Adding more seasonings to chili after cooking

Question

I tried a new recipe for sweet potato black bean chili today and while it tastes good, I don't think there's enough liquid to keep it all from drying out. I'd like to add at least 1 cup of vegetable broth and then some more of the seasonings to keep the flavor, but will it work given that the chili has already cooled? Can I add it to the pot as is, or do I need to heat up everything again? The recipe I used is here: https://www.brandnewvegan.com/recipes/vegan-sweet-potato-chili#tasty-recipes-24873-jump-target

Thank you!

Answer 1

As your chili is starch thickened (with the cornmeal and sweet potato), I would recommend the following when reheating:

1. Bloom the spices by heating them in a sufficiently large pot. (Either dry or with a bit of oil)
2. Add your extra liquid to the spices, and heat it to let it steep for a little bit
3. Add a spoonful or two of the chili and stir or whisk to thicken the liquid
4. Add another couple of spoonfuls of the chili and repeat
5. Add the rest of the chili to warm up.

You can add liquid straight into the chili, but it can sometimes be difficult to mix in if the base is fairly thick. It’s especially difficult if it has cooled with a starch thickened sauce. You can also add seasonings later, but they won’t necessarily be as fully flavored as if you bloom them first, and you may need extra cooking time to let the flavors meld if you add them all at the end. (And I would at a minimum reheat it before trying to add the seasoning)

You can also consider changing the flavor slightly when serving. You can add chopped herbs (cilantro, culantro, parsley, etc), something acidic (sour cream, lime juice, chamoy sauce, pickled jalapeños, a vinegary hot sauce), other hot sauces, minced onion, etc.