I absolutely love Mexican food but sometimes get a little bored with the same old combinations. This veggie chilli con carne is certainly not boring and is definitely one to try. Spicy, smokey and hearty, this chilli is made with mixed beans and vegetables and therefore super healthy too (unless you top it with too much cheese like I do, whoops). I have a few tips to make this chilli really smokey which gives it a great flavour, as if it’s been cooked outside on a fire.

Mexican food is so exciting because there are so many little elements to it that really make it fun to eat. Served with some homemade guacamole, chipotle yoghurt, and baked sweet potatoes, you can add as much as you want to your plate.

Now the secret to my veggie chilli con carne is grilling the vegetables first. I charred them all on a grill pan to give them that smokey flavour. It makes such a difference and I really recommend it. If you don’t have a grill pan you can try grilling them in the oven or putting them directly on the gas hob to burn the skins a little (but be careful!). Once grilled, I chop them up and add them to the chilli.

The next tip is using smoked paprika. Smoked paprika really gives the dish a smokey (not sure how else to describe it!) and warm flavour. And lastly, chipotle paste. A delicious Mexican chilli paste made from smoked chilli peppers that you can find in most supermarkets nowadays.

These little tips take this chilli to another level. I also decided to serve mine with baked sweet potatoes as apparently they are classed as one of your 5 fruit and veg a day, who knew!

Serves 2

Ingredients:

2 peppers (any colour)
1 medium red onion
2 tomatoes
1 courgette
1 tin mixed beans
2 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp tomato puree
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp chilli flakes (or to taste)
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp chipotle paste
coriander to garnish

1. Cut the peppers, red onion, tomatoes and courgette into large chunks and grill until charred on a grill pan. Then once cooled, chop the vegetables into small chunks.
2. In a saucepan, add a splash of oil and toast the cumin seeds and chopped garlic for a minute.
3. Then add the chopped veg and all of the other ingredients. Mix, add salt and pepper to taste and a splash of water. Simmer for approximately 30 mins or until chilli has darkened in colour.
4. Serve with any sides of your choice and enjoy!

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