Vegan mixed bean chilli

Anyone who visited The Little Bookshop in Leeds is likely to have seen or tried this recipe as it was a really popular dish on the menu. Sadly as it’s unlikely that I’ll be able to serve you in person anytime soon, I thought it would be nice to share the recipe so you can make it at home.

It’s great to make in a big batch like this one and freeze some or have with different things to save time in the kitchen during the week. I really like a recipe that is super versatile, so you can eat it again and it’s not just left overs, but a whole different meal.

You can try serving it with classic brown basmati rice (spiked with toasted cumin seeds), paprika roasted squash or sweet potato wedges, guacamole, baked potato, coconut quinoa (photo below) feta and/or yoghurt (vegan coconut goes especially well). You can also make a wrap with avocado, feta, rice and a little yoghurt, or a quesadilla with plenty of cheese and rice.

Let me know in the comments below if you make it, I love to hear that people are enjoying my recipes.

Ingredients

• 3 medium (or 2 large) onions, small dice

• 3 mixed peppers (yellow, orange or red, no nasty green), same size as the onions

• 2 large cloves of garlic, grated

• 1.5 tsp smoked paprika

• 1 tsp cumin

• 1 tsp coriander

• 1 tsp dried chill flakes (or 2 if you like it hot!)

• 3 x 400g tins tomatoes

• 4 x 400g tins beans (whatever kind you prefer, but make sure one is kidney)

• 30g fresh coriander, leaves chopped roughly and stalks chopped finely

• 1 tbsp maple syrup or honey

• 1 tbsp cider vinegar (or any kind apart from malt!)

• Juice of 1 lime, plus another chopped into wedges

Method

• Heat a couple of lugs of olive oil in a large wide bottomed pan, add the onions and peppers.

• Cook on a medium heat to allow the water to steam out of the veggies, but don’t let them burn, turn the heat down if they begin to stick.

• Stir on and off for 20-25 minutes until the onions are just beginning to colour (to add extra flavour) then add the garlic and cook for a further 2 minutes.

• Next add the ground spices and stir for a minute to warm then through (and release their flavour) before pouring in the chopped tomatoes plus 1/2 a tin of water, all the beans and then the coriander stalks. Allow to gently bubble away for 25 minutes without the lid on, but keep an eye on it and put it on if the chilli begins to dry out or stick. You can always add a little water if needed.

• Lastly add the maple and vinegar and allow to bubble for a further 5-10 minutes without the lid on. Sir in the juice from 1 lime and save the rest for serving. Chop the other lime into wedges as well.

Tip

When you add the water fill one tin 1/2 way and swirl in each one to get all the tomato juice out.