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bean chilli

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Bean chilli, full of warming spices and a delicious mix of beans and vegetables. A great vegan dish that is packed full of flavour.

Bean chilli is a dish all my family love to eat. Although no longer a vegetarian, I love vegetables and enjoy eating meat free a few days a week. One of the meals I cook regularly is this bean chilli, packed full of beans, vegetables and a lovely blend of spices. This tasty dish is vegan, and one of those dishes where you really don’t miss the meat. As much as I love a beef based chilli, if pushed to choose, my favourite chilli is this bean chilli.

A top down view of a bowl of vegan bean chilli with rice and soured cream garnished with coriander and limes in a pale blue mottled bowl on a grey backdrop and a fork and spoon to the right.

Can I adapt the recipe?

This recipe can be easily adapted to suit the tastes of your own family. As with most dishes, it’s best to adapt using ingredients that you know your family will enjoy. Here are some suggestions on how you can adapt the recipe:

Vegetable & Bean Mix:

I use this vegetable mix as I think it works really well in the dish. However, leave out anything you know your family won’t enjoy. Likewise, add in any other vegetables that you know your family like to eat. For example, butternut squash and sweet potato work really well in this bean chilli recipe. The bean mixture is entirely up to you, again use beans you know your family will enjoy eating. You can also add in a tin of chickpeas in place of beans if you would prefer. My bean mix is dependant entirely on what I have in the cupboard.

Chilli Heat:

As with all recipes that contain chillies, you can easily adapt the heat of the dish. I love chilli, therefore I add at least 2 chillies as per the recipe. I add more if my children aren’t eating it. However, if you want it milder, simply de-seed the chillies, cut down the amount of chillies you add to one, or leave them out entirely. Cook this how you want to eat it.

Recipe Steps:Stages of making a bean chilli on Lost in Food.How can I serve this bean chilli?

This simple chilli is full of flavour and needs very little added to it, making it a great mid week meal. I like to eat my bean chilli served with some brown rice. As much as I love the nutty crunch of brown rice, it is not something I’ve yet been able to convert my family to enjoying. We all tend to like our chilli served our own way, so I often steam some white rice, or add some to a wrap before sprinkling with a little cheese and popping it under the grill to melt a little. Add sour cream, grated cheese, fresh tomato salsa, guacamole, whatever takes your fancy and make the dish your own. Whilst the bean chilli itself is vegan, sour cream and cheese are not. If serving vegan diners look for suitable vegan alternatives.

A pale blue mottled ceramic bowl filled with vegan bean chilli with basmati rice some vine tomatoes to the side back and a pale blue napkin to the left sitting on a grey surface.

Can I make this bean chilli ahead of time?

Bean chilli is a great make ahead dish. In fact I usually make this dish the day before as allowing it to sit for 24 hours only intensifies the flavours.

Can I freeze this chilli?

Bean chilli freezes really well.  This recipe will comfortably feed 8 people. Therefore, rather than half the recipe, I cook it as it is. Then I eat a portion for dinner, placing the second half portion into the freezer to enjoy at a later date. Simply remove from the freezer and allow to defrost before heating up.

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A bowl of vegan bean chilli with basmati rice and topped with sour cream. Some vine tomatoes to the back and with text overlaid naming the dish

Additional recipe suggestions:

If you like this recipe then try some of our other vegetarian recipes like our Tomato Risotto, our Vegetable Layer Bake, or our Matar Paneer Vegetable Curry.

For those not following a vegetarian or vegan diet, try our Smoky Beef Chilli or our Paprika Beef.

A bowl of vegan bean chilli with basmati rice and topped with sour cream. Some vine tomatoes to the back and a drink on a grey backdrop with a pale blue napkin and cutlery to the sides of the bowl

Bean Chilli

Bean chilli, full of warming spices and a delicious mix of beans and vegetables. A great vegan dish that is packed full of flavour.
5 from 8 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: Simple, vegan, vegetarian
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 281kcal
Author: Lesley Garden

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp sunflower oil
  • 1 onion - chopped
  • 2 sticks celery - chopped
  • 2 carrots - chopped
  • 2 red peppers - de-seeded and chopped
  • 2 red chillies - chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic - crushed
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tbsp sweet smoked paprika
  • 400 g tin kidney beans - drained
  • 400 g tin black beans - drained
  • 400 g tin mixed beans - drained
  • 2 x 400 g tins plum tomatoes
  • 300 ml vegetable stock
  • 2 tbsp Heinz tomato ketchup
  • 2 tbsp tomato puree
  • salt & pepper
  • 4 tbsp coriander leaf - chopped

Instructions

  • Heat the sunflower oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onions, celery and carrot to the pan and saute for 5 minutes, taking care to soften but not colour the vegetables.
  • Add the peppers, chillies and garlic to the pan and cook gently for a further minute. Then add the ground spices to the pan and stir for a minute until the spice is well combined and starting to become aromatic.
  • Now add the beans, tinned tomatoes, tomato ketchup, tomato puree and vegetables stock to the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Stir well, turn the heat down to low and allow to simmer gently for 30 minutes.
  • Once cooked test for seasoning and add more if required. When ready to serve, spoon the bean chilli into a bowl and scatter over some chopped coriander leaf.

Notes

This recipe uses 3 x 400g tins of beans, of different varieties. However, these are only suggestions, use the tins of beans that you have in your store cupboard.

Nutrition

Calories: 281kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 271mg | Potassium: 994mg | Fiber: 15g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 4303IU | Vitamin C: 68mg | Calcium: 90mg | Iron: 6mg

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Reader Interactions

Comments

    • Thank you Lou, it’s a really great Vegan main and my family all enjoy it and honestly don’t miss the meat. It’s also very easy to double the recipe for popping into the freezer. Lesley x

      Reply

    • Jacqui, I am a total chilli head, but appreciate that nobody around the table wants to eat it that hot! No ideal where my love of spicy food came from, certainly neither of my parents! I tend to make this chilli mild so everyone can enjoy it, but always have a bottle of Siracha or Tabasco to hand to spice up my own. Lesley x

      Reply

  6. 5 stars
    I love using beans in a chilli! Unfortunately my husband isn’t quite so keen on them so I can’t do it all the time but I’d happily eat this rather than a meaty chilli.

    Reply

    • Me too, this is probably my favourite chilli. However, it’s taken a few attempts to get the rest of my family to realise it can be just as tasty without the meat. Lesley x

      Reply

    • Thank you Donna. I’m sat here laughing because the best bit of a meat chilli for me is the beans! Probably why this is my favourite chilli recipe. Lesley x

      Reply

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