Bean chilli stew recipe

Our bean chilli is so hearty and comforting you won’t even notice it is meat-free. We’ve used chipotle paste to give the bean chilli an extra kick of flavour and a more authentic Mexican taste. You can get chipotle paste from most supermarkets but if you can’t find any, add 1-2tsp chilli powder with 2tsp tomato paste to the bean chilli recipe. Chipotles are widely used in Mexican cuisine, they are smoke-dried jalapeno peppers and blending them together with tomatoes makes the paste. This one-pot wonder bean chilli stew is also suitable for freezing so it is perfect for getting ahead. The recipe can be easily doubled if you’re entertaining for a larger group taking all the fuss out of cooking for big parties. Why not throw a Mexican-themed dinner party and cook this bean chilli alongside some spicy chicken fajitas, cheesy nachos with guacamole and a meaty chilli con carne? You could even top it all off with some sombreros and a tequila shot or two – just make sure you’ve done all the cooking before the drinks start!

Ingredients

• 2tbsp sunflower oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2tsp chipotle paste
• 4 carrots, cubed
• 1 leek, sliced
• 750ml vegetable stock
• 1tbsp tomato paste
• 400g can butter beans, drained
• 400g can kidney beans, drained
• 425g can chickpeas, drained
• 2tbsp chopped parsley

Method

1. Heat the sunflower oil in a large casserole, add the onion and cook gently for 5 mins, to soften.
2. Add the garlic, chipotle paste, carrots and leeks, then cook for a few mins.
3. Pour in the vegetable stock. Add the tomato paste, then the butter beans, kidney beans and chickpeas. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 20 mins, until the vegetables are tender. Sprinkle over chopped parsley and serve.