- Preparation Time 15 Minutes
- Cooking Time 30-40 Minutes
- Serves 6
Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and nut-free
Chilli is one of those dishes that is a real crowd-pleaser. This easy meal is not one to stand on ceremony or require your best china. All you need is a group of good friends or family, a pot of chilli and lots of sides. It is also a great meal to have on Bonfire night or to dish out at a BBQ. It is a good relaxing meal, people can help themselves from the pot and garnishes.
It is one of my favourite meals to use for meal prep. I make double the amount and portion it up into vacuum freezer bags. It freezes so well. It is also best eaten the day after you have made it. I don’t even think any non-vegans would complain about this one as it is all about the spices.
What vegan mince could I use?
In the recipe, I have suggested Future farm mince. For me, it has to be gluten-free also. Also, this brand behaves as a meat version, it keeps its shape. You could also try
- Vivera veggie soya mince
- Vegetarian Butcher magic mince
- The Unbelievable ALT beefless mince
- Heck power to the pea vegan mince
or a frozen one.
Can I use other types of beans?
The classic ones are kidney and black bean, these have a robust texture and do not break down in cooking. You can however use whatever beans you like such as haricot beans, butter beans, Aduki beans, black-eyed beans or cannellini beans.
How much heat
I like my chilli spicy and flavoursome rather than one that melts the inside of my mouth. If you want extra heat then either keep the seeds and pith in the chilli peppers or add some chilli flakes.
Why do we need sugar?
The sugar is not to make the dish sweet but to cut through the acidity of the tomatoes and create balance to the dish
Ingredients
- 2 packs of Future Farm mince 500g
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 4 cloves of crushed garlic
- 1 tbsp of tomato puree
- 2 red peppers chopped, optional
- 2 tins of chopped tomatoes
- 1 400 g tin of black beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 400 g tins of kidney beans drained and rinsed
- 240 ml of vegan red wine
- 2 green chillies, seeds and pith removed and finely diced
- 2 tsp of cumin
- 1 tsp of oregano
- 1 1/4 tsp of smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp of sugar
- 10g of vegan and gluten-free dark chocolate or 1 tbsp of unsweetened cocoa powder
Instructions
- Place a large pot on the stove on a medium heat and add the oil.
- Add the chopped onion to the pot and chopped chillies and saute for 5-7 minutes until they have become translucent, add in the packets of mince. break it down a bit with a wooden spoon and fry it off for a few minutes. Next, add the garlic and cook for a further minute. Season with salt and black pepper.
- Now add the spices, oregano, smoked paprika and cumin along with the tomato puree and red wine. Stir through and cook for a further 3-5 minutes to reduce down the wine.
- Add the beans, tins of tomatoes, chopped red peppers and sugar. Place the lid on bringing it to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes.
- Remove the lid and add the chocolate or cocoa powder and cook with the lid off for 15 minutes until reduced to your liking. Taste and adjust the seasoning. If you require some extra heat then sprinkle in some chilli flakes.
If you decide to give this recipe a try, don’t forget to tag me on Twitter as @veganalchemist1 or my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/thegfveganalchemist I love seeing your versions of the recipes. I would love to hear your comments.