A collection of recipes we like to cook.

Perfect Vegetarian Chilli

Serves: 8-10
Cuisine: Mexican
Freeze: true
Microwave: true
Source: A Modern Way to Eat - Anna Jones

Ingredients

  • olive or rapeseed oil
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • a thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
  • 1 red or green chili, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp good chili powder
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds, crushed
  • 1 tbsp chipotle paste
  • 3 400g cans diced tomatoes
  • 1 1/2 cups/300g lentils
  • 1/2 cup/100g bulgur wheat
  • 1/2 cup/100g quinoa (red kind)
  • 1 400g can small beans (navy, black, or black-eyed)
  • 4-8 cups/1-2L vegetable stock
  • 1 heaping tbsp good cocoa powder
  • sea salt and pepper

To serve

  • 6 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 green or red chilis, finely chopped
  • small bunch fresh thyme
  • salted all-natural yoghurt
  • warmed corn tortillas

Method

  1. First get out your biggest pot and place over medium heat. Add a splash of olive oil and cook the onion, garlic, ginger, and chili for 10 minutes, until soft and sweet.
  2. Now add the chili powder and cumin seeds and stir for a minute or two.
  3. Add all the other chili ingredients, stirring and mixing as you go — add 1L stock to start with, and keep the rest on hand to add as needed if the chili starts to look a bit dry.
  4. Bring to a gentle boil, then turn the heat down to low and let simmer for 30-35 minutes until the lentils are cooked and the chili is deep and flavourful.
  5. Make a thyme oil by mixing the olive oil, chopped chilis, and thyme with a sprinking of salt and pepper.
  6. Taste your chili and add a little more salt and pepper if you like. Serve in bowls, topped with a little yoghurt, a drizzle of thyme oil, and some warmed corn tortillas for scooping.