Quick Clear-the-Fridge Bean Chilli

Okay, I love my chilli! So much so that I have a few versions on my website, here (home roasted peppers), here (winter roots) and here (with smoky aubergine) , heck you can even buy my handmade chilli here.

I love the versatility of it, you can really add any veggie to a chilli.

Now, a chilli is ALL about the trimmings, right? I like a variety of thing I can top my chilli with, see serving suggestions, one being a good guacamole. I don’t mess about with my guac, I like it smoky with a slight tang, see below for a quick recipe.

Quick Guacamole: mash 1 avocado roughly with a fork, season generously with salt and pepper, a squeeze of lime and a pinch of Spanish smoked sweet paprika (I prefer this one).

Serves 4

Freezer Friendly

YES! Serve with baked potatoes or sweet potatoes, and/or the following, homemade guacamole, good thick yogurt of choice, a strong mature cheddar like this one, chopped spring onions and lime.

• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 550g any veggies, roughly chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 1/2 teaspoon Spanish smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 tin chopped tomatoes
• 1 tin red kidney beans, drained
• 2 handfuls chopped greens
• salt & pepper

Serve with: roasted potatoes/sweet potatoes, and/or a good corn chip, guacamole, strong cheddar, chopped spring onions, thick yogurt and limes.

1. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over a medium heat, add the veggies, stir to coat with the oil and cook, covered until soft, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. TIP: keeping the lid on while cooking is important, it traps the heat, creating steam which is important to keep your veggies moist. Moist veggies are happy veggies. When lifting the lid, tip all the steam back into the pot.
2. In a dry frying pan (no oil) heat the spices until fragrant, swirling the pan constantly, remove and set aside.
3. Add the garlic and tomato paste and stir until fragrant, 3 minutes, now add the toasted spices and stir to combine, add 2 good pinches salt and taste. The base should taste really good, smoky and a little salty.
4. Add the tomatoes, stir, followed by the beans – simmer gently for a few minutes, add the chopped greens and stir into the the chilli. Take the chilli of the heat (the heat will wilt the greens) and finally season with salt and pepper if needed.
5. See all the serving suggestions, ENJOY!