dash of cinnamon, a larger dash of chili powder, a few tablespoons of chopped cumin, and a couple of glugs of white wine vinegar. Delish.

After a few minutes of stirring, I left the chili alone, perhaps the most beautiful aspect of crock-pot cooking. After the chili had ruminated for around an hour, it was looking a little too juicy for my liking, though, so I added about a ½ cup of bulgur, a cracked wheat that soaks up water and works nicely as a thickening agent. It did the trick nicely, and after another hour and a half, the chili was chunky and cohesive – perfect.

The remaining steps were fairly simple: Grill sausages, toast rolls, combine. Cover with chili. Eat.

The chili complimented the sausage quite nicely – the spice wasn’t too obtrusive, and the corn provided a sweet pop to balance the pepper in the sausage. It was good enough to hold its own as a stand-alone chili, and the bulgur gave it some extra weight to take it up a hearty notch. On the sausage, the chili was a nice texture complement to the crispy skin, and reassuring not to be overloaded with meat.

The bread held up under the combined weight, and was perfect for sopping up some extra chili that conveniently found itself ladled onto the side of the plate. Knocks against the dish: The chili could have used a little more time for all of the flavors to mesh, and the bread was almost too hearty – one gets the feeling that Ben’s half-smoke rolls dissolve in your hands as you chow down.

So let’s not call it a half-smoke, or compare it to Ben’s (although, photographically, I stand my ground). It’s a cheap, hearty meal. It’s good protein covered in your daily dose of vegetables. It’s a step up from a chili dog. It’s a Chili Sausage, and it’s proud to be one.