Vegan chilli
Hearty, smoky vegan chilli packed with lentils and mixed beans, quick to make and rich in flavour — perfect for midweek dinners or batch cooking.
This vegan chilli is all about big, smoky flavours and good, honest bulk — lentils give body while mixed beans make it deliciously unctuous. It’s the sort of thing you’ll want to make on a Sunday and happily reheat all week.
Quick enough for a midweek meal but sturdy enough to freeze and portion for lunches. Use the lime and coriander at the end to brighten the deep, smoky sauce.
Ingredients
- 30 ml olive oil
- 1 brown onion — finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves — crushed or finely chopped
- 1 red pepper — diced
- 1 courgette — diced
- 1 aubergine — small, cut into 2cm cubes
- 400 g tinned mixed beans — drained and rinsed
- 100 g red lentils
- 400 g tinned chopped tomatoes
- 30 g tomato purée
- 500 ml vegetable stock — hot
- 15 ml tamari
- 10 ml smoked paprika
- 10 ml ground cumin
- 5 ml chilli powder — adjust to taste
- 5 ml cocoa powder — unsweetened
- 10 g soft brown sugar
- sea salt — to taste
- black pepper — freshly ground, to taste
- 10 g fresh coriander — roughly chopped, to garnish
- 1 lime — cut into wedges to serve
Equipment
- large heavy-based casserole or saucepan
- wooden spoon
- ladle
Instructions
Prep the veg: finely chop the brown onion, crush the garlic cloves, dice the red pepper and courgette, and cut the aubergine into 2cm cubes.
Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-based casserole over a medium heat on the hob. Add the brown onion and fry, stirring occasionally, until soft and beginning to caramelise (about 8 minutes).
Add the garlic cloves, smoked paprika, ground cumin, chilli powder and cocoa powder. Fry for 1 minute until fragrant.
Stir in the red pepper, courgette and aubergine. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened and the aubergine has picked up some colour.
Stir in the tomato purée and cook for 1 minute to remove the raw tomato edge.
Add the tinned chopped tomatoes, vegetable stock, red lentils, tinned mixed beans, tamari and soft brown sugar. Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat and simmer partially covered for 25 minutes, until the lentils have broken down and the sauce has thickened.
Season with sea salt and black pepper to taste. If the chilli seems too thin, simmer uncovered for a further 5 minutes to reduce.
Remove the casserole from the heat and leave to rest for 10 minutes to let the flavours marry.
Serve the chilli in bowls, scattered with fresh coriander and with lime wedges to squeeze over.
Tips
- Drain and rinse tinned beans, then pat lightly with kitchen paper to remove excess liquid — this stops the chilli becoming watery.
- If you prefer a smoother texture, blitz a third of the chilli in a blender then stir back into the pot to thicken the sauce.
- Make ahead: chilli keeps in the fridge for up to 4 days and freezes well in portions for up to 3 months.
- To deepen the smoky flavour, char the red pepper under a hot grill first, then peel and dice before adding to the pan.
- Adjust heat by increasing chilli powder or adding a chopped fresh chilli early on; add a splash of vinegar or more lime at the end to lift the acidity.
Substitutions
tinned mixed beans → tinned kidney beans or tinned chickpeas, same quantity (400 g)
Stays closered lentils → brown or green lentils (same weight) — they keep their shape more, so cooking time may be longer
Noticeably differenttamari → soy sauce (15 ml) — adds similar umami but is not gluten-free
Stays closeaubergine → extra courgette (one more) if you don’t like aubergine
Stays close
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 410
- Calories
- 20 g
- Protein
- 60 g
- Carbs
- 10 g
- Fat
- 18 g
- Fibre
- 12 g
- Sugar
- 650 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make this in a slow cooker?
Yes — brown the onions and spices first in a frying pan, then transfer to a slow cooker with the other ingredients and cook on low for 4–6 hours.
How do I make it less spicy?
Reduce the chilli powder to ½ tsp and omit any fresh chillies. Add heat later with a chilli sauce if needed so you can control it.
Will it thicken as it cools?
Yes. The red lentils help thicken the sauce as they break down. If it becomes too thick, loosen with a little hot vegetable stock when reheating.
Can I freeze this chilli?
Absolutely — cool completely, portion into airtight containers and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge before reheating.
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