Five Bean Chilli Recipe

An oldie but a goodie. Our five bean chilli recipe is one that we come back to time and time again. In fact, in winter months, it’s a regular on our meal rotation. We always make big batches so that we can divide it up and freeze it for a later date. There’s nothing better than coming home after a long day and reheating a delicious, heart warming bowl of chilli for dinner.

For this recipe we use five different types of beans, but you could use the basis of the recipe for a vegetarian or meat mince chilli too.

This recipe is for approx. 10-12 servings, as like I said, we like to make lots of portions to have at a later date. So you may need to adjust the quantities.

Top Tip!

Our top tip, to make this chilli really smokey in flavour, is to add a bit of dark chocolate for the final 5 minutes! Honestly, it transforms the dish.

Ingredients (serves 10-12)

• 3 small brown onions, chopped
• 2 green peppers, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1-2 red chillis, finely chopped
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 2 tsp ground paprika
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 2x 400g chopped tomatoes
• 2x 400g can red kidney beans
• 1x 400g can butter beans
• 1x 400g can black eyed beans
• 1x 400g can black beans
• 1x 400g can pinto beans
• 250g red or green lentils
• 1.2 litres vegetable stock
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Approx. 60g dark chocolate
• Salt and pepper
• Fresh coriander, brown rice, soured cream and lime to serve

Method:

1. Place a very large pan over a medium heat with a drizzle of olive oil. Add the onions and fry for 4-5 minutes, before adding the peppers, garlic and chilli. Fry for a further 3-4 minutes until softened.
2. Add all of the ground spices – cumin, coriander, paprika, cinnamon and oregano. Fry for a further minute, ensuring everything is coated in the spices.
3. Stir in the tomato purée and add the chopped tomatoes.
4. Add the beans and lentils and stir thoroughly.
5. Finally add the vegetable stock and bring to the boil. Once boiling, lower the temperature to a simmer, place the lid on the pan and simmer covered for 30 minutes. Check on it regularly to ensure it’s not sticking.
6. After 30 minutes, remove the lid and simmer for a further 30 mintues uncovered. Your chilli should reduce and thicken.
7. Add approx. 60g or 2/3rds of a 100g bar of dark chocolate. Stir thoroughly to ensure it’s completely melted.
8. Season with salt and pepper, and serve fresh coriander, brown rice, soured cream and lime.