MEAT-FREE CHILLI

I’ve been experimenting with vegan chillies for years now, and I’m proud to say this is the best one yet. It’s a rich, deep chilli with a spicy kick and complex flavours that rivals any meat-based version. The quantities in this recipe make eight servings, so use your biggest pan and freeze any leftovers. As with many dishes, the flavours actually develop and become even more infused after freezing and reheating.

TIME: 15 minutes prep + 60 minutes cooking

DIFFICULTY: Easy

STORAGE: Keep covered in the fridge for up to three days SERVES: 8 - 2 tbsp rapeseed oil

- 1 large onion, finely chopped

- 2 red peppers, chopped

- 5 cloves of garlic, finely chopped - Thumb-sized piece of ginger, finely chopped or grated

- 1 red chilli, finely chopped

- 1 tsp chilli powder

- 1 tbsp ground cumin

- 2 tbsp smoked paprika - 150ml red wine - 3 x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes - 2 x 400g tins of green or brown lentils - 200g quinoa, uncooked - 1 x 400g tin of black beans - 1 tbsp cocoa powder - 2 tbsp soy sauce (or 1 tbsp tamari for GF option) - 1L veg stock - Salt and lots of black pepper TO SERVE (PER PERSON): - 1 cup of cooked rice - 2 tbsp soy yogurt - ½ an avocado, roughly mashed - Handful of fresh coriander, chopped

METHOD

Heat the rapeseed oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Fry the onion and red peppers for ten minutes, until starting to soften and turning translucent. Add the garlic, ginger and red chilli and continue frying for a further two to three minutes, then add the spices and fry for a further one to two minutes, stirring continuously.

Add the red wine and let it simmer for five minutes, until reduced by about half. Then add all the remaining ingredients, just starting with one litre of stock and keeping the rest handy in case the chilli starts to look a little dry. Simmer gently for around 40 minutes, until the lentils and quinoa are tender and the chilli is deep and flavoursome.

To improve the consistency, I like to remove just a couple of ladles of the chilli and blitz in a blender to a thick sauce, then return it back to the pot (this step is optional but does give the chilli a thicker, richer consistency).

Serve with rice, and a selection of toppings such as soy yogurt, mashed avocado and fresh coriander, sliced spring onions and pickled jalapeños.

PER SERVING Kcals: 564 | Protein: 18.7g | Carbs: 86.2g | Fats: 20.1g